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Old 06-12-2004, 12:34 AM   #1
WR^2X
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Default For everyone wanting to change the HVAC colors on the '05 STi

It won't be easy.

I disassembled the unit tonight and found the following:
1) It does not use bulbs with colored condoms like the '04. Each dial uses 3 small LEDS that light up a pure white to illuminate the dial and one smaller LED that lights up orange to illuminate the position indicator.
2) The dial gets its color from an entire green cover that appears to be green throughout, not a film on it. This is (as far as I can tell) permanently attached to the face of the dial.

Sorry about the size of the pics, I don't have an image editing program. I didn't take a look at the radio because I am going to change that out to an aftermarket unit anyway, but I certainly am not going to take the time and effort to try to do the HVAC dials.

Disassembled dial:


Closeup:


Closeup:


Film:


Back of dial:
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Old 06-12-2004, 10:55 AM   #2
JIN
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If you dare, you can try sanding / filing the green off like what we did with the I/C, fog light cover buttons.

Jin
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Old 06-12-2004, 12:09 PM   #3
jac04
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WR^2X-

A few questions while you have the assembly apart. Does the A/C automatically come on when you select the front defroster? If so, does it look like there is a way to override this? I'm trading my 04 WRX for a 05. On the 04, you just disconnected a microswitch to keep the A/C from coming on in defrost mode. This set up looks a little more complicated, but I want to do the same thing to the 05.

Thanks in advance for any input.
-Jeff
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Old 06-12-2004, 01:09 PM   #4
WR^2X
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Quote:
Originally posted by JIN
If you dare, you can try sanding / filing the green off like what we did with the I/C, fog light cover buttons.

Jin

I have not taken those out yet and looked at them, but I am almost positive that this plastic is green all the way through. I tried sanding one of the side snaps and it remained green.
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Old 06-12-2004, 01:11 PM   #5
WR^2X
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Quote:
Originally posted by jac04
WR^2X-

A few questions while you have the assembly apart. Does the A/C automatically come on when you select the front defroster? If so, does it look like there is a way to override this? I'm trading my 04 WRX for a 05. On the 04, you just disconnected a microswitch to keep the A/C from coming on in defrost mode. This set up looks a little more complicated, but I want to do the same thing to the 05.

Thanks in advance for any input.
-Jeff
Yes, the A/C automatically comes on when you select the front defroster. I didn't see any switches or anything in the dials, and they all look exactly the same components-wise. Do you have a link to that mod so I can see what was required in the '04 models?
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Old 06-12-2004, 02:17 PM   #6
WR^2X
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Well just for ****s and giggles I took apart the head unit to see if you could change the colors on that. Luckily the HU still uses regular bulbs with condoms on them... For the buttons and dials! The display is a regular LCD that lights up white and shines through the green plastic. So it would be easy to change everything BUT the display to red. It takes 7 condoms which seemed to be somewhere between the .2" and .12" sizes.
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Old 06-12-2004, 04:27 PM   #7
jac04
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Quote:
Originally posted by WR^2X
Yes, the A/C automatically comes on when you select the front defroster. I didn't see any switches or anything in the dials, and they all look exactly the same components-wise. Do you have a link to that mod so I can see what was required in the '04 models?
For the 04 models, there is a microswitch that is physically switched by a lobe on the back of the selector knob. It is a very simple set-up and it was very easy to remove the microswitch. Once I get the 05, I will see about figuring out how the A/C is triggered from the selector knob.

Thanks for the info.
-Jeff
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Old 07-30-2004, 08:01 PM   #8
SLDWYS
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Aren't these knobs borrowed from a different car? If so, what color are they?


If not, there's gotta be a way to change the color.


If you painted blue on it you'd get a blue-green color, Right? Kinda Aquaish.

Last edited by SLDWYS; 08-01-2004 at 10:43 PM.
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Old 08-05-2004, 08:21 AM   #9
SLDWYS
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*Bump*?
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Old 08-05-2004, 12:36 PM   #10
WR^2X
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Sorry, for some reason I was not receiving email messages about responses to this post...

Yes, they are borrowed from the new Saabaru... They are green/orange in that car as well.
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Old 08-05-2004, 02:21 PM   #11
SLDWYS
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And we're not finding any way to get those colored? the Green/orange doesn't pump me like the 04 STi, but I'd like to get the new Yaw, and wider wheels.
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Old 08-05-2004, 02:30 PM   #12
WR^2X
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As far as I can tell, there's no way to change the color. You can try desoldering the LEDs and soldering in new, colored ones, but you will still have to shine them through the colored plastic. The plastic seems to be green throughout. There's also the glass paint approach, but I don't see that making enough of a difference to be worth it.

I'm just going to get a red aftermarket HU, and deal with having the whole interior red except for the HVAC controls.
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Old 08-05-2004, 04:40 PM   #13
SLDWYS
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Ugh, that sucks. You said the HVAC controls on the SAABARU are orange? If so, then we can paint the orange darker and it'd be red.
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Old 08-05-2004, 05:20 PM   #14
WR^2X
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Well the knob position indicator, and the push-for-on features (A/C, recirc, and rear defroster) are orange... The symbols on the dials are green.
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Old 08-08-2004, 09:56 PM   #15
SLDWYS
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Does anyone have a side profile of that green piece? I'm THINKING about things, and want to make this work.
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Old 08-08-2004, 10:22 PM   #16
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Not I... The pictures I posted as a start to this thread are the best I can do. Not going to take it all apart again!
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