Ok...not sure if this can be done....but I wanted to change the color of the words in the center console where all the buttons are. Right now they have a very light greenish color to them.

How easy would it be to change them to blue, or red?

 

Aren't those just LEDs? I suppose they could be swapped out. Looks like a tedious job, though. Haven't seen anyone try that here yet.

 

is the l.e.d. green? or do the buttons themselves have a green filter?

 

Some years ago I performed one of the earliest Blue LED conversions to my 2Gen TL. I was thinking about doing the mod now on my RL especially since the dash and ambient lighting in the RL is already blue. Its a bit time consuming and you have to be comfortable with complete disassembly of an auto interior as well as have good soldering skills. I used to be a pro audio installer so I am proficient in both. To do it right, you'll need to do more than just the radio in the center cluster, but also the entire interior including all window switches on the doors, all switches on the dash and so forth. There are different kinds of LEDs you would need to use, 3mm, 5mm, and surface mount type. It will depend on the particular bulb you are replacing. I think the dash lighting on the RL uses regular incandescent bulbs, but I think the radio panel may also have surface mount LEDs. There's a method for replacing the incandescent bulb with an LED using the existing socket. I dont have any pics handy of my TL conversion, but many people have since done the mod and I'm sure there are how-to guides floating around so you should do a search in the 2nd Gen TL forum. Also, 470ohm and 910 ohm surface mount resistors complete the shopping list.

 

Wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a Volkswagen - they are already blue inside!

 

wow....this does not sound easy at all, and expensive if I asked the dealer to do it.

 

If you asked the dealer to do this they'd probably turn you down, and if they did accept, they wouldnt do it in-house but just subcontract out the job to a competent audio shop and then just mark up the total bill. It took me a total of 4 or 5 sessions to do the convesion in my TL, with each session being 5 to 8 hrs at a time on an evening. Of course I wasnt racing against the clock but the general idea was to do a different section of my car each time, putting everything back together in between so I could still drive it. The one area that you wont have to do on the RL is the dash cluster since the RL already has a nice bright cluster. That saves one session.

Incidentally, one source for the LEDs you will need can be found at ledautomotive.com. The photos on that site of the TL are from my car http://www.ledautomotive.com/OrderIn...03TL/index.asp

 

use the bulbs from the 2007+ MDX, the lights are white. You will have to dissassemble the radio/switches and swap the bulbs.