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Change the color of your Door controls, Dash, and overhead console!

85K views 98 replies 54 participants last post by  WSUMiller 
#1 · (Edited)
Props to Leebroox on the ChallengerForumz! His write-up inspired me to do this one.

I had been toying with the idea of doing this swap since I got the truck. I never really cared for the generic green that Mopar uses everywhere. I wanted to do a how-to on this and document everything, since I figured there are probably more that may wanna give this a shot.

Let me preface this by saying that I am not a pro electrician by any means. I simply grew up around this stuff and have a bit more knowledge than most when it comes to this. I hope this helps any of you guys that may have some doubt about doing this type of swap. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's definitely not impossible either.

I will be documenting these mods separately, and will keep them all in this thread for easy reference.
1. Door Lock/Window Controls
2. Dash Center Stack Controls (AC and Heating controls, traction control buttons, etc.)
3. Headlight Switch
4. Overhead Console including the Homelink buttons
5. Center Console PRND Shifter indicator
6. Steering Wheel Controls

The first mod is for the door lock/window controls. I am only showing the drivers door, but the other doors are all the same.
(stay tuned for the rest of the mods later, but in no specific order...)

Here's what you'll need to get started.

1) Soldering iron with a pencil tip. The smaller, the better.

2) Solder (preferrably 60/40 rosin core solder - the thinner the better)

3) De-soldering braid (solder-wick)

4) T20 Torx screwdriver

5) 2 small flat screwdrivers

6) Assorted Trim tools

6) 11 3.2mm x 2.8mm Blue LEDs (or whatever color you prefer) These are SMD (surface mounted devices) and are VERY tiny! ORDER EXTRAS! You may need a magnifier to work with these. The 2.2mm x 1.4mm LEDs are literally the size of a fleas ass! Just ask Leebroox!

These are the ones I used and recommend:
http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...ReHwWQlob9AISq6jrHwbBHG9J94KQHNKevPv2k5b2IKR3



Removing the controls is very simple on our trucks. Just use your choice of trim tools and pry up/remove the switch control module from the door. I'm only showing the driver's door control, but all the others are the same.

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Once that's done, simply unplug the harness.

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Take the switch inside to your workplace and disassemble.

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Be very careful when taking it apart! Make sure you do so with it upside-down so as not to have everything fall apart on the floor.

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Now we're down to the nuts of it. I opted to leave the amber on/off indicator LEDs alone. (personal preference) The hardest part here is removing the button contacts from the PCB. This piece must be de-soldered completely before removing it from the board. Try to to not get the board too hot when removing the LEDs. The traces on the board may lift, forcing you to replace the whole thing. Also, make sure you don't get the LEDs too hot when soldering them to the PCB. You will ruin them, or at the very least, shorten their lifespan.

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You MUST make absolutely sure when you're doing this mod that you have the polarity correct on the LEDs!! I can't stress this enough. These are hard enough to change as it is. You don't want to have to go back and re-do them because you got them backwards! Check the cathode on the original LED first.

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Once you have them all changed, simply reverse the above procedure for reassembly. I opted to test my work first by just plugging in the module itself in the door. You must turn on the key to see the door switches illuminate. The pic below sucks, I know. Trust me, these are very dark blue and look absolutely awesome in the dark! They are NOT white.

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I hope you guys can make some sense of all this. I'll be documenting the other stuff soon.

Scott
 

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#28 · (Edited)
AC Controls

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PRND
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Don't forget that LEDs must have the polarity correct to work, so you may want to check this first before re-assembly.

This pretty much wraps up the center stack controls and the lower console. Time to admire your handy-work!
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#29 ·
i really enjoy seeing what you have done, looks great,but the more i see i am convinced i probably will not be doing it :doh:
 
#30 ·
just awsome !! great write up and instruction !!

better you than me brother -- this mod just seems to difficult for the average person .

you must have unbelievable patience and steady hands to be messing with those small LED's and circuit boards .

I would be breaking tabs , loosing those small screws and starting a fire , before I even got to the LED's , never the less actually replaceing the LED's..

this will be one mod I will not attempt .
 
#32 ·
Thanks! This mod is definitely not for everyone. I feel anyone with at least some soldering skills should at least try it on something like the headlight switch. If you can do that, then you should be able to to the rest of it as well.
 
#35 · (Edited)
HomeLink Buttons

Needed:

T20 Torx
Trim tool
Long, thin screwdriver
(3) 3.2mm x 2.8mm LEDs http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Avago-Technologies/HSMN-A100-P00J1/?qs=/ha2pyFaduhXUMGm9eZReHwWQlob9AISq6jrHwbBHG9J94KQHNKevPv2k5b2IKR3

First things first. This is a complete and total bitch to remove. The wires up here are so short that it's almost (but not quite) impossible to unplug everything. I had to use a long, thin flat-bladed screwdriver in order to push some of the plug clips back to get them loose, and they are tight as hell. That's the whole reason I don't have any more pics of getting it down. Sorry. Anyway, here goes!
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Here's where you get the plugs loose.
/insert cursing and swearing loudly/
Then you take the module out of the panel.
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I used a blue pant pen on the back glass window switch. Remove the little green rubber cover from the LED before painting it.
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I have everything else done inside the truck. I have the steering wheel controls done as well.


To be continued....


Scott
 
#36 ·
I get nervous even reading the steps and looking at your pictures. I definitely wont be attempting this one but I can certainly appreciate what you have done!
 
#37 ·
There's really nothing to it. I don't get why everyone is so scared of it. Not for everyone, I guess. :4-dontknow:
 
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#38 ·
I *really* want to do this.. all of it! Thanks to your write ups and links to the LEDs to buy, I know I can get everything I need to do these projects.. But my problem is I have no earthly clue how to solder! Seems I need to bribe my husband with beer, brats and :sexe:
 
#40 ·
Kick ass work Scotty they look great! Props and rep to you. I wish I trusted myself enough with a soldering gun to attempt this. Is this the same process needed for the bulb in the upper console that shines down on the shifter and cup holders in the the center console?
 
#41 ·
Thanks, man. The one that shines down is a total bitch to deal with mainly because it's so proprietary. I'll have pics of it up soon and maybe you'll see what I mean. It's not the same regular LED like the rest of them, it's made in a molded piece of clear plastic that is actually part of the mount. I ended up dyeing it to be more blue than green. I'm looking at other solutions for that one right now. Haven't settled on anything yet though. I'll be posting the steering wheel controls later today.

Scott
 
#42 ·
Bare with me on the pics, guys. I moved my registrar and the DNS has not propagated yet. It should be fine soon.
 
#43 · (Edited)
Steering Wheel Controls


Needed:


(2) 3.2mm x 2.8mm LEDs http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail...ReHwWQlob9AISq6jrHwbBHG9J94KQHNKevPv2k5b2IKR3
T20 Torx
#2 Phillips

The airbag/horn button must be removed first.
I want to preface this by stating that in no way will I be held responsible for any damage that may occur to you or to your truck. Proceed at your own risk! For these reasons, I will not be documenting the actual removal of the airbag from your steering wheel. Sorry guys, but as easy as it is to remove, someone is sure to have it pop in their face and get pissed off at me for it. It's very simple to remove if done correctly, but you CAN pop it if you don't follow the removal instructions properly. I didn't pop mine, but I was scared it would happen the whole time it was off the wheel. (just me worrying too much about it) I really had nothing to worry about, but I was concerned nonetheless. Even though I won't document the removal myself, I will give you a link to the 2009 RAM Service Manual that I followed.2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Service Manual Download

In the end, I'd do it again a hundred times and not think twice about it, but having never removed one before, I was scared of it. Turns out, I had nothing to worry about at all.

That being said, I'll follow up the procedure with the steering wheel bezel on the bench ready to go. To get the bezel off, there are 2 torx and 2 phillips screws that need to be removed once you get the airbag out. Then there are 2 torx screws on the bottom/back of the wheel. As an aside to this, both controls are identical except for the number of pins on them. I will only be showing one.
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Finished Product
It's a dim picture. All these lights are a little brighter than this.
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#45 ·
Hey Scotty-
WOW man I am in very impressed with your write up and jealous you had the guts to undertake this project. I am curions about the radio, my radio has the green LED's that you clearly hate, how would I go about getting those to the color that I chose for the rest of the car?
 
#48 ·
Update to my previous posts..

Unfortunately, my husband cannot be bought.. with beer, chocolate chip cookies, or :sexe: . He says that the detail of the soldering would be too much and he's afraid he'd damage my truck. Ah, well. Thanks for sharing and allowing me to live through you! In my dreams, my interior is all a nice cool white! :sad:
 
#49 ·
Thanks. It's a different process altogether. The one that shines down is a proprietary LED from Mopar that has a plug on it. There are plenty of different other LEDs that you could use to accomplish that swap with some very slight modding of how it mounts. I will post pics later of what I did. I just used a blue paint-pen and put a thin coating over the stock one. Works well enough, but blue over green isn't that noticeable of a difference anyway. Mine's blue, but not AS blue as the rest of the stuff. Works well enough for me.

Scott
 
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#58 ·
I noticed others are a little leery about this mod including me. So, I was wondering if that paint pen would work on all the other LED's you replaced? or do you think it wouldn't be bright enough?
 
#54 ·
Thanks, guys. If anyone has any questions that aren't covered in this thread, feel free to ask.


Scott
 
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