[LESLIEx317537]

Info:
The 04/05 STi from the factory only has one window switch control that lights up. The driver side AUTO switch. Adding LED's behind the other switches and the door locks makes them light up. The passenger window controls do not have clear button icons, so they do not light up.
I saw this mod on a few Subaru forums, but most of them were not how I liked it so I made my own method up.
I'm not sure, but this may work on the 06's also if they don't have lights.

What you need:
1. Thin Wire. (I used a 40wire IDE cable from a old computer and pulled one strand off)
2. Soldering Iron.
3. Solder.
4. Electrical Tape.
5. 3 packs of Red LED's from Radio Shack Part# 276-330 (Comes in pairs)
6. 100 ohm resistor. (Able to handle 0.067 watts)
7. 5-min epoxy.

How-To:
You basically tap off of the harnesses 12 volt connection. This gets power when the key is in the On position, not the ACC position. The LED's go off when you press the window lock button also. The LED's are going to be wired in series with a 100ohm resistor because they require 1.8 to 2.4 volts and the car puts out 12 volts. That will enable each LED to draw 2 volts and have a very long lifetime. Here's a good website on wiring LED's if you need to know more. http://www.theledlight.com/ledcircuits.html

1. Take out the window control unit. Take off the three screws, and then pry under the tabs and pop the button top cover off.
2. Place electrical tape all over the top so you wont get any shorts.
3. Cut the electrical tape where the switches fit into the board holes.
4. You cut a small hole over the solder point for the ground which is the 3 hole from the right on the top in the row of solder joints. (Circled Brown)
5. You cut a small hole over the solder point for the 12 volt source which is the 4th solder joint from the right on the bottom row. (Circled Red)
6. Make a small dot where each LED will shine up into the top of the switch casing.
7. You wire the resistor from the 12 volt source to the anode of the first LED then the Cathode of that LED to the Anode of the next LED until you finish them all and the last LED to the ground solder joint.
8. Position and epoxy the LED's while you solder them. (I glued each one, then soldered it)
9. Plug into harness in car, cross fingers, and test.
10. Enjoy the new LED's.

[LESLIEx317537]

Cut the electrical tape where the switches go into the board.
Mark the spots where the LED's will shine up. The LED's have a 40 degree viewing angle which is pretty good to light up these switches. Just try to aim them directly up.

[LESLIEx317537]

You wanna start at the 12 volt solder joint (Circled Red) and connect the resistor, then one leg of the LED to the leg of the next LED. Remember LED's have + and - so you have to make sure you get the polarity correct or they will not light up. Then the last connection grounds out at the ground solder joint up top. (Circled Brown)

[LESLIEx317537]

Epoxy, wire, and solder the resistors and each LED into the correct positions.


Plug it into the harness and test it out.
If all LED's light up, then place the top back on and enjoy your new LED lights.

[OneWay]

This is a great write-up
it should be linked to a
HOW TO: DO A WRITE-UP.

[Nachos Libres]

Added, thanks for the info!

[Stryker]

Excellent How-To we also need the similar for the HVAC.

Congratulations for the work. This deserves a Sticky here.

[VSGTS14]

wow that looks like a better way than the way i did it (which i got from someone on nasioc)

all in all, as long as it works!

but yes, your way is definately a little more refined.

[Nachos Libres]

Originally Posted by Stryker

Excellent How-To we also need the similar for the HVAC.

Congratulations for the work. This deserves a Sticky here.

Already done.

[Insane06STi]

Very nice, this is something I can do.Thanks