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MK3 AC/RECIRC and rear defrost, how to change the color of the lights DIY

7K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  kevinmkIIIgti 
#1 ·
I know some people on here want to know how to change the color of their switches, so I'm posting a DIY on it. Sorry there are no pics of actual work here, but I did this already, and didn't take any pics along the way. So I'm using my old switches here to demonstrate.
You will need:
6 3mm 12v LEDs of your choice of color (3 to replace the green, 3 to replace the amber)(I chose 12v because you don't have to worry about resisters.)
Needle-nose pliers
soldering iron and solder
a file(if your leds have a lip, they will have to be taken off.


First you need to open the switches.
First the AC/Recirc switch.



now to open it up.


repeat for the other side.

once you get those off, inside should look like this:



You will have to unsolder the larger leads for the green LEDs, which are the larger leads, before going any further. after you do that, you can finish taking apart the housing. Just pull the 2 sides away from eachother, and the back should come right out.

Then, you need to remove the green LED.

After you get that out, just pull the green LED out, making sure which side is positive and which is negative, and put your new one in the sleeve. If your LEDs have lips, then file them off, or else they wont fit. Then bend a slight curve in the LED leads, and line them up with the holes that the old ones came out of. Getting the leads through is probably the toughest part here, but with patience, you can do it. Then bend them off to the sides so that you can get to them when the front and back are both together, but don't put them together yet.

Then replace the amber lights by unsoldering the leads and solder the new LEDs in, making sure that positive and negative are properly aligned. You may have to file down the lip to get your LEDs to fit in their holes. Then put the front and back together again, and solder the remaining leads to their respective places. reinstall the caps and metal pieces and you're done.

Now for the rear defrost.
First take it apart, being VERY CAREFUL not to lose the spring(s) inside.

Once you get it apart, it should look something like this (yours may be slightly different, but the method is the same)

just unsolder the old lights out and solder the new LEDs in, being careful with the polarity. Then put it back together, install in your car to test them. Then enjoy!
 
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