Blue Window Switches

[XR6TK1W1]

NT How did you test your polarity? Any chance that you tested it to ground? I don't want to sound rude so please dont take it that way but maybe you made the same mistake as Cam origanally did. I would love to get my hands on a Non premium sound car to test this. But hey NT yours is working and not doing weird and wonderful stuff. The plot thickens. Im still considering going to the surface mount stuff just to tidy it up. Also Pistol can you give me an approx date that you may be coming my way so I can make sure there are enough LEDs to do the job. And also if you want Surface mount ( which after seeing cams I would recommend ) or standard LEDs. The surface mount is a bit more expensive though but not by to much.

[NT TURBO]

Haven't slept cause of this!!, K1W1 I tested nothing to ground, I had a witness (were both sparkies) even tried it your way to be sure (maybe I can send photos of voltage tests!!).

Does Mr Walker have the footwell sockets or any other Fairmont/Premium option, cause I know they specify "Non-Fairmont" for the BEM. There must be some difference, less its something to do with my alarm bem?

ehh mine work anyway as you say, and no "funny" things with the spot light, anyway so how do you get that remote mirror switch out!!?

[Guest Mr Walker]

Definately don't have the footwell sockets guys and I won't get around to opening the switch up 'till next weekend. I also doubt that the dealer would have done anything other than just stuff the switch in - otherwise they would have put it in the too hard basket.

So Cam - a bit of blue nail polish ya reckon? Thanks for the info.

[XR6TK1W1]

Next time I'm in at a service I'll see if I can get permission to open up one of the demo xr6's. Hopefully they have one with an alarm and one without. As for the remote window switch I have no idea. knowing Ford it just pops out with a bit of leverage. NT have you had a S/Ware upgrade with your car? When I finally got one it fixed all the Fog lights probs. But I guess use the motto " If it aint broke don't fix it " Mr Walker have you got the factory alarm? This is even making me stay awake at night and mine works!

[Guest Mr Walker]

Nope. Sorry.

[Guest jimmy pistol]

You Guys and girls will love this one.

Called into Ford dealer today to view new XR8. :o .........Guess what????

Window switches with lights........factory fitted.

Work that one out. :o

[XR6TK1W1]

Just a note to anyone who is interested. Since my Auto window function stuffed out on my drivers switch, my dealer kindly replaced it under warrenty. Since I had to redo that switch I decided to redo the others with SMD's similar to what CAM used. It worked a treat with a much better and consistant light, also slightly dimmer. Its about the same brightness of the standard white switches. I used the same LED's as CAM but since the resistors only came in a big pack and it cost $50 something bucks I used my origanal resistors. Again thanks CAM and Potai for getting me the part numbers.

[XR6TK1W1]

Oh and Jimmy, yeah the XR8 comes standard with lit switches. I guess they have to have something other than sound over the Turbo. See you in WGTN when ya come down.

[geea]

Let me start by saying I have no electronics experience and b4 installing the Blue LED's in the window switches I had used a soldiering iron once.

After many hours and a few blown LED's I have finished the install.

After all being good for first few days (maybe 4-5) I'm now having a problem.

I used 700 sized LED's in all the passenger doors (from Dick Smith) but for drivers door was unable to get any more (I used them all), and had to buy 1000 LED's from Jaycar. These where a lot cheaper and seemed to do the job I have 4 1000 Blue and 1 500 Red LED's in drivers switch.

The problem im starting to have is that 1-2 of the drivers door LED's will stop working and its not always the same ones. Im wondering if the combination of the 5LED's total 4500 is causing to much of a power drain and making 1-2 not work and that if I replaced the 4x1000Blue LED's with 4x700 LED's (would bring total to 3300) would this fix the problem.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Cam]

The numbers you are referring to would be the number of mCds (mili candellas) that the LEDs produce.

Most LEDs have a current drain of aboiut 30mA - irrespective of the number of mCds they produce.

So it will not be the number mCds the LEDs produce that is causing your problem - it wont be a power supply issue (at least not an insufficient power problem).

Anyway I guess thqat doesnt help you at all.

When you say its not always the same ones that go out which ones is is specifically?

Has it happened to all the LEDs or only a few of them?

The possibilities I have thought of are that you may have a 'dry joint' which is essentially a poor solder connection and can result in interimitant connection (things like temperature and vibrations can have an effect on dry joints). Dry joints can be caused by too much heat, movement when soldering, solder without flux... You could test this idea by resoldering the joints with a little new solder.

It could also be an intermittant connection somewhere else - most likely in the new pin you needed to create - it could have a poor solder connection on one side of the board or the other (did you ensure there was solder on both sides of the board when adding the new pin?) or perhaps a poor connection where your new pin conects into the wiring harness??