DIY speedometer illumination

An optitron is a special illumination system for the instrument cluster. It works this way: when the car's ignition is turned off, the instrument cluster remains invisible. After turning the key, the arrows on the instruments should come to life first, and only after them the instruments themselves - the speedometer, tachometer and other sensors.

Optitron has a special anti-reflective background, thanks to which all signs are clearly readable in any conditions.

Next, we’ll look at how to make such a backlight for the dashboard with your own hands.

Required Components

The Mayak lamp is a donor of lighting components.

Lighthouse lamp, rear view.

SMD LEDs are exactly what I was looking for in a lamp. The size is about 3 by 4 mm.

Entire lamp, consumption in “dimensions” mode.

Entire lamp, consumption in stop light mode.

LEDs, 330 Ohm resistors.

Printed circuit board blanks, cut on a lathe.

The boards are marked for installation of components. The black dots between the tracks are where the LEDs are installed.

Marking of “tracks” on the board. Here is the fifth, the inner track is superfluous, I wanted to do a two-color backlight first, but I changed my mind.

Arrangement of LEDs 3 in a cluster.

Alternatively, you can place the LEDs on one track in series, it will be even simpler plus saving one track, but my option is more reliable.

Making an optitron

I'm trying to clean the filter at the edge of the scale. The peculiarity of these scales is that they are designed for the use of ordinary light bulbs, so they have an additional layer of dark filter (dots) applied to them, which ensures uniform illumination (closer to the light bulb, darker). A yellow filter is also visible under the white scattering layer. I would leave the yellow one, but removing black and white without affecting the yellow is unrealistic.

This is what it looks like in the light. Despite the white backlight, the numbers are still yellow thanks to the yellow filter, so you will have to remove it, although I didn’t want to.

Illuminated fuel and temperature gauges. I was afraid that there would not be enough three LEDs for the scale, but it turned out to be in vain - the scale is illuminated evenly, the gradient is not noticeable to the eye. Yes! As a result, only 3 tracks remained.

Rear temperature and fuel gauges. The light filter has been partially removed in the right places.

Ready-made temperature and fuel scales.

I remove the light filter on the tachometer. I use nail polish remover and pieces of cotton pads (we take everything from my wife/mother/sister’s arsenal). The technology is as follows: soak the pieces in liquid and apply to the area for a minute. While we are making the next one, the previous one soaks and the coating can be easily removed with a fingernail. Carefully! The front side is very sensitive to solvents, especially alcohol!

Installing tachometer backlight. Hot glue from a “gun” serves as supports and at the same time fasteners. The downside is that in this version the tachometer is not removable.

Finished tachometer scale.

"Combined" lighting. LED tachometer, regular speedometer. The temperature scale and fuel gauge are double backlit. Here the photo does not convey the effect quite correctly.

Speedometer backlight board. The main difficulty, it turned out, was precisely here. Due to the built-in odometer, the speedometer device is very bulky and there is very little space left for illumination. As a result of trimming and pointing, very little remained of the scarf.

Rear speedometer backlight board. I had to restore the path this way

I'm installing the speedometer light. Two lights didn’t fit, so I moved them to the side surface

I turn on the speedometer light and check it. Between the tachometer and speedometer, the common plus and minus are brought out into the T10 socket; a protective diode and a common current-limiting resistor (all from the same lamp) are also installed in it, plugged into the standard socket from under the backlight lamp.

Finished speedometer scale

Complete tidy. Currently in finished condition.

DIY digital dashboard for a car

unsigned long micros_sp = 0, micros_th = 0; volatile int tz; volatile int sz; volatile int sp; //speedometer impulses volatile int th; //tachometer pulses int analogInput [15]; //array of analog values int digitalInput[29]; //array of digital values String resultString = ""; //string int i; //cycle counter //************************************************ ************************* void setup(){ for(i=0; i<=14; i++){ //zeroing the array of analog values digitalInput =0; } for(i=0; i<=28; i++){ //zeroing the array of digital values analogInput =0; } Serial.begin(115200); Serial2.begin(115200); //initializing the com port attachInterrupt(0, speedometr, RISING); //interrupt the speedometer on pulse edges attachInterrupt(1, tahometr, RISING); //interrupt the tachometer on pulse edges } //************************************************ ************************* void loop(){ analogInput[0] = analogRead(0); // B13 voltage analogInput[1] = analogRead(1); // B24 fuel analogInput[2] = analogRead(2); // B21 cooling temperature analogInput[3] = analogRead(8); // analogInput[4] = analogRead(7); // analogInput[5] = analogRead(3); // analogInput[6] = analogRead(4); // analogInput[7] = analogRead(9); // analogInput[8] = analogRead(10); // analogInput[9] = analogRead(11); // analogInput[10] = analogRead(12); // analogInput[11] = analogRead(13); // analogInput[12] = analogRead(14); // analogInput[13] = analogRead(15); // analogInput[14] = analogRead(6); //
digitalInput[0] = digitalRead(4); // ignition // digitalInput[1] = digitalRead(5); // //****************************************************** ********************** digitalInput[2] = digitalRead(53) + // digitalRead(51) * 2; // //****************************************************** ********************** digitalInput[3] = digitalRead(5) + // A14 left turn digitalRead(6) * 2; // A13 right turn //*************************************************** ************************ digitalInput[4] = digitalRead(8) + // A18 near digitalRead(9) * 2; // A17 distant //************************************************ ************************* digitalInput[5] = digitalRead(10) + // A16 PTF front digitalRead(11) * 2; // A15 PTF rear //*************************************************** ************************* digitalInput[6] = digitalRead(23); // A23 check digitalInput[7] = !digitalRead(21); // B 9 — level digitalInput[8] = !digitalRead(31); // A19 — handbrake digitalInput[9] = digitalRead(25); // B 3 pad wear digitalInput[10] = !digitalRead(45); // B10 - fuel lamp digitalInput[11] = !digitalRead(51); // B12 — coolant level digitalInput[12] = !digitalRead(47); // A24 - oil pressure digitalInput[13] = digitalRead(27); // A20 fan lamp digitalInput[14] = !digitalRead(29); // A23 charging digitalInput[15] = digitalRead(33); // A 5 abs digitalInput[16] = digitalRead(35); // A20 srs digitalInput[17] = digitalRead(37); // A 3 belt digitalInput[18] = digitalRead(39); //B 1 door digitalInput[19] = 0;//digitalRead(22); // B 2 p digitalInput[20] = 0;//digitalRead(24); // A22 r digitalInput[21] = 0;//digitalRead(26); // A 7 n digitalInput[22] = 0;//digitalRead(28); // B 6 d digitalInput[23] = 0;//digitalRead(30); // B 5 s digitalInput[24] = digitalRead(41); // A 8 reserve digitalInput[25] = 0;//digitalRead(32); // A 9 reserve digitalInput[26] = digitalRead(43); // A10 reserve digitalInput[27] = 0;//digitalRead(34); // A11 reserve digitalInput[28] = digitalRead(49); // B 4 reserve
resultString = String(resultString + sp); resultString = String(resultString + ","); resultString = String(resultString + th*10); resultString = String(resultString + ","); for(i=0; i<=14; i++){ //transfer analog data from the array to the COM port resultString = String(resultString + analogInput ); resultString = String(resultString + ","); } for(i=0; i<=28; i++){ //transfer digital data from the array to the COM port resultString = String(resultString + digitalInput ); } resultString = String(resultString + ":\n"); // Serial2.print (resultString); Serial.print(resultString); resultString = String(""); tz = tz - 1; sz = sz - 1; if (tz == 0){th = 0;} if (sz == 0){sp = 0;} delay(50); } //****************************************************** ******************************** void speedometr(){ //measure the frequency at the speedometer input using the interrupt sp=(900000.0/( micros() — micros_sp)); micros_sp = micros(); sz = 10; } //****************************************************** ******************************** void tahometr(){ //measure the frequency at the tachometer input by interrupt th=(2900000.0/( micros() - micros_th)); micros_th = micros(); tz = 10; }

conclusions

— The inner edges of the numbers are slightly obscured by the protruding parts of the instruments; — I didn’t make the inscriptions shine through, I didn’t want to overload the panel with light - I had to seal it with black tape from the inside; — The odometers turned out to be dimly lit (one must think); — The arrows were not illuminated, I left the usual light bulbs.

The panel is in working order. In the photo it looks close to the real thing. Time: afternoon, summer. It’s a bit bright at night, and out of habit, it’s a little distracting. I hope that the brightness will go down over time.

The dashboard of a car is a very important part of it. It is with the help of the dashboard that the motorist can quickly navigate the road and make the right decision, understand whether he should speed up or whether it’s time to switch to another gearbox stage. In any case, not only the safety of the motorist on the road, but also his comfort behind the wheel will depend on how well the dashboard works.

It is also worth mentioning the appearance of the dashboard, because it is the dashboard that the driver constantly sees in front of him. And it is this element of the car that should be monitored and, if necessary, put in order, regardless of whether you have an old car or a new one. Even with the help of the simplest actions that can be performed by almost any motorist who is able to disassemble the dashboard of his car, you can transform it and make it truly unique.

Marussia B1

The Marussia supercar became the first Russian car with a fully virtual instrument panel.
A feature of the B1 and B2 models was the arrangement of three identical displays on the front panel. The one on the far left served as a dashboard. The other two could display navigation maps, a multimedia system menu, and a picture from the rear view camera. The updated Mazda CX-5 is one of the brightest new products of this season: it has grown from the class of compact SUVs and is clearly aiming to compete with Lexus crossovers.

For a test drive at the Mazda Independence showroom on Selskaya Bogorodskaya, we were provided with an all-wheel drive car with a 2.5 engine (194 hp) with Supreme equipment in bright red color. The price for such a car is just over 2 million rubles. The equipment itself involves rich equipment: in addition to the traditional options for classmates, there is dual-zone climate control, heated rear window and rear seats, cruise control, a large color screen above the instrument panel, a rear view camera, a start button, a heated steering wheel and mirrors — by and large, everything is the same as its more expensive competitors.

What surprised you most during the test drive? Firstly, complete silence in the cabin is at the level of premium class cars, and secondly, the style of handling road irregularities, which you would expect more from a business class sedan. That is, Mazda completely breaks the stereotype about its rigid suspension. The comfortable suspension is combined with a serious ground clearance of 200 mm. The optimal combination for Ufa roads.

Mazda's interior is solid and comfortable (Photo: Valery Shakhov)

The dynamics of the car are impressive, especially in “sport” mode. The car accelerates to 100 km/h in 9 seconds, the maximum declared speed is 195 km/h. It should be taken into account that the car is quite heavy, weighing more than 1.6 tons - this is due to the use of high-quality soundproofing materials. The six-speed gearbox in normal mode behaves traditionally for an automatic transmission - small “dips” of power in low gears are felt, although this is not the case in “sport” mode. Perhaps the fact is that the car adapts to a specific driving style, as they explained to us at the salon, and during the test drive it did not have time to do this. In general, the sports mode transforms the car - it is unlikely to be in demand in the city, but to get the pleasure of driving a “car” on the track is worth choosing a Mazda.

Car economics

The price for the updated Mazda CX-5 starts from 1,431 thousand rubles. For this price, a car with a 2.0 engine and a 6-speed manual transmission is available. Cars with all-wheel drive and automatic transmission start at 1,721 thousand rubles. The maximum configuration costs 2159.6 thousand rubles.

The model we tested consumes 7.2 liters of 95 gasoline per 100 km on the highway and 9.2 liters/100 km in the city (it felt like a test drive, but in practice the consumption is higher, but for now we’ll chalk this up to low mileage). Transport tax is 9,750 rubles per year.

The cost of the first 3 scheduled maintenance will be about 31,000 rubles.

If we're talking about our roads. We tested the Mazda in deep puddles and sticky mud. At some point, the car began to slip in a puddle with a loose bottom, and this is where all-wheel drive and 195 horsepower came in handy. The new Mazda CX-5 is capable of off-roading, but still this car is designed for city roads and city residents.

Getting “stuck” in the mud in a Mazda is difficult, but realistic (Photo: Valery Shakhov)

The new CX-5 is a story not only about handling, but also about the latest fashionable and useful features in the cabin. It now has an additional head-up screen - it projects the image directly onto the windshield. That is, the driver does not need to be constantly distracted by the dashboard - he can monitor the road situation and simultaneously control the on-board computer, which reduces the risk of getting into an accident. The windshield displays not only speed information, but also road signs along the way.

When parking in reverse, the trajectory, which is automatically displayed on the large screen above the instrument panel, is very helpful (Photo: Valery Shakhov)

The side mirrors are also pleasing - in addition to the fact that they have no “dead spots”, there is a sensor on the mirror that warns of a car approaching from the side and starts flashing as soon as you turn on the turn signal. An extremely useful safety feature in the city is the SCDS safe braking system - when braking hard, the hazard lights and lane departure warning systems turn on.

Another point is that lovers of good sound in the cabin can choose a Bose audio system with 10 speakers.

The editor’s personal impressions are that the car is optimal for a city, especially for one like Ufa, where there are snow piles and uneven roads. It has high ground clearance, a powerful engine, a very comfortable suspension, and convenient dimensions. At the same time, it is easy to control, literally crammed with driver assistance systems and gives the comfort of a premium-segment car. Mazda CX-5 is not the cheapest option in its class, but considering that its functionality is close to its higher-end relatives, the manufacturer’s pricing policy becomes understandable.

In the second generation of the Mazda CX 5 crossover, the interior has undergone significant changes. Mazda professionals paid great attention to its architecture, as well as the location of each element. This made it possible to create an interior that was even more comfortable and accessible.

What is dashboard tuning like?

Tuning this element of the car can be conditionally classified as either functional improvements or aesthetic ones. Often, motorists who are thinking about improving their car dashboard have both goals and want to make the panel both more beautiful and more functional.

A rather complex but interesting process of tuning the dashboard in detail:

Functional tuning is primarily aimed at either replacing vehicle controls or instruments with more advanced analogues, or simply involves adding additional instruments or controls. The main goal of such tuning is to improve the quality of obtaining information about the condition of the car or about weather or other conditions outside. Aesthetic tuning, in turn, is aimed solely at improving the appearance of the dashboard. Naturally, such improvements can be made even at the expense of functionality, which does not always have a good effect on the car, but if a person wants to do something with his car, it is difficult to stop him.

Difficulties of functional tuning

Often, functional tuning is limited only to replacing older or faulty car devices with newer and more modern ones. However, we should not forget that functional tuning also includes the installation of additional vehicle control elements such as an immobilizer, on-board computer or built-in additional devices. The main problem with such modification is not so much the choice of components as their proper installation. Most often, novice tuning enthusiasts who want to carry out such an installation at home will have to face such a problem as difficulties in calibrating devices. Imagine that the speedometer will show an inadequate speed of the car or the fuel gauge will deceive you at the most inopportune moment.

Where to start tuning

No matter how you plan to improve your car’s dashboard, first prepare the necessary tools:

Tools for disassembling the dashboard Industrial hair dryer Utility knife or sharp blade Required wiring and controls Soldering iron and solder

The rest of the necessary tools and materials will vary depending on what you are going to do with the dashboard. You may also need specific tools if disassembling the panel requires using non-standard techniques and non-standard tools. Find out in advance what tools are needed to remove the car trim and unscrew those elements that need to be replaced or modified.

Disassembling the dashboard

Experts recommend carrying out any work in a dry, dust-free room. This is a fairly important point on which the overall success of our venture depends. Firstly, dust can prevent us from evenly gluing various colored films to change the color of the instrument lighting on the panel, and high humidity will simply ruin the wiring. You should carefully remove the trim on the dashboard of your car in order to gain access to those controls or monitoring the condition of the car that you want to work on. If you are going to change the scale on the instruments, we advise you to remove the arrows very carefully. A simple marker is ideal for this, which marks the junction of the arrow using a dash or dots. If the arrow is soldered, you can use a soldering iron and heat the tin that holds the arrow to the coil. However, do not forget that the arrow will still need to be installed back, and in order to do this correctly, you need to mark the connection points, because otherwise calibration can only be carried out in a car service center.

How to improve your dashboard

Once you've disassembled the dashboard to the point where it can be worked on, it's worth stopping and rethinking what you're planning to do. You also need to check whether your modifications will damage the car and if everything is in order, then you can continue. After this, you can do almost whatever you want with your dashboard, but with the abundance of different possibilities, you often start to get lost, so let's look at several tuning options.

Changing the instrument scale

First of all, you can replace the scale on the instruments. To do this, you can either paint over the old scale and apply a design on it by hand or using a stencil, or stick a special film with a printed design on top of the scale. Most often, this option gives the most beautiful and high-quality result.

In order to make such a film, it is enough, even in the simplest graphics editor, to draw a model of what markings you want to see on a particular device and print it on a special film, for which you can contact a printing house. In the same case, if you want to change the color of the needle or individual elements on the instrument scale, you can even carefully paint over the desired areas with paint. Some motorists who want to achieve interesting glow effects use fluorescent paint for this, which glows perfectly when even a small LED is connected to the backlight.

Replacement of instrument lighting

Since we are talking about adding LEDs to the lighting of certain devices, it is worth saying that LED lighting of devices is a very popular tuning. However, despite its popularity, you should be very careful when adding or completely replacing the backlight with LED. Firstly, you will have to face a rather complicated process of removing the factory wiring and factory backlight bulbs, and secondly, you can go overboard with the number of LEDs. To prevent this from happening, we advise you to limit yourself to 1-2 LEDs per device, which will be enough for a bright backlight that will be clearly visible at dusk, but it will not hurt your eyes at night. If the device has a glow from the inside, and the device scale itself is transparent, you can add a little more LEDs, but they should be placed in such a way that their direct light does not fall into the eyes of the driver or passengers.

Radio tape recorder

No upgrade of the “six” is complete without installing a speaker system or at least a simple radio. A standard place for a radio receiver in the beard of a small-sized “six”. It should be trimmed to standard 1DIN. This can be done with a metal file. Then sand the edges with sandpaper.

Installing a radio

The radio tape recorder is attached to the beard using a metal case. Radio installation steps:

Having bent all the tabs, use special spatulas to remove the radio from the case.
The metal base is inserted into the prepared hole.
We fix it using special tongues.
Then carefully insert the radio unit itself, which should snap into place.

Cables are included to connect the player. The most commonly used are:

black - “earth”;
red and yellow (often wound together) - ignition “+”;
blue - power for the active antenna;
white - front left (FL) speaker;
gray - front right (FR) speaker;
green - rear left (RL) speaker;
purple - right rear (RR) speaker.

You can connect the radio to the ignition switch to the free INT terminal. Then it will only work when the engine is running and the ignition is on. This connection scheme will protect forgetful car owners from completely draining the battery.

If you twist the red and yellow wires together, the radio will no longer depend on the ignition. You can listen to music with the ignition off too.

The standard connection diagram is usually glued to the cassette player

Typically, a connection manual comes with the audio system. Following the instructions and color scheme, installing audio equipment in the “classic” will not be difficult.

Speaker installation

A good place to place the speakers would be the front door panels. If you choose the right size speakers, they will fit here very well. To install, perform the following steps:

Remove the trim from the doors.
On the casing we cut a hole for the speaker. A hole of the required size can be made using a template. To do this, trace the speaker on paper. You need to work carefully so as not to miss the size.
We attach the column and screw it to the casing using the fastening that comes with the kit.
We carefully lay the wires in the cavity of the doors so that they do not sag or fall out.
We install the casing in place.

To give a finished look, the door cards are covered with leatherette, and a protective grille is installed on the speaker.

Additional speakers are placed on the dashboard or on the side pillars of the windshield.

For better sound distribution, high-frequency speakers are installed at the head level of the driver and passenger

If the car owner changes the entire beard, creating it himself to his own size, then he can place a 2DIN radio in it. A player with a large screen will add charm to the appearance of the car.

If the car has a 2DIN radio, then you can connect the rear view camera to it

Some craftsmen insert speakers instead of air ducts. But from personal experience I know that the standard “six” torpedo does not have side window blowing. In humid and cold weather, windows fog up and freeze. If you remove the air ducts for the windshield, the airflow will worsen even more. Therefore, I do not recommend this installation of speakers.

Adjusting the brightness of the backlight

Most often, to adjust the brightness of the backlight located behind the device, you need to assemble it, but if something does not suit the brightness, the device will need to be disassembled and adjusted again. In order to avoid wasting time on such actions, we advise you to connect the backlight through a variable rheostat, which can be used to control the intensity of the glow by simply turning it up. Naturally, it is best to carry out the adjustment 3 times - during the day, at dusk and at night, to understand whether it is convenient to look at the devices.

Comprehensive tuning

Quite often, motorists who improve their dashboard with their own hands modify several instruments at once or the overall lighting of the dashboard to make it look more stylish. In this case, it is better to prepare in advance the same templates for the instrument scales and the same color LED backlights. In the same case, if you do not have access to LEDs of the desired color, you can get by with ordinary white LEDs and simply stick a translucent film of the desired color to the desired places. This film will be a regular light filter, and you will achieve the same effect as when using LEDs of different colors.

Tuning options

You can perform tuning in several ways:

cover the panel with leather;
paint;
install overlays;
combine materials.

Before tuning the dashboard yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules and the car’s passport. You cannot use fur or ordinary fabric to cover the panels; the paint must be automotive grade. This is due to the operation of the stove, since as a result of high temperatures, ordinary paint and the described materials will begin to disintegrate and release harmful substances.

Before tuning the dashboard yourself, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules and the car’s passport.

You also need to take the choice of colors seriously. The color of the covers and interior trim are taken into account. If black and white are combined in any way, then when selecting other shades you need to use special tables of color combinations.

Panel painting

One of the simplest and most affordable options for tuning the VAZ 21114 dashboard is painting it. Here you can do everything yourself.

The procedure for painting the dashboard:

The surface is thoroughly cleaned from dust and dirt. To do this, use a soft sponge and a regular soap solution.
Sanded with fine sandpaper (P240, P280, P320, P360), this will help improve paint adhesion. The panel is also degreased using a special product for plastic; if this is not available, you can use compositions based on white spirit, dishwashing detergent or wet hand wipes.
The sealant is applied. This is done at the points where the panel comes into contact with other body elements.
Painting in progress.

In order to properly paint the VAZ 2114 panel, it must be dismantled

The paint can be applied with a brush, roller or spray. In any case, if the panel is not removed from the car, it is necessary to completely cover all areas that will not be painted. To do this, use masking tape. To properly paint the dashboard, it is recommended to remove it from the car. Although this is an easy way to remodel a dashboard, the work must be done carefully, and if you doubt your abilities, it is better to leave it to the professionals.

Panel cover

Another option for tuning the dashboard is covering it with artificial or natural leather or carbon fiber.

The procedure for covering the dashboard:

The dashboard is being dismantled.
The pattern is being prepared.
To create a pattern for a specific panel element, remove it and cut out the required piece of material in accordance with the shape that will be pasted over, doing this with a small allowance. The pattern is made in accordance with the shape of the element to be pasted
The dashboard is cleaned of dirt and degreased.
The panel is pasted over. The adhesive composition is selected taking into account the material used for pasting, so as not to damage it during interaction. It should be taken into account that the panel gets very hot in the sun, so the glue must withstand high temperatures. A one-component polychloroprene adhesive is suitable for this; it must be heated to 60 °C to ensure a reliable connection (“Glue-88”, GTA Boterm, Mah). There is no need to heat polyurethane glue; it can be “Moment” (good for leatherette), Kaiflex K414, “Titan”, “Demoskol”.

Most often, the panel is covered with artificial or natural leather, carbon fiber

Video: covering the panel with rubber material

Installation of overlays

You can transform the dashboard of a VAZ 2114 using special overlays. They are sold in almost all auto stores. This tuning option allows you to change the color of the backlight. This occurs through the use of transparent elements and light filters of different colors. Such overlays must be installed correctly so that there is no distortion or displacement, otherwise the illumination of the devices will be uneven. It should also be taken into account that if light filters are too dark, the power of the factory light bulbs will not be enough, and they will not be able to properly illuminate the devices through such overlays.

The dashboard can be transformed using special overlays

In addition, you can install soft pads on the instrument panel. Unlike a rigid standard panel, they have better sound absorption, are more scratch resistant and have a shelf for small items. The cost of the instrument panel overlay is 1200–1500 rubles.

You can install a soft pad on the instrument panel

Europanel installation

Relatively recently, European-style dashboards began to be installed on the VAZ 2114. They have a more modern design and are made of high-quality materials, so they have become very popular among owners of the old-style VAZ 2114.

Europanel has a more modern design and is made of high quality materials

Installing the Europanel is not difficult, since it is designed specifically for the VAZ 2114 and is simply mounted in place of the old panel. The presence of several drawers for small items makes this solution more convenient. Among the disadvantages of the Europanel, owners note that the movement of the heater control levers is rather tight.

Video: installation of europanel

Improved backlight

To achieve a unique visual effect, one of the options for tuning the dashboard is to change the instrument lighting.

Work order:

Removing the instrument panel.
Removing protective glass.
Removing the arrows.
Removing the standard cover.
Replacement of standard light bulbs. Green backlighting is installed at the factory. It can be changed so that the illuminated dashboard is in harmony with the rest of the dashboard and interior of the car. Typically, multi-colored LEDs in a plastic socket, a DSM LED or LED strips are used for this. It must be taken into account that the car's electrical voltage is 12 V, and the LEDs operate on a power supply of 2–3.5 V (this depends on the color) and have polarity. If you mix it up, the LEDs will immediately burn out. You can purchase ready-made clusters designed for 12 V, or make such a cluster yourself. To do this, several diodes are connected in series to achieve the required voltage. If you take 3 diodes of 3.5 V, then you also need to additionally set the resistance to 100–150 Ohms.

Changing the dashboard lighting improves its appearance
Reassembly of the structure.

Video: Changing the dashboard backlight

Tuning instrument needles

It is quite simple to implement this type of dashboard tuning, such as improving the instrument needles. In the standard design, the lighting of the heating equipment is yellow, the buttons are green, and the indicators are orange. Many people don’t like it because it resembles a parrot and makes it difficult to feel comfortable while driving at night.

To improve the instrument arrows, you need to disassemble the instrument panel and install a red, blue or other color LED under each arrow. To prevent light from scattering, a piece of heat-shrinkable tubing is placed over the diode. The wires from the diode are connected to the heater backlight. As a result of such changes, the instrument needles glow with a rich color.

You can make additional illumination of the arrows

Tuning techniques

To successfully complete any modification to a car or its dashboard, you need to know a few simple techniques that will allow you to perform the necessary actions. We have already talked about how to properly stick tint film, and these are the same techniques that are used when gluing translucent films to the back of the device display with slots so that the divisions and numbers glow with the right light. Another no less interesting technique is the use of fluorescent paints to paint the needle or scale divisions of the device. To apply this paint evenly, it is enough to use either a simple template over which you can safely paint, or simply carefully apply it with a thin brush. Also, do not forget about the need to correctly calibrate the pointer after removing it, because an incorrectly calibrated device is a very serious problem that can only be solved in a service center.

Beard tuning

The center of the car interior is the console, which is called the beard

It acts as a continuation of the torpedo and attracts the attention of all passengers

When tuning, you can place in your beard:

watch;
radio;
pocket for small items;
armrest;
USB sockets;
switches;
backlight

Typically, the beard for “classics” is made from plywood, fiberglass, or from spare parts from foreign cars.

Beard drawings can be found on the Internet or taken measurements from an old console. For the pattern, thick cardboard is used, which holds its shape well. The template is transferred to plywood and, after carefully checking the dimensions, cut out along the contour. Next, the parts are connected with self-tapping screws. The finished frame is covered with leatherette or other material in the color of the upholstery. The material is secured with a furniture stapler and glue.

Instrument installation and dashboard assembly

Once you're satisfied that you've done everything you wanted and are completely happy with the result, it's time to put the removed instruments back in place, connect them and reassemble the dashboard. Don't forget to check that the devices are powered and that everything is in order with the casing fastenings. If you do everything calmly and don’t rush, then such tuning of the dashboard will not only be no worse than the one for which you would have to pay a fairly large amount in the studio, but even better, because you will do such tuning with your own hands and in You can change or redo something at any time.

Many car enthusiasts are not happy with the lighting of their dashboard in the evening and at night. But poor-quality lighting or its complete absence has a negative impact on road safety. Therefore, many craftsmen do auto tuning with their own hands, making additional lighting for their car. And first of all, the dashboard lighting is done.

Very often, LEDs are used for these purposes, which have many advantages and allow you to create high-quality lighting inside the car with your own hands. This article will tell you how you can install this type of lighting in the dashboard and the nuances that should be observed in this situation.

Why do you need additional lighting?

Today, car tuning is carried out not only outside, but also inside its interior, and there is no better place than the dashboard. Diodes built into the panel will allow you to achieve the following positive aspects:

give the dashboard a new unusual look;
High-quality illumination of important elements of the dashboard;
make additional lighting for the vehicle interior;
make your car ride more comfortable;
improve road safety. When the instrument panel is well lit, all the indicators are clearly visible on it, which allows you to correctly assess the position of the car on the road and not violate the rules of the road with your driving.

The easiest way to illuminate such an element of a car as the dashboard is to install diodes in it. The following types of LED products can be used here:

separate diodes. Using them as backlight, you can create full or decorative lighting for the dashboard. It is worth noting that LEDs can glow in different colors. Therefore, such LED lighting can beautifully complement external tuning, glowing with it in the same color scheme;

Note! Additional lighting of the dashboard created with the help of such diodes allows them to be built into almost any part of the board. As a result, the lighting will fully meet the car owner’s requirements and provide illumination where it is really needed.

LED Strip Light. This tape is very often used as decorative lighting not only for a car, but also for home premises or street elements. It can be easily replaced with another, which will allow you to change the boring color scheme to a new one. The LED strip has a self-adhesive base, with the help of which its installation by hand is quite easy and quite quick.

Despite the ease of working with LED strip, diodes are most often used to illuminate a car dashboard. This choice is associated with certain advantages of using this type of lighting.

Electronic components

In the center of the front panel on top there is a new 7" touch screen for the standard MZD Connect multimedia system. The complex provides access to music files, a navigator and global network applications, and is also synchronized with your smartphone. Three-way control of the MZD Connect system is possible: an HMI commander on the central tunnel, a sensor and voice commands. This provides quick and secure access to any information and settings. Thanks to the optimal viewing angle, the screen does not interfere with the driver and allows the passenger to use it.

For confident driving in any situation, the Mazda CX 5 2022 is optionally equipped with a head-up display, which displays information from the i-ACTIVSENSE safety systems, navigation and speed mode. The image is projected onto a transparent display between the instrument panel and the windshield, which allows the driver to receive the necessary information without taking his eyes off.

Music lovers in the prestigious versions are offered a Hi-Fi audio system from the famous Bose brand. From ten speakers, high-quality and spacious sound of your favorite tracks bursts out to the rhythm of a subwoofer hidden inside the spare tire in the trunk.

Japanese experts understand how important a convenient location of controls is for the driver of the Mazda CX 5. At the same time, they provided complete comfort to the passengers of the crossover. Therefore, the interior of the CX 5 is functionally divided into 2 zones:

Driving for safe and precise driving.
Passenger, ensuring the comfort and safety of travelers.

In the Mazda cabin, new seats for the driver and front passenger have appeared with a comfortable profile, an elongated cushion and developed lateral support. The driver's seat is electrically adjustable in several positions, the only thing missing is position memory. After all, a family often uses one car for several drivers. When transferring, you will have to adjust the seat position to suit you again.

The second row of seats also has an anatomical shape with the Karakuri system - adjustable backrest tilt in two positions. The rear sofa is made according to a classic design with the ability to transform into two armchairs, separated by an armrest. The designers hid 3 levels of seat heating in the rear armrest. Rear passengers have their own air ducts for the climate system.

The rear seats fold in a 4/2/4 ratio and allow you to increase the volume of the luggage compartment.

Why LED lighting is preferable

At the moment, there are a variety of products on the lighting market that can be used to illuminate any brand of car.

Note! Not every make of car actually needs this type of lighting. Some manufacturers include high-quality LED lighting in the dashboard already at the production stage. This situation is usually typical for expensive foreign cars.

Industrial dashboard lighting

But in most vehicles such additional lighting is absent or incomplete. This situation is especially relevant for older models that were manufactured at a time when LED backlighting had not yet been heard of. When choosing an LED type of lighting, car owners are guided by the following positive aspects of such lighting:

diodes of this type have small dimensions, which allows them to be installed anywhere on the dashboard. At the same time, they are easily massaged;
simple soldering of LEDs for different connections between them. Moreover, if the LED strip is re-soldered, then this procedure is carried out according to certain rules, which are also typical for working with individual diodes;
even a small number of diodes installed on the panel can create a full-fledged type of lighting, sufficient for comfortable driving;

Pay attention! With the help of such elements you can even illuminate alarm systems.

the ability to create not only white, but also colored lighting. Diodes can produce a beautiful and frequent glow in green, yellow, red, purple, green or blue. At the same time, replacing it with a new color is possible in the future and will not require excessive effort from the car owner;

We produce “eternal” front panels and other stickers

When manufacturing various electronic devices, the question of designing the front panels often arises - all sorts of labels for buttons/indicators, etc. In this publication I want to talk about a method that I have been using for a very long time and successfully. ATTENTION! this is NOT a review, this is a DIY community! The simplest and most logical way seems to be laminating the printout and then gluing it onto double-sided tape. This method is good if used indoors and requires that the edges of the laminated sticker be hidden under the body or otherwise protected from scuffing and moisture, grease, etc. A variation of the method is printing on self-adhesive labels and gluing the top side with transparent tape or laminating film. The nuances are the same.

Another method I tried and already wrote about is a solder mask. The method is good, for example, for obtaining inscriptions on the aluminum amplifier panel. At the same time, it requires “debugging the technology”

I use a method in which the sticker is almost not afraid of external influences. It is somewhat labor intensive, but I personally like the results, and some stickers have been working for many years. The only caveat is that it is desirable that the sticker has light inscriptions on a black background. Because when laser printing on film, halos often occur, which will look sloppy. However, I believe in the existence of printers without this unpleasant defect.

We will need: - laser printer - film for this printer - solvent 646/647 - double-sided THIN tape. ideally two - white and transparent - multi-colored self-adhesive, can be replaced with multi-colored packaging tape (if we want multi-colored inscriptions). - tint film (if we want tinted windows for indicators) - scalpel, scissors, tweezers, ruler...

First we draw the front panel(s). I use

Well, we print this picture on the printer in a mirror image. Well, in such a way that it will be on the back side of the film after gluing.

Place the printed film in solvent vapor for half an hour to compact the toner. After this, it becomes much darker and denser in light. The solvent must be matched to your toner. I like the 646+647 mix. I pour this into the bottom of a 5 liter water bottle or windshield washer and hang the film on tape, closing it with a lid.

If the stickers are not colored, then glue white double-sided tape to the drawing (it will set the color of the inscriptions, so it is advisable to choose something as white and opaque as possible), cut it out - and that’s basically it.

If you need colored inscriptions, cut out pieces of tape of the appropriate color and size and cover the corresponding inscriptions with them. The same applies to the windows for indicators, but we cover them with tint film. In the case of adhesive tape - and it is translucent - you can also get windows for display of any shape, color, and with inscriptions. The main advantage of adhesive tape is its small thickness. As a result, the sticker will not bulge in places where the colored inserts are glued. It doesn’t really catch the eye anyway, but the thinner it is, the neater it is.

Next, you can make holes in white double-sided tape for the indicator windows, you can seal them in pieces around the perimeter, or you can partially stick transparent double-sided tape where white inscriptions are not needed. Or use ONLY transparent ones, and make white inscriptions by analogy with colored ones - white tape or self-adhesive tape.

You need to glue with some margin. Well, we cut around the perimeter

From the “wrong side” without protective paper it turns out something like this:

Well, the result:

I have tested the method several times and some stickers have worked without problems for ten years, so I can safely recommend it for repetition.

Application examples. I didn’t specifically wash or scrub anything, so that they wouldn’t think it was on the shelf. The blink tester did not have the windows under the indicators sealed - there was no tint film at that time. Instead, by the way, you can use a gradient fill on the printer - it effectively darkens the window, but when the indicators are on, it doesn’t look very good. You can see on it that the foil under the buttons is somewhat warped - well, here, firstly, it was necessary not to show off and use self-adhesive as always, and secondly, he’s already a year old...

was:

became:

Features of organizing LED lighting

LED light bulb for car

Using LED lighting for a car, you can use diode bulbs with a standard base. This way you can illuminate the instrument buttons on the panel. In a situation where several devices need to be illuminated at once, for high-quality lighting you should use an LED bulb placed in a special socket. This requires a special re-soldering. But you can simply buy it in a store or market.

In addition, to illuminate the car’s dashboard and its alarm system, you can use light bulbs that produce a narrow luminous flux. It can be obtained from a regular light bulb by using a special diffuser (lenses) for lighting. Thus, in the first situation, the lighting will be point-like, and in the second, the luminous flux will fall at a certain angle. When organizing button illumination, you can use light sources with a directional luminous flux. But to illuminate the speedometer and alarm panels, preference should be given to bulbs that provide a large scattering angle. Although this can already be left to the individual choice of the car owner.

How the arrows are illuminated

Very often, a car needs backlighting of the dashboard arrows.

Instrument needle illumination

In a situation where it is necessary to install diode lighting of the arrows on the dashboard, the following manipulations must be performed:

We clean the paint of the arrow on three sides. The paint is stripped from the bottom of the arrow and on its sides;
After this, the cleaned surfaces should be painted over with a white clerical touch or white nail polish. You can also use regular white paint, but it will be a little more fiddly;

Note! Painting the arrow white will help increase the lighting effect.

Filled speedometer needles

after that we take three LEDs. They need to be soldered together in series;
The soldered LEDs should be placed in the dashboard. You first need to drill holes in it for installing diodes and masking wires.

After that, they are connected to the power source and your arrow glows in the shade of what color the LEDs were selected. Some craftsmen backlight the needle in such a way that it can change color depending on changes in the speedometer readings. To organize such illumination, you need to use diodes of three different colors:

These colors are standard. Remember that for each arrow you need to use three diodes in the sequence in which you want to get the glow. Thus, the luminous flux will be sufficient for high-quality illumination of the metric part of the device.

Finished arrow illumination

Typically, green is used for minimum indicators, and red for maximum indicators. Diodes should be placed under each arrow in its circle of movement.

Organization of backlighting of stove control buttons

The second most popular situation in organizing the lighting of the dashboard in a car is the illumination of the stove control buttons.

Stove control buttons

Foil reflector

The organization of the backlight of the console buttons intended for controlling the stove is carried out as follows:

First, remove the handles, as well as the glass from the control unit;
We make a reflector out of foil. It will need to be secured under the removed glass;
then carefully unscrew the lower part of the console. Under it there will be a cartridge with an old light source, which must be replaced;
replace the old light bulb with an LED;

Note! You can install an LED strip under the bottom of the console. Thanks to its self-adhesive base, it will easily take the required position. In this situation, it will be connected with its wires through the cartridge. The main thing here is to maintain the polarity of the wires, otherwise the LED strip will not light up.

After installing the LED, return all parts of the console to their original place in the reverse order.

Ready-made console lighting

The simplest way to create backlighting involves the following manipulations:

take the button out of the console;
we disassemble it into its component elements;
inside such a button there should be a light bulb that changes to an LED;
if necessary, you can remove the light filter from the button or combine it with a new diode glow. As a result, you can get a new beautiful and unique shade.

As you can see, illuminating the console designed to control the stove in a car is quite easy.

Tuning the gear knob

BMW 528i: technical specifications, photos and reviews
A shabby gearshift lever can be updated in three ways:

replace the gearshift knob cover with a new cover;
install the short-stroke lever;
change the knob.

A new leather cover for the gearshift lever can be purchased at a car store. This is a ready-made product that needs to be put on a lever and secured in the floor or under the rug with a special ring.

The cover for the gearshift lever can be made of either eco-leather or genuine leather

Or you can sew the cover yourself using a pattern.

You can make a drawing of the casing pattern yourself by taking the required dimensions from the old casing

Most owners of “sixes” shorten the gearshift lever. To do this, unscrew the lever, clamp it in a vice and saw off about 6-7 cm with a hacksaw.

Short throw lever appeals to most drivers

The simplest and most affordable way to tune the gearshift knob is to replace the knob. A new accessory is screwed onto the lever, which will decorate the interior of the car.

Retro-style knob will create an atmosphere of the 70s

The main advantage of tuning is its uniqueness. For owners who are in love with their cars, the possibility of tuning brings trepidation to the soul. In addition, a tuned car reflects the character of the owner. An unprepossessing car turns into a dream car and attracts the admiring glances of passers-by. Tuning is beautiful, so go ahead and realize your ideas.

Combined instrument lighting

To implement this type of lighting, you need to stock up on the following materials:

double sided tape;
LED in a socket (three pieces);
foil.

In order to remove the dashboard, it is necessary to clarify the removal steps with the instructions that came with the vehicle. The algorithm of actions here is as follows:

removing the instrument cluster;
carefully unscrew the speedometer cable and disconnect all existing plugs;
illumination sources should be located in the upper part of the instrument panel - three light bulbs. There will also be a green filter here. It can be removed or left;
The light bulb is being replaced with LEDs and a foil diffuser is being installed. We secure it with double-sided tape.

Ready-made dashboard lighting

After this, all that remains is to assemble all the panel parts and install them in their original places.

Note! In any case, you can safely experiment with the colors of the LEDs in order to get the most beautiful type of glow.