MS3 Dashboard lighting *HELP*

[Jen1170]

Help! We need a How-To thread on how to replace the dashboard lights! I wanna do this, but I've never done any wiring at all. Could somebody help me out?

[Vord]

This is too big a job for you take on if you have done no wiring at all. It involves sodering LEDs that are a 1/20th (guess-timate) the size of a quarter. To be exact its a 3mm LED. And its alot of them, like 50-60+ LEDS.

You will need some major experience with sodering to do that. Another forum has the HOW to.

I will be posting a how to here sometime in the coming month as I do my setup.

[Jen1170]

k thanks for the input and i have someone thats willing to do it for me, i just would like to learn how to do it myself ya know?

[GoFast]

watch the person thats willing to do it for you. nothing like a hands on learning experience

[Jen1170]

i think we'll do it tomo, because were putting in my new radio tomo, and hes gotta solder anyways so hopefully i can get the lights today or tomo...this is what its gunna look like:

[Jen1170]

only problem is i dont know how he got the two different colors, if anyone knows how to do that let me know...

[phillyb]

i would love to do that

[Jen1170]

i know isnt it just the sexiest thing youve ever seen?

[phillyb]

no, but i'll lie to you like i've done to all the other girls.

hhahahahah

[imac]

yea, that looks sick. i like the red, but that just blows it away IMO. nice work.

[phillyb]

that was a joke

[Jen1170]

lol well its def the sexiest ms3 dash out there. the sexiest thing ever may have been a bit of an exaggeration. =P

[Vord]

The two color is easy. there is a center LED that shines into the needle.

If you take a picture and mark the LEDS clearly, you will see them circle in a sea-shell shape sorta. you will see two lines, one for each of the colors (ie, one for the numbers and one for the dashes).

He is using bright white and blue LEDS.

That picture is from another forum, I suggest you check the thread. He has detailed instructions on it.

If you have someone who's going to do it, make sure they are competent enough to do it. No offense, but just because they are "willing" doesn't mean its an easy job. I have been sodering for years and years and this job has still been a bitch.


Let me make a suggestion, get the thin soder and use flux. keep some paper towels around and a nice wet (but squeezed) sponge around for this job.

You should also make sure you test out the first LED to make sure it works properly and make sure you soder them in the correct way or this won't work.

goodluck! post pictures! and try doing different colors rather than doing something someone else did!

[Jen1170]

yea i didnt exactly wanna do the same colors as someone else, but i dont think theres a better combo out there, but ill look around! dont worry ill post tons of pics when i can get around to doing it, or rather forcing my bf to do it cause i suck at all things electrical =P

[Jen1170]

do you happen to know the voltage size etc of the leds i would need?

[mdavis]

i think we'll do it tomo, because were putting in my new radio tomo, and hes gotta solder anyways so hopefully i can get the lights today or tomo...this is what its gunna look like:


thats not a MS3, the speedo only goes to 140....

but its still looks cool

[Jen1170]

o youre right i didnt even notice that, might be a regular 3 but i still wanna do it ;-)

[mdavis]

its the attention to detail that matters

[Jen1170]

lol my bad =P

[hectik1]

That looks pretty good!(boobs)

[Vord]

It works on the MS3. You will need 3mm LEDs & 5 mm LEDs. I will have to go back and look, but i am busy. I will post back later.

[Jen1170]

kk thanks vord =D

[wtf lol]

who likes options??? :) i do

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashgreen.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashorange.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashpurple.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashred.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashyellow.png

i'm diggin the green one personally. just gotta get some green trim and stuff to match it and that'd be hot!!

[Jen1170]

omg you are my new BESTFRIEND! i love you <3

[Jen1170]

can you change the digital screen color too?

[major error]

The only way I'd consider doing something like this is if I could choose the color on the fly...

http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/product_info.php?products_id=7844
I'm not electronically inclined enough to come up with a circuit that could drive them...

[wtf lol]

i can. what color(s) do you want together?

[Jen1170]

no i meant, can you change the color of the screen irl ;-) or just in photoshop?

[wtf lol]

hahaha oh.. probably just photoshop. BUT you should try. i have faith in you. then when you've done yours, come do mine. i mean, best friends do things for best friends, right? plus you love me. so.. *jingles keys* have at it :)

[controlo]

who likes options??? :) i do

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashgreen.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashorange.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashpurple.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashred.png

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y9/illninophanatik/LEDdashyellow.png

i'm diggin the green one personally. just gotta get some green trim and stuff to match it and that'd be hot!!

that's hot.

[Jen1170]

hahaha oh.. probably just photoshop. BUT you should try. i have faith in you. then when you've done yours, come do mine. i mean, best friends do things for best friends, right? plus you love me. so.. *jingles keys* have at it :)

hahahahahahahaha we'll see! =P

[Vord]

the LEDS used in the main 4 dials are PLCC-2. Look em up on Ebay and there is 22 to be exact. there is another 14 or so in the headunit. I think the little ones are 805s LEDS.

buy extras!!
Credit goes to the guy who made the gauge cluster mod.

[UHATEIT]

did someone photoshop that color work or is that someone's real dashboard that has that many different color changing leds?

I have been wanting to make the abient lighting BRIGHTER (the blue ones above the clusted and iluminate the backside) I really want the circles around the lettering to light up like actual blue circles and see the word "mazdaspeed" brighter. Has anyone ever done any of that before???

[wtf lol]

well i photoshopped the green, yellow, orange, red, and purple one, but as far as the blue one goes, i think that one's legit. but if somebody does it, there definately needs to be some How To'ing goin down