elephantrider
Dedicated LVC Member
i just requested to join the facetoobz group.
may do this to the ls i just bought.
may do this to the ls i just bought.
Lincoln LS gen1/gen 2 led interior switch and gaugeface conversion kits
- Thread starter adrst2.3
- Start date
elephantrider
Dedicated LVC Member
i didn't read through all the pages, but for under $200 you will do the led swap
on ls parts you already have, and we send the factory pieces back to you ?
is that how this works ?
on ls parts you already have, and we send the factory pieces back to you ?
is that how this works ?
elephantrider
Dedicated LVC Member
Okay got it. Thanks for clarifying.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
How are the needles lit up? They kind of look like clear plastic with red paint on the back. Any chance of sanding/acetoning that off and repainting it? I guess I'll find out whenever I get around to swapping the lights... I sliced my finger pretty bad (I now have a numb patch) during another LS project and I'm just put off by the idea of working on the car now 
or at least until I'm not worried about it opening up. Superglue works like a charm for that, considering that's what it was designed for in the first place
Additionally, I have too many open projects with this car.
or at least until I'm not worried about it opening up. Superglue works like a charm for that, considering that's what it was designed for in the first placeAdditionally, I have too many open projects with this car.
1LoudLS
Dedicated LVC Member
everybody always laughs when they see a small tube of it in all my first aid kits! the laughing usually stops when sh!t happens and it needs to get used and they see how fast it stops the bleeding!
I picked up that lesson from a friend who is a first responder.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Definitely... The cut was deep enough for nerve damage, but it hasn't bled at all after the first hour...
What happened was at the time of cutting, my hand was not in the path of the blade. What I didn't take into account was that when the knife finally cut the glue, the part rotated towards me, moving my hand right into danger. Now, why was the part able to rotate?
Another rip: wrap cuts tightly at first, the same way you squeeze together glued parts. You want bonds to form as quickly as possible ams give them as much time as possible to cure. I figured that one out when I was cutting a lime in the air and hit the same finger. One bandaid and 5 inches of scotch tape later, I was back in the party
What happened was at the time of cutting, my hand was not in the path of the blade. What I didn't take into account was that when the knife finally cut the glue, the part rotated towards me, moving my hand right into danger. Now, why was the part able to rotate?
Another rip: wrap cuts tightly at first, the same way you squeeze together glued parts. You want bonds to form as quickly as possible ams give them as much time as possible to cure. I figured that one out when I was cutting a lime in the air and hit the same finger. One bandaid and 5 inches of scotch tape later, I was back in the party
dj_jace
Active LVC Member
I had theae on my old 99 sebring... I had the blue needles with white gauge faces... looked good... ill have to dig up a pic... thought ablut getting a set for the LS bit not til this spring when its warm again... http://importintelligence.com/inneki.html
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
I'll ask again haha, how are they lit up? Are they clear needles with orange backing? I would think you could strip or sand the orange off and repaint them.
I understand this could create warranty issues for you down the line, but I'd like to know
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Haha, I mean YOUR lifetime warranty. Then again, I think you said the gauge cluster is not warrantied.
The needles are orange plastic with white backing... damn.
So do the needles relearn their positions? Because the shafts aren't keyed or anything... Are they just entirely driven by opposing magnetic fields, and not actually motors in the traditional sense?
The needles are orange plastic with white backing... damn.
So do the needles relearn their positions? Because the shafts aren't keyed or anything... Are they just entirely driven by opposing magnetic fields, and not actually motors in the traditional sense?
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
I think the needles are going to need 1 or 2 leftover PLCC2s behind them... The current LEDs don't line up correctly with the overcomplicated optics behind the gaugeface. What makes it worse is that LED orange and needle orange are two different oranges. I guess it's better than blue LEDs, but still...
It's too bad that the needles are orange plastic with white paint on the back. I was oping it was clear needles with orange paint. Electric-blue needles would have really set off the gaugeface (blue like the LEDs in my profile pic)
If I was still at my old school, I could have tried drawing them on CAD and cutting plexiglass with the CNC laser cutter
It's too bad that the needles are orange plastic with white paint on the back. I was oping it was clear needles with orange paint. Electric-blue needles would have really set off the gaugeface (blue like the LEDs in my profile pic)
If I was still at my old school, I could have tried drawing them on CAD and cutting plexiglass with the CNC laser cutter
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Actually, a red 5050 might do the trick. They respond better to red LEDs than orange.
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Done. I widened the needle-pin hole in the clear plastic layer and put in red 5050s (1 per small needle, 2 per large). I made the circuit out of 30ga wire glued to the clear plastic. Now all that's left is the doors. The orange is definitely richer in real life. The camera adjusting for the darkness washes out the light. I'll try to put of pictures of the 5050 circuits if I can find my camera cable (saved to the internal memory)
Thanks for the help
Thanks for the help
theophile
Well-Known LVC Member
Now to change the color of the message center and HVAC display. Would a technique like this work on our cars?
http://www.fordfusionclub.com/showthread.php?t=335787
http://www.fordfusionclub.com/showthread.php?t=335787
FDR
Dedicated LVC Member
Possibly. I'll assume the Fusion uses the same display type. Ours emit a pale blue-green color (97 Taurus gauge color), so presumably, there's enough white light to filter it into other colors. Medium blue is probably brightest. A very very pale red sheet could probably turn it white. Orange and red could work, but I'd imagine they'd be among the dimmest (maybe purple, too).
The HVAC display (and probably the radio) uses thick, formed plastic though. You'd have to cut it out and recess the replacement plastic to hide the edges. The gauges, on the other hand, are just thin flexible plastic sheets (think plastic packaging that slices up your fingers), so they could probably be cut out with a knife. Just glue the replacement sheet to the back.