View Full Version : 03 LED Interior Lights


Empire01
05-04-2008, 10:03 PM
I have a 2003 1500, and I was wanting to switch out the interior lights with color LED lights. I have seen a lot of threads about people doing it on older models. I was wondering if it is possible to switch them out on a 2003, I have heard different things, some people say that the stock lights are saudered in, is this true? If so, how hard is it to replace them?

Thanks for any info.

Empire01
05-05-2008, 04:01 PM
Anybody? I hate to be annoying, but I don't want to start tearing into things and find out that I cannot replace the lights.

Thanks

thekl0wn
05-05-2008, 04:03 PM
I'm pretty sure the NBS's take the 194 bulbs as well. Seems like there's a sticky in this section or in tech articles for your body style...

Black Silverado
05-05-2008, 10:27 PM
They are soldered I know that much, been looking for a way to do this as well.

Nick Z71
05-05-2008, 10:44 PM
let me know when you find out bc I want to do this also

Silv3rado Own3r
05-06-2008, 07:38 AM
I asked this same question a little while ago...theres a sticky somewhere


EDIT: Here is a website...it is a good write up http://www.gmfullsize.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70072

Empire01
05-06-2008, 04:19 PM
This may sound dumb, but what if you just take a sharpie to it? would it be too dark?

SoraD
05-08-2008, 07:34 AM
You know Empire01, ive tried that too but like the sharpie wears out and then turns differnt colors and makes the light look weird =[ BUT..

heres a good link to REALLY cheap Led's that im sure you all will love (if you havent found this site already =]

http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm

They have evrything from blacklight for the dome to multy colored leds for a dash cluster and there cheap as anything
for example the LED's i used were 79c a piece and if this helps at all i have an Astro with the same lights that work in a 2002 silverado. You can get the interior lights (they look like little cylinders) heres the link..

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR&keywords=&cart_id=4699691.11944&next=50

its about the 18 product from the top and works really well...ther called feston bulbs

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/ ... 26&next=50 (the second one on that page)

Heres what the Blue LED's look like on my dash..

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5753/dsc00609bg1.jpg

SoraD
05-08-2008, 07:41 AM
now my other thought was to get a white face plate for the guages and then get blacklight guage lights and see how that looked. I wonder if that would even work.. but thats for another time down the road...

03Redfire Cobra
05-08-2008, 12:48 PM
the blue looks like a VW interior.

Empire01
05-08-2008, 05:14 PM
You know Empire01, ive tried that too but like the sharpie wears out and then turns differnt colors and makes the light look weird =[ BUT..

heres a good link to REALLY cheap Led's that im sure you all will love (if you havent found this site already =]

http://www.superbrightleds.com/1157.htm

They have evrything from blacklight for the dome to multy colored leds for a dash cluster and there cheap as anything
for example the LED's i used were 79c a piece and if this helps at all i have an Astro with the same lights that work in a 2002 silverado. You can get the interior lights (they look like little cylinders) heres the link..

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR&keywords=&cart_id=4699691.11944&next=50

its about the 18 product from the top and works really well...ther called feston bulbs

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/ ... 26&next=50 (the second one on that page)

Heres what the Blue LED's look like on my dash..

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/5753/dsc00609bg1.jpg

That looks really good, I like it. The problem wasn't really getting the LED's it's just putting them in, because in the 03 and up models all the lights are soldered in, and I'm not sure if i want to solder. I was talking to my dad about it and he said it could be a big hassle. But I have been reading around, and somebody said that you can put a colored "gel sheet/filter" behind your dash, so when the stock lights shine through it, your gauges are a different color. Thanks for the pics of your dash though, I wish I could get mine to look like that. :)

scaper27
05-08-2008, 07:05 PM
i did all my interior lights on my 03, but not the gauge lihghts yet. I use superbrightled.com for everything

Empire01
05-08-2008, 07:29 PM
i did all my interior lights on my 03, but not the gauge lihghts yet. I use superbrightled.com for everything

On a scale from 1 - 10 how difficult do you think it was to do. And how long did it take you? Thanks for the info.

scaper27
05-08-2008, 11:01 PM
The regular interior lights and door panel lights, maybe 10 minutes to change all of them. I think it 4 194 bulbs in the doors, two 194 in the maps, 3 4114 festton bulbs in the rear interior light, and two 194 in the license plates. I still have a couple more under the dash to get to.

Empire01
05-09-2008, 07:05 AM
The regular interior lights and door panel lights, maybe 10 minutes to change all of them. I think it 4 194 bulbs in the doors, two 194 in the maps, 3 4114 festton bulbs in the rear interior light, and two 194 in the license plates. I still have a couple more under the dash to get to.

Oh, so you havent done any of the difficult lights yet. like the ones in the AC controls and under the window controls. Can you post some pictures of the interior of your truck at night? I'm curious to see how it looks, i might not even mess with the difficult lights. Thanks!

scaper27
05-09-2008, 07:46 AM
I didn't get to the difficult ones yet. I am not a patient person and probably would break something to get those done

Nick Z71
05-09-2008, 09:56 AM
Hey Empire, search georgiaboy11's truck. His picture in his sig has his truck at night with blue led's in them like what scraper did.

Empire01
05-09-2008, 04:04 PM
Hey Empire, search georgiaboy11's truck. His picture in his sig has his truck at night with blue led's in them like what scraper did.

Thank you sir.

Nick Z71
05-09-2008, 04:05 PM
no problem

Empire01
05-09-2008, 05:30 PM
The regular interior lights and door panel lights, maybe 10 minutes to change all of them. I think it 4 194 bulbs in the doors, two 194 in the maps, 3 4114 festton bulbs in the rear interior light, and two 194 in the license plates. I still have a couple more under the dash to get to.

Exactly which LED's did you use, i am on this page: http://www.superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.html
and i see a lot of "194" LED's i'm not sure which ones to get. Do you like the ones that you have, which ones do you recommend. Thanks!

scaper27
05-09-2008, 05:38 PM
W-ledx5 in cool white. very happy with it. i will try and take pics later.


tried to do pics but it reflects too much, can't get the effect with a camera. it is a pure white look compared to original yellow looking interior lights

way2fast600rr
05-09-2008, 06:21 PM
I wanted to do this to my nbs also.... for a fact they are sodered to the board go here I posted some pics.... Its about half way down the page.
http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forums/general-discussion/tech-articles2/152349-99-02-gauge-led-upgrade-instructions-5.html

Empire01
05-09-2008, 06:54 PM
W-ledx5 in cool white. very happy with it. i will try and take pics later.


tried to do pics but it reflects too much, can't get the effect with a camera. it is a pure white look compared to original yellow looking interior lights

Thanks, I found the 194's now i am looking for the festoon LED's but I can't seem to find the "3 4114 festoon bulbs" that you listed. Sorry about asking so many questions, i just dont want to mess up. Thanks again.

scaper27
05-09-2008, 08:41 PM
4410 is the right number. i don't know where i got 4114. sorry