Lighting fix for rear windows switches and sunroof switch

[myles]

A couple of weeks ago there was a discussion here about the type of lighting used in the power window switches. It got me thinking about the lights in my switches. I never even knew that the rear door switches were meant to be illuminated. So the task was to fix them and the sunroof switch light.

I found that the front 4 switch gang uses led lights, but the rear door window switches and sunroof switch use incandescent bulbs. I had some spare spare switches from my E36. The switches from the e36 are led and use a surface-mount 560ohm resistor in series. So I set about using those leds in my switches. I bought some regular 560ohm .5w resistors. There is enough room in all of the switches to carefully solder in the led and the resistor in series in place of the incandescent bulb. It took a bit of testing to get the polarity of the led correct.

The results vary between the types of switches. The rear door window switches look great and the lighting is perfect. The sunroof is good, but not perfect as the led doesn't throw the light all the way to the two arrows, but the button lights up nicely. Its better than no light at all.

Hopefully this is useful info for someone else out there.

[BennyM]

Thanks Myles. How big were the e36 LEDs? 10mm, 5mm?

[Rus]

I've had good results with installing an LED into the sunroof and A/M transmission switch. I had to sand the LED to a /\ angle so that it would light up the arrows and letters on the switches. Maybe its worth a try for you, Myles?

[///Sniper535]

I've done the LED mod on the rear window switches. My sunroof switch still lights up though, and I have the E38 shifter console and that a/m switch uses those bright flat type LEDs. Those would be great to use in the old bulb switches.

[myles]

Thanks Myles. How big were the e36 LEDs? 10mm, 5mm?

Thanks for the comments everyone. The LEDs were fairly small. I think they would have been 5mm possibly even a little smaller. The reason I went for those ones was that they were free :) and they were the right colour and brightness. They are an orangy/red; most of the ones that I could buy were full red. The current draw is about 0.02w.

Next time I have the motivation to pull the sunroof switch out I will have a look at shaping the led or maybe seeing if I can get my hands on one of those flat leds to aim the light better.

[///Sniper535]

the amber LEDs are about 3mm.

[BennyM]

I bought a bunch of orange-amber LEDs off ebay that are 10mm and have a very wide beam spread compared to the 5mm ones. Might want to try one of those in the sunroof switch.


Thanks for the comments everyone. The LEDs were fairly small. I think they would have been 5mm possibly even a little smaller. The reason I went for those ones was that they were free :) and they were the right colour and brightness. They are an orangy/red; most of the ones that I could buy were full red. The current draw is about 0.02w.

Next time I have the motivation to pull the sunroof switch out I will have a look at shaping the led or maybe seeing if I can get my hands on one of those flat leds to aim the light better.

[Paul in NZ]

my sunroof swith only glows from the middle anyway(wel it did) I dont think it ever showed the arrows

[shogun]

Look, made by BMW fans in Japan ;-)
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080610/index.shtml

[myles]

Look, made by BMW fans in Japan ;-)
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080610/index.shtml

Clever buggers use 3 leds in the sunroof switch. All I need is an unlimited supply of leds and I'll be right. ;)

[shogun]

latest one, key with LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20090402/index.shtml

OBC LED conversion
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080727/index.shtml

interior light with LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080221/index.shtml

Cluster with LEDs, look at the caps on the LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080812/index.shtml

door pins
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080705/index.shtml

trunk light LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080817/index.shtml

licence plate LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080817/index.shtml
(CC alarm can be eliminated on LKM) Just type LKM in the google search there and a lot of mods pop up
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/index.shtml

grill with LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20080827/index.shtml

IHKA control panel LED
http://dd.jpn.org/BMW_HP/20090325/index.shtml

google translate helps too.
Worth to look at our site in Japan, always new stuff comes up.

[///Sniper535]

...so ...many ...LEDs!!

[632 Regal]

these are supposed to light up?? Hmmm...
A couple of weeks ago there was a discussion here about the type of lighting used in the power window switches. It got me thinking about the lights in my switches. I never even knew that the rear door switches were meant to be illuminated. So the task was to fix them and the sunroof switch light.

I found that the front 4 switch gang uses led lights, but the rear door window switches and sunroof switch use incandescent bulbs. I had some spare spare switches from my E36. The switches from the e36 are led and use a surface-mount 560ohm resistor in series. So I set about using those leds in my switches. I bought some regular 560ohm .5w resistors. There is enough room in all of the switches to carefully solder in the led and the resistor in series in place of the incandescent bulb. It took a bit of testing to get the polarity of the led correct.

The results vary between the types of switches. The rear door window switches look great and the lighting is perfect. The sunroof is good, but not perfect as the led doesn't throw the light all the way to the two arrows, but the button lights up nicely. Its better than no light at all.

Hopefully this is useful info for someone else out there.

[shogun]

On the E32 and most probably it is like that:
they light , usually however they are broken. Just replace bulbs easiest way to do.
But they will NOT light up, if you push that little button childlock in the 4-switch center console block for the window switches, and when that is pushed, also the rear windows will not work.
That idea behind is to switch it off when childlock is witched on to avoid that kids notice the switch with the light and try to push it.

[cammo]

dont really want to refit everything with led s but after reading this thread ive notice a few lights not working inside. how hard would it be just getting new globes for the rear window switches, headlight switch n central air vent. now that ive read this thread ive got to fix em

[myles]

dont really want to refit everything with led s but after reading this thread ive notice a few lights not working inside. how hard would it be just getting new globes for the rear window switches, headlight switch n central air vent. now that ive read this thread ive got to fix em

I think if you are going to the effort of pulling some of these things apart you might as well use leds. That way you won't need to touch them ever again.

[shogun]

well, just new bulbs work for years. I bought a bunch of them for small money, best is you find some with 14 or 16 V, they last longer. 16-volt bulbs, when operated from a 12-volt power source, result in a much-longer bulb life.

All clear colour, use a marker pen and mark them with red till the colour fits. Really very easy.

I found them in a model train shop in town, they use them a lot and many different sizes. For railroad lamp posts.

Just to give you an idea what is available
http://www.hobbylinc.com/cgi-bin/s7.cgi?cat_s=UM&str=12V+bulbs

[LunatiC]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but can someone shed some light on how to pull off the rear window switches? Do I need to pull out the whole door card?

[shogun]

Well, I do it that way: push one side of the switch down as if to run the window up or down.
Then use one of these small tools used for soldering such as
pocket probe/pick and try to push the clip down and at the same time pull at the switch. Then I do it on the other side.
There are 2 clips at the switch. If you are lucky, they do not fall off and end inside the door, if you are unlucky, you have to remove the door panel and hope to find the small clip inside the door with a magnet.
These clips are NOT! available from the dealer, so try to avoid losing it.
If you lose it, DIY a new one from other clips or from a hardware shop which have such things as picture frame holders made of spring metal. Use a dremel to make it fit.
There are some clips used in other parts of the car which can be easily modified. But any spring metal piece can be used to make one.

[2fast]

Thanks for that !
My sunroof and back door switchs dont light up ,never have ............

One more thing to add to the list ;)

[BMWDriver]

So you need to put a resistor and a diode to replace a bulb, I see. I'm in the midst of replacing capacitors on my cluster, and I might as well change a few bulbs while I'm at it.

This is useful :
Wikipedia entry on LED circuit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_circuit)

[BMWDriver]

So how do you select a diode, and do you put it on the positive pole or the negative one ? I'm still a bit new with the electronics stuff, though I know basic electricity.

[myles]

I just used trial and error to get the polarity of the led right, i can never remember which leg is + and which is -. I have a 12v dc power adapter that i use for testing and also use the ews to get the pin-out of the circuit right.

[BennyM]

Whichever side of the diode has the flat edge is the negative side.



I can never remember which leg is + and which is -.