All you Vintage Air owners...

[SquareRoot]

I love my surefit system. Blows cold- no complaints, except one:
The lack of backlighting on the control panel. If you don't have the levers functions memorized, your left confused when it's dark. I don't see any options for a lighted panel on thier website. Before I begin my led modification to light it up I'd like to know what anyone else has done...or if they just live with it.

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[86Peter454]

i dont have it nor have i done this but i do have an idea on a clean way to light it up.

pretty much 1 single LED on the flat surface of the bezel below the air vent above where it says vintage air. drill one little hole up into that flat surface and mount the LED in it and wire that up to your light switch so it comes on with your head lights and stuff.

the idea is that it will just cast a light on the face of the controls but you wouldnt be able to see the light source itself. may be able to get way with an LED strip with adhesive on the back but im worried you would be able to see it.

 

[bluex]

How old is your kit? Mine is lighted but you do have to hook the wire into the factory instrument lighting for it to have power. I just used the wire that went to the factory bulb. It even dims with the other lights an every thing....

 

[bluex]

Ya the tan wire from the evaporator wiring harness to the factory dash lighting will turn on the back lighting in the control panel.

So its not a wire in the control panel bundle but one from the case under the dash.

 

[bluex]

Here it is in the instructions. It looks like you have the same panel as I do. If yours is a Gen 4 you should just need to hook up this wire.

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[SquareRoot]

It's a gen 4, about a year old. I'm gonna feel really stupid, but relieved, if this is the case!

 

[SquareRoot]

bluex,
You are the man! You are correct. I don't know how/why I didn't connect that tan wire to the dash light circuit. I think I thought I wouldn't need it because I installed Dakota Digital VHX at the same time. The DD does not use the factory dash light circuit because the DD is all LED and uses its own specific dimmer.

Looks like I'm pulling the dash again to fix the oversight. What a pain! I have to remove the dash speakers anyway (change 1001) but to do that I have to remove the DIN radio, guage bezel, a/c ducting, dash pad and glovebox. Lord help me!

 

[bluex]

bluex,
You are the man! You are correct. I don't know how/why I didn't connect that tan wire to the dash light circuit. I think I thought I wouldn't need it because I installed Dakota Digital VHX at the same time. The DD does not use the factory dash light circuit because the DD is all LED and uses its own specific dimmer.

Looks like I'm pulling the dash again to fix the oversight. What a pain! I have to remove the dash speakers anyway (change 1001) but to do that I have to remove the DIN radio, guage bezel, a/c ducting, dash pad and glovebox. Lord help me!

Glad it was an easy (sorta) fix. I know what you mean about pulling 15 other things loose to get where you need to be. I have to drop my steering column to remove the dash bezel since I moved it closer to the dash...

 

[SquareRoot]

bluex,

Is the backlighting just your basic white or does it have any color like the blue "on" indicator light?

 

[Craig 85]

I had another thought for those that don't have the same generation controller. There is a fiber optic cable (red box, black line coming off the back of the light bulb) that gives illumination to the ash tray. This could always be rerouted. This location is different than mine; it was located at the upper left in the photo.

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[eskimomann209]

Absolutely gorgeous Vintage air AND DD gauges.
I want vintage air preeeeeeety bad right now ! 105 degrees out isn’t a laughing matter.

 

[bluex]

bluex,

Is the backlighting just your basic white or does it have any color like the blue "on" indicator light?

It just basically lights up the words.

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[SquareRoot]

It just basically lights up the words.

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Cool, thanks for the info and pic.

 

[SquareRoot]

Absolutely gorgeous Vintage air AND DD gauges.
I want vintage air preeeeeeety bad right now ! 105 degrees out isn’t a laughing matter.

Hey it's 110 here as well, I hear ya!
On another related note, I'll mention window tint.
I just got mine tinted yesterday. What a difference it makes!
I had them use the Llumar 3x ceramic tint, legal 30%.
It blocks like 80% of the heat thru the glass.

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[eskimomann209]

I used sound deadener all on my floors/ firewall and back of cab plus industrial padding and new carpet. I’m hoping once I get the AC and the tint re applied it’ll be an ice box in the summer and a sauna in the winter