Infiniti I30/I35Similar to a Maxima, yet not really a Maxima. Discussion forum on Nissan's luxury model, the Infiniti I30/I35
Welcome to Maxima.org!
Welcome to Maxima.org,
You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access
to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to start new topics, reply to conversations, privately message other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join Maxima.org today!
6. Here you can keep the gauges together as one after pulling up, or you can have them separated (which I did) by removing screw on the bottom of the speedo and tach.
7. Before removing speedo head, remove odometer head. PLEASE be careful, that odo head is on their pretty tough it would be easier to break the tab rather than the odo head!
8. Here is the EL tube and all it's glory...
9. These are the screws to remove the EL tube...
10. Pull up on the tube assembly and it should come out of the cluster's circuit board.
11. Here is the room you have to work with...it's not much, but the LED strip I ordered from http://www.oznium.com/led-flex-strips fit like a glove. I used super glue to hold it together. Also the wires from the LED strip can be snaked through the holes left from the EL tube screws...
12. Put everything back together and tighten everything up. Use a 9V battery to make sure the strip lights up...
13. With everything back together...
It's wasn't bright at all (especially in the daytime) but it was on a 9V battery so...
I decided to wire it up to the cigarette lighter...yes the gear shifter surround has to be removed and the radio/ climate control too, or enough to get to the cigarette light wires...
Wire the LED strip wires together with the cigarette lighter and put key in ACC to make sure it lights...it's very bright in the daytime...
Overall, this is an easy mod if you are careful, but if not, things can get ugly VERY quickly! I would recommend getting a second cluster just to practice...that's what I did, making sure I was careful enough and to make sure the strip fits. I like it because the cluster lights in ACC mode, but that's a personal preference (also because the cigarette lighter powers in ACC mode). Also at night, they are BRIGHT (but not bright enough to blind), and do not dim, unless you get a standalone rheostat, I may get one later...I wish I would have got an orange or red one, it would have really nice, but I can always change it out LOL... Also, I would recommend the Maxima's clear outer cluster cover, http://www.courtesyparts.com/24813-c...3-p-47148.html, our tinted cluster cover would dull things a bit...
Difficulty: 7/10
Pros: LED strip brighter than EL tube, no more dim cluster on one side !
Lights in ACC mode (personal preference). Several colors you could use (again personal preference).
Cons: If you are not careful, things can get ugly quickly! You will have to buy the Maxima's cluster to enjoy the LED cluster.
Good write up. However, some might find the LEDs overpoweringly bright particularly when driving at night. I did a simple blue LED mod to my clock and when driving on the highway, I do find it quite bright so much so that it lights up interior. Meh. I guess that is what the dimmer is used for.
Can you turn the brightness down? Stock lets you take it down.
Not yet, I'm still trying to figure that out...I don't think that the LED's are too bright though probably similar to the '07 up Camry at night. I would be nice to have a dimmer though...
A dimmer works by cutting the voltage, which in an incandescent bulb means less current and less energy, hence less light. A LED bulb is simply on or off. There's no in-between. It takes such a small amount of energy to light the LED that with any less energy the bulb is off.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but with LEDs, you're stuck. They're either on or off.
Hmm, the LEDs in my clock, radio, and climate control dim by the rheostat. I just don't have them wired up to dim right now... A standalone rheostat would solve that though...
Hmm, the LEDs in my clock, radio, and climate control dim by the rheostat. I just don't have them wired up to dim right now... A standalone rheostat would solve that though...
The LEDs that I put in my clock dim too.
Well the idea of taking apart the cluster was too much for me so I took your adviced and purchased the clear cover from the link you gave above.
That seems to have solved my problem. Without the tinted cover I can read the guages just fine!
Never knew that the Maxima cover was clear and that it would fit the I30.
Thanks so much for the suggestion!
Overall, this is an easy mod if you are careful, but if not, things can get ugly VERY quickly! I would recommend getting a second cluster just to practice...that's what I did, making sure I was careful enough and to make sure the strip fits. I like it because the cluster lights in ACC mode, but that's a personal preference (also because the cigarette lighter powers in ACC mode). Also at night, they are BRIGHT (but not bright enough to blind), and do not dim, unless you get a standalone rheostat, I may get one later...I wish I would have got an orange or red one, it would have really nice, but I can always change it out LOL... Also, I would recommend the Maxima's clear outer cluster cover, http://www.courtesyparts.com/24813-c...3-p-47148.html, our tinted cluster cover would dull things a bit...
Difficulty: 7/10
Pros: LED strip brighter than EL tube, no more dim cluster on one side !
Lights in ACC mode (personal preference). Several colors you could use (again personal preference).
Cons: If you are not careful, things can get ugly quickly! You will have to buy the Maxima's cluster to enjoy the LED cluster.
Here's a comparo...
Stock
After LED strip swap
My mom's '09 Altima
An '09 Camry
Couple things I noticed:
My I35 cluster with tinted cover is very bright at night and quite bright in the day. Was your CCFL burned out? You said it was dim on one side, is this a I30 problem, or one I can expect to eventually happen to my I35 cluster?
The exposure for your comparo shots isn't fixed. In the I30 shots, I can see the idiot lights for "before" are dim and "after" are over-exposed. It'd be better to fix your exposure when doing these comparos.
I like it, when/if my CCFL goes out I'll just do LED, thanks for showing us the step by step.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZGadson
A dimmer works by cutting the voltage, which in an incandescent bulb means less current and less energy, hence less light. A LED bulb is simply on or off. There's no in-between. It takes such a small amount of energy to light the LED that with any less energy the bulb is off.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but with LEDs, you're stuck. They're either on or off.
negative! LEDs CAN be dimmed by reducing the voltage. Likely with his setup there are several LEDs wired series-parallel so they will dim fine. LEDs are not linear like incandescent lamps of course, but they will dim. They will go from dimming to "off" suddenly around a certain point, but with these LED strips there is a useable range. I have used LED strips with car dash dimmers before, it works better than connecting to constant 12vdc.
Of course ideally you'd use PWM control to get linear dimming.
__________________
1997 Maxima SE
Pearl White/Black Leather
2004 VQ35DE Full Swap
2004 4AT Full Swap
2004 Infiniti I35 Leather Swap
2004 I35 Cluster Swap
Gen 5.5 Brakes
Completely stock looking
(快速的汽车)
!
Linear Mode
