How To Change Bulbs for LED's in Climate Control

[Eh_nigma]

Tools Required:

1. Soldering Gun, Solder, Solder Wick
2. Screw Driver (Both Phillips, and a flat head)
3. Exacto Knife
4. Wire Cutters
5. Sand paper (Grinder would be better if you had one, but Sand paper works).
6. Tweezers

Parts Required:

1. Desired LED’s
2. SMD 600 mili-ohm (same number as LED’s)

Step 1.
Disassembling the center console, one simply needs to pop off the cover. The systems attached to this can be disconnected in the following order:
Climate Control:
A. Ventilation Strength - single clip on top - need a flat head screw driver.
B. Temperature Selector - a rubber plug with an attachment loop - pull out just enough to disconnect the cables, and then twist about 90-180 degrees while pulling slightly, and it will slip off.
C. Power Supply - single press clip underneath
D. Vent Selector - three clips, you will need a flathead screw driver. When you pull off the connector, watch the ball & spring, loosing the ball will really ruin your day.
Others:
E. Cigarette Lighter - single clip on one side, by pressing on it you can take it out with fingers
F. Light Bulb - turn 90 degrees and it will pop out.

Once the face is free, take the Phillips and remove the screws holding the climate control to the panel. Some are Phillips, I know other years of Alero’s using the 7mm.

Step 2.
A. Once it’s free you can begin to disassemble the climate control unit. The black face is just held on by four clips. Use the flat head, pop these off, and it’ll come right off.
B. Once this comes off you can pull the knobs off. Honestly, you can pull them off at any time you desire up to this point. But, yes, this is where I pulled them off. HOWEVER, the vent selector know will release the back of the control piece. This piece contains 3 springs and a copper plate. Don’t lose these, as per, it will be a bad day if this happens.
C. Taking the Phillips, press in on the 3 quick connecters/holders from the back of the unit. This will free the Circuit board. (The climate control chip can be removed with the flat head, pressing on the locking tooth inside the small white square).

The first picture basically sums things up by showing the components of the climate control unit. (http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...cha/layout.jpg)

Step 3.
The fun part! Soldering.

First decide on which lights you want to replace with LED’s and which colour… blue, red, green…

1. One needs to find which connector is positive and negative. Where the power connector is, the forth pin from the bottom on the power supply is the ground. The third pin is the power supply for the lamps. From this pin trace along the circuit and it will lead to the positive connector on the bulb. Make note of this.
2. Using the solder wick, absorb the solder from the place where the bulbs were connected, cleaning out any excess solder.

Before soldering in the LED's, sand them down or grind them down. This helps to spread the light from the LED evenly.
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...LEDcloseup.jpg)

3. Be sure to connect the positive lead of the LED with the positive 'terminal' on the board.
4. Attach the SMD - Surface Mounted Device - to the two leads from the LED. To get the LED to work, I found that a 600MA SMD worked best.
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...Dlocations.jpg)
(http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...SMDcloseup.jpg)

Step 4.
1. Reconnect the board with the power connector from the dash, and try out, making sure that these LED's are working. If it's how you want it, then good to go. If an LED hasn't lit up, odds are that it being so new, it's not burnet out, just remove it, and flip around the LED and try the new polarity.

Step 5, reinstallation...
When you replace the knobs, the hardest one is the vent selector knob. There are a few springs between the copper plate and the back of the knob. Easiest way to do this would be stack it up vertically, and slide it in. (http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u...tucha/knob.jpg)

[Eh_nigma]

Finished look - http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u.../bluelight.jpg

[cherrington17]

These smd's.... what exactly are they? I can't say i've ever seen or heard of them. (not to mention apparently your camera doesn't have a "macro" focus)

looks like a good job, up to that last part... thats where i got lost. Nice job though.

[Eh_nigma]

Okay, the 600MA resistor can either come preconnected on LED's, so that they'd be able to be connected to a 12V circuit no problem, or, seperate.

An SMD is any Surface Mounted Device, in this case, they are a 600MA SMD. Just a way to denote, as shown in the pictures, that they are attached on the surface - they stick out basically.

[Satsuriku]

lol! ive tryed EXACTLY that last summer and compeltely blew it!! lol now only half of mine light up and the other half is still that effing green hahaha

one of things i was able to do to it when you press the button for lets say the rear defrost, insted of that green light, i got the blue leds to show up instead, looks really good actually, but i think i know where i effed up. i didnt use the SMD 600 mili-ohm lol had no idea and was screwing around more than anything