LED power window switch mod 00-02 Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban

I did this mod on my 2001 Suburban, but all 00-02 Tahoes and Yukons have the same door switches, so this write up should apply to all those models. 03 on up have different switches, they have tiny SMT LEDs in them from the factory.
I like the look of Blue LED's so I decided to replace all the backlighting on all my interior switches and guages. I decided to start with the window and door lock switches on the doors.

I started off by purchasing some 5mm blue LED's along with the resistors needed for them from www.oznium.com


Then I removed the drivers side switch from the truck. To open up the switch, you have to remove all the buttons. I used a small screwdriver to pop them off. Be careful, they are only held on by two lil plastic tabs on each switch. Its one lil tab on each side, so pry under the side right where the switch pivots.




Now with all of them removed...


You can now pry the switch open. Just work your way around the switch, undoing the tabs.


Now you have the switch open to work on it.



You'll see some clear plastic light diffusers surrounding the stock bulbs, these will have to be removed. If you leave these in place ans just swap an LED in place of the stock bulb, it will look like crap. For even light coverage on every switch, I hot glued an led into each switch.

Just carefully pry up at the bottom parts where it srround the bulb.

These will not be reused.
Now you will need to find the hot and ground for the lights, which I've already done for you. The ground is the far left outer row, the hot is the far right outer row.


This is where you will solder your hot and ground leads for the LED's.




For each led, you will need to solder a hot and a ground wire to it, and solder a resistor into the hot wire. (unless you chosse to skip this step and pay the extra $$ for prewired LED's)




Heres all the LED's wired up and ready to go, with heat shrink tubing over all the solder joints.

Now you can glue each LED in place as close to the center of each switch as you can. For the lock swich button, I used two LED's to get better light coverag on the switch. Also used two for the WindowLock button. I cut the two clear "legs" off the window lock button and hot glued and LED on each side firing light up into the switch.


And heres the window switches with the LED's....

Now once you get all the LED's glued in place, test each one before you solder tham all together. Then once you are sure they are all working, solder all your hots and ground together and cover them with heat shrink tubing.


Now tuck all the loose wires out of the way and glue them down if you have to. Make sure you have enough slack at the top of each wire where it connects to the LED so the switch can pivot freely.
Put everything back together in reverse steps from how you took it all apart. Heres some shots of the end result.


And with the switch mounted back on the door.




And heres the passenger side switch in action...



This mod looks GREAT at night, and even during the day.

Also, I skipped a step. I removed the stock bulbs by cutting the off with a small pair of cutters. Be careful making sure that no solder or wire is touching each other after you remove it.
If your stock bulb is burnt out, you can just choose to leave it there if you want to.

I'll also do these for other members for some cash. Just mail me your switches. PM me.

wow beautiful! i would mail you mine =/ but i need them
how much would this run?

I'm sure I could do this myself but I probably wouldn't have the time to, what are you asking for this on all 4 doors?

How much to do this for a 2005?

Huck said:

How much to do this for a 2005?

Click to expand...

PM me.

I tried sending you a Pm but it wont go through because i havent posted enough. but send me a message saying how much you would charge me to do all four of my switch panel for a 2001 tahoe.

would you be interested in doing one on a 06 yukon I will bring it to you i am in NE Oklahoma but go to the LA area once a month