How to: Replacing A/C Control Panel LEDs

you just need to disconnect the harness, there are two of them. Also need to disconnect the cables that connect to the flap controls on each side and two metal clips that hold them in place. Then the radio bezel will come out with the AC controls attached, then you can remove the AC controls easily and paint away
 
Note: If Backlight goes out on your protege5 (mine is 2003.5) the backlights are not LED's. They are a replacement bulb that fits into a push and twist socket. You must remove the bulb and bring it into a car parts store. It should be a 2721 instrument/courtesy bulb. 12V.

Total time without running to find the bulb: about 1.5 hours to take apart and put back together the console.

Have fun with the cables!!
 
If you go to Zapwizards website you can actually still send him a note about this mod. I did earlier in the year when the links to the pictures were broken.
 
I'm having issues removing the cable on the driver side. The metal clip won't budge. Any tips or tricks to remove this?
 
Radio lights

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This is my first step towards a completely red control panel.

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Next hopefully will be the radio backlights.

Hello,

My name is Mihai and I am new to this forum. I have recently bought a Mazda 323F, 1,6, from 2003.
I noticed that my radio has all the buttons lit up in red, but one. Namely, the "CLOCK" button, which is not lit at all. In the pictures of your radio I saw that this button is also lit (in green in your case). My question is, how can I replace / fix the light of this button? I would like to see all of them at night. Is there a back light for this button or not? Are they lit individually? Thank you.
 
Reviving this thread for posterity's sake as I just switched out the two bulbs last night for the HVAC/AC climate control. If you don't want LEDs the stock bulb replacements are #2723 and can be found at your local Advance Auto for $5 for a pack of two. #2721 are the same size and fit, too, but the wattage is less and just simply wasn't bright enough for me.

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Re-reviving this thread to share LEDs I used to replace the burned out bulbs.

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74 LED Bulb - 1 SMD LED - Miniature Wedge Retrofit - Red about $7 shipped for a pair.


After I untwisted the bulb seat from the panel, I removed the burned out bulb, of course, and pushed in the LED which was a tight fit. It was a little too tight of a fit as the wedge bulb spread the seat out too far which prevented it from fitting back in through the hole on the panel. So, I removed the LED bulb and then placed the seat back into the panel and twisted it in without a bulb. Then, from the front, with the seat locked in place, I pushed/stuffed the LED wedge into the seat. I went straight for this method on the second one but found I wasn't able to just stuff the LED bulb in from the front. I had to remove the seat and stuff the LED bulb in to pre-condition or stretch the seat. Then I repeated the process and the bulb went in albeit tight.

Another tip, if they don't light when testing just pull the bulb out and flip 180 degrees to correct polarity direction to then instantiate lased light emissions!

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Also, the Kenwood KDC-BT362U can be configured to display entirely in the color RED :)
 
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Do you know where the thread is to fix the AC switch?

It seems only position two and full on works for me...

thanks
 
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