How to change your MK7 switch colour

[limitedblack]

First thanks to Loot for answering a few questions for me, this is how you can change your switch illumination colour.

First buy your LEDs, they need to be 3528 SMD units, in the colour you desire.

Take your switch

Take off the front by flexing the shell as the back with a small screwdriver

Take out the rubber membrane

Pull out the circuit board so you can work on it

The led is extremely tiny, this is the one for illumination at night

Remove it by pushing a craft knife under it while desoldering one end, then unsolder the other. Scrape some of the lacquer off either side of the pads left so the bigger led can be soldered in place

The trick now is to line up the new led with the hole in the rubber membrane, as it only just fits, then solder on

Make sure the led is orientated with the missing corner facing the center of the board, as it needs the correct polarity, then reassemble the switch

[Wadey]

Looks cool would this be the same with the mk6 dash and switches? What size soldering iron are you using??

[limitedblack]

Did it with a 3mm tip, but I would recommend something a bit smaller.

No idea what's in a mk6 switch.

[Wadey]

I'm assuming you had a low wattage iron? Iv not taken one apart I just wondered if you had

[Brains_transit]

Mk6 has small led bulbs in the switches under the heater controls so I'd guess different from the mk7 on the rest but easier to change on a mk6

[loot]

Mk6 has small led bulbs in the switches under the heater controls so I'd guess different from the mk7 on the rest but easier to change on a mk6

The heater controls on the mk7 have standard 12v bulbs x2 we converted them to led
I also don't know what is in the mk6 switches but could they be the same?

[Rumble bee]

Nice write up, will be doing the rest of mine when ive got a new soldering iron as the tip fell off mine doing the dials

Question for Loot and limback
What iron did you use? Gas or elec? Ive got a gas one and doing the dials is the first time ive properly used it, but the end of the tip didn't seem to get hot enough

[limitedblack]

I use an old antex iron that I modified about 20 years ago to fit in my toolbox. Tip is a bit big for those LEDs as its a 3mm one, but still did it just.

[loot]

I used my 11 watt iron with needle tip, i forget the name of it but it is a common 1 and it's yellow has the plastic hook.
If you use higher watt just limit how long you put it on the board for obvious reasons, i used tweezers to locate the smd, also acts as a heat sink.
Plenty of copper track so not an overly delicate area like say, a chip or transistor etc.

Just looked, antex 12 watt iron.

[limitedblack]

Forgot the picture

[ediesbra]

Im guessing mk6's will be the same as Mondeo mk2 ones, in which case you have to use a resistor and led, easy enough to do if a little fiddly!

[Rumble bee]

Cheers, ordered an antex one

[limitedblack]

Today's lesson, electric window switch.

Again, flex the front part at the sides to "pop" the front off. Make sure you have it upside down when pulling apart as there are contacts inside the front part that will drop out.
Next you will see the led and resistor. The resistor is on the positive side of the led (anode), this will normally be the longer leg of the led as it comes supplied


Cut the led out with some snips, but leave a little of the old leg on the switch, as they are not soldered in but fused on.


I used a 3mm led with a flat top, but I had to file the lip round the bottom to get it to fit. Push it in the holder, bend legs to suit, snip off the excess, and solder to the existing legs. Here's mine under rigorous testing at the Limbac development bay



It's not that bright, just the camera making it so.

Will post a picture of it in situ when it gets a bit darker.

[Punto443]

Nice work, do all the Sony dab radios have orange illumination?

[limitedblack]

Nice work, do all the Sony dab radios have orange illumination?

I have had the same thought, and I really don't know. The one I bought was brand new, with the transit surround, so I'm guessing they do. Plus I've never seen a green one yet.