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Blue LED Swap - now my dash matches my boat! |
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Randy_in_Ohio 
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Joined: September-13-2006 Location: N. Canton, OH. Status: Offline Points: 1891 |
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 Topic: Blue LED Swap - now my dash matches my boat!Posted: November-14-2011 at 8:14pm |
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I thought I would share a recent project I did on my 07 Tundra. I have hated the amber colored dash on my Tundra from the day I bought it, and after some research, learned I could replace all of the ugly amber LED's with any color I wanted. So I changed all 50 or so of them to blue and I couldn't be happier with the results.
This was the way the dash looked originally.  \
All the dash parts removed 
These are the LED's I used. The largest is next to the dime. The smallest one is next to the ear. pretty tiny. 
I made this tool out of a desoldering iron, fish aquarium air pump, and a piece of steel wool, so that it would blow hot air to make removing of the old SMT LED's a lot easier and safer. 
Taking the gauge panel apart. This was a little nerve racking: 
This is the 4x4 switch. 
This is one of the buttons, see the little LED above the #11, that's what I replaced. 
Blue Led soldered in place 
They look sooo much better! The pics really don't do it justice, and these were all taken with my cell phone. 
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Jllogan
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Joined: May-18-2011 Location: canton, OH Status: Offline Points: 1728 |
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Posted: November-14-2011 at 8:32pm |
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thats so last thursday man.
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SN206
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Joined: February-25-2009 Location: Fort Worth, TX Status: Offline Points: 2339 |
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Posted: November-14-2011 at 11:42pm |
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Hate the amber in mu Tundy too. Wish I had the skill to change mine.
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...those who have fallen and those who will.
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Jllogan
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Joined: May-18-2011 Location: canton, OH Status: Offline Points: 1728 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 12:55pm |
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Randy I thought the other day you mentioned being open to doing this as a free service for any CCF member that wanted it. Looks like you have a customer.
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Bri892001
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Joined: September-27-2008 Location: Boston MA Status: Offline Points: 4945 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 2:04pm |
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Very cool. Nice work. The blue is definitely a lot more pleasing to the eye.
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Morfoot
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Joined: February-06-2004 Location: South Lanier Status: Offline Points: 5311 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 2:09pm |
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"Randy the Exterminator"....you have way too much time on your hands!
Looks great my friend. 
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"Morfoot; He can ski. He can wakeboard.He can cook chicken.He can create his own self-named beverage, & can also apparently fly. A man of many talents."72 Mustang "Kermit",88 SN Miss Scarlett, 99 SN "Sherman"
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storm34
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Joined: November-03-2008 Location: Dexter Iowa Status: Offline Points: 4492 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 2:33pm |
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Awesome...You're crazy man!
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Randy_in_Ohio
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Joined: September-13-2006 Location: N. Canton, OH. Status: Offline Points: 1891 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 2:43pm |
Ryan, If you can park the truck for a week or two and tear the dash out, you could send me the parts and I could do the swap, send them back, and you could reinstall. Now that I have done it once, I could probably swap out all the LED's in a few hours. Tim- I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands, but I really like doing this kind of stuff, I find it relaxing. Nice way to unwind. I have been wanting to do this since I first got the truck, but when it was my daily driver I didn't have the time or ability to be without it. Nowadays, the truck sits in the garage most of the week and only gets driven on the weekends. I drive a POS Cobalt to work and back to save gas. I want to do a few upgrades to the truck this winter and this was first on the list since it only cost about $40 |
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IAughtNaut
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Joined: August-22-2010 Location: TN Status: Offline Points: 2568 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 2:46pm |
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Looks like you decided to keep the buttons blue too? I thought those were going back to amber?
The lights look good man, now all you need to do to make that truck worthy of pulling your boat is trade it in for something American! |
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Randy_in_Ohio
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Joined: September-13-2006 Location: N. Canton, OH. Status: Offline Points: 1891 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 3:33pm |
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Adam, I changed the AC/recirculate/ indicator lights from the green to all amber but didn't like it so I went with blue on the AC and recirculate buttons and left the heated mirrors amber. I guess I just need to see it to know what I wanted. Chris, My wife said I was crazy too, but after it was all done she admitted it did look a lot better blue. |
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MIskier
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Joined: July-29-2011 Location: Gulfcoast Status: Offline Points: 144 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 4:22pm |
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That Tundra has more american sourced components in it than a Chevy, and the Ram is built in Mexico...
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2006 MasterCraft PS 190
1986 CC Ski Nautique 2001 |
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Hollywood
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Joined: February-04-2004 Location: Twin Lakes, WI Status: Offline Points: 13510 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 4:30pm |
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you're crazy
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IAughtNaut
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Joined: August-22-2010 Location: TN Status: Offline Points: 2568 |
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Posted: November-15-2011 at 4:42pm |
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component sourcing and revenue are two different things
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bhectus
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Joined: July-04-2010 Location: Gator Country! Status: Offline Points: 1809 |
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Posted: November-20-2011 at 9:17pm |
Tundra's are built in the US with American labor, and guess what? They didn't take a government bailout check. I used to be a die-hard bowtie freak, but not anymore. My Tundra is the best built truck I've ever owned. |
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'02 Ski Nautique 196 w/ 5.7 Apex bowtie - Sold
'87 Barefoot - sold '97 Super Sport Nautique - originally custom built for Walt Meloon '97 Ski Nautique '83 SN 2001 |
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SN206 wrote: