akskibum82 Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 So i've decided to update the interior of my 850 by changing all the indash lights from stock green to sexy blue. It seems that just about everything can be changed from the dash lights to the instrumentcluster on the center consol and even the shifter. the question is: can the displays on the CD player and the trip computer be changed as well? I really dont want to have an all blue display with two screens that are still green. any ideas??? :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serge Posted April 1, 2004 Report Share Posted April 1, 2004 Yes, they can. But I suggest using bulbs since there is a problem with LEDs: the way the light distributes around those devices it by the use of prisms and plexiglass that carries light around. Bulbs work great because they produce light in an omni pattern. Some LEDs do as well, which are labeled as difussed. However, their mcd rating is faarrr lower than that of directional lensed LEDs (called: clear lenses). Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playboy Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 I kinda got a question related to this so I figured I would drop it here. Do any of you have the bulb types and a good place to go to replace all the bulbs in the interior? I'm looking to do the samething as you akskibum82. Also, I've seen them for the lights that light up your licience plate but do they have those super white bulbs to put in your map lights and rear reading lights??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt1122 Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 those super white bulbs to put in your map lights and rear reading lightsI'm not sure if "they" have them, but remember that the point of the dimmer, yellower light is that it creates less glare and is less distracting to the driver. If you are easily distracted by things in your car you might not want to get any brighter or whiter. Just my $.02, and then some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Playboy Posted April 2, 2004 Report Share Posted April 2, 2004 I'm not sure if "they" have them, but remember that the point of the dimmer, yellower light is that it creates less glare and is less distracting to the driver. If you are easily distracted by things in your car you might not want to get any brighter or whiter. Just my $.02, and then some. those super white bulbs I just wanted to put in my map and rear reading lights. I don't drive with them on so I wouldn't have to worry about them distracting. I was going to shoot for a bmw redish look for the guages, the center consol and the shifter lighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielSFbay Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 Hmm...you know, I took off the face plate off of an 850 GLT stock stereo and those leds dont look easy to replace. I mean they're not plug & play. I dont mind the solder, but you gotta reheat the solder points to get the light off and if your not careful you could melt the board. There must be an easier way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swdracr Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 I'm not sure if "they" have them, but remember that the point of the dimmer, yellower light is that it creates less glare and is less distracting to the driver.lol.. they're just normal bulbs.. I doubt all that thought went into it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt1122 Posted April 6, 2004 Report Share Posted April 6, 2004 lol.. they're just normal bulbs.. I doubt all that thought went into it Oh but it does, remember - we are talking about Volvo here! Custom auto modification companies have been installed custom yellow light lighting fixtures for years now with that as a major selling point. The yellow light with those specific housings is much less distracting than a standard white light. Car companies think about everything when they design a car. It's the things you and I wouldn't think of that make or break designers. Things that you take for granted every day in your volvo that typically other car companies don't even think of. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 see above. So you have to solder the lights on the stereo? Theres no socket to just plug a new color into? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnthonyR Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 The light bulbs for the trip comp are some sort of wierd hard to find bulb that I have yet to find in an LED format, might have to just make my own, but for the radio I'm pretty sure you'de have to soder or somehow connect a regular LED.BTW: I'm most of the way blue now, just need to change the trip comp, climate controls and switches. Radio (alpine 9815 is already blue) and my Kenwood Sirius tuner are already blue, and I've already done the gauges, and my aftermarket gauges are blue. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figawi Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 anthony, did you change the bulbs in your switches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serge Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 The problem with changing those grain bulbs in switches to LEDs is that you'll need a resistor to prevent from killing it by 12Vs. I'm wondering how you'd put a resistor inline with the LED. Solder it right at the base of the LED (have to snip the lead to like 1mm)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFIVEM Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 when i changed my bulbs i used the simplest must unlike ly thing in the world.... a sharpie! i used a red sharpie on the trip computer and the climate control. in order to do this all u have to do is color in the green film. just remove the parts you want done... open them up and start coloring. it sound like crap, but the final product, comes out quite satasfactory. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jross Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Actually, that doesn't sound like a half-bad idea (the sharpies)... not too drastically different behind the idea of colored gels in the lighting in the first place. Have you thought about doing the little switches that way?Also, a thought on rigging LEDs in place of bulbs -- you'd probably need a circuit that had two resistors and an LED. The LED can't control the current through it, or the voltage. If I recall right (electronics are not my specialty, I just break them ) LEDs should have ~.7 V across them, so you'd need a resistor in series with it to control the current across it (to prevent burnout / overheating) and you'd probably need another one to help control voltage across the lower setup. Graphically: --------- --[led]--[resistor r1]-- ------- | | -----[resistor r2]------I havn't played with the numbers, but I'm sure with sufficient tweakage, you could do it. Might be worth a shot even, who knows... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maiku Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 when i changed my bulbs i used the simplest must unlike ly thing in the world.... a sharpie! i used a red sharpie on the trip computer and the climate control. in order to do this all u have to do is color in the green film. just remove the parts you want done... open them up and start coloring. it sound like crap, but the final product, comes out quite satasfactory. could you maybe post some pics of this mod?sounds like a fun idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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