Nissan 370Z Forum - Install: Illuminating Kickplates and LED Change

What's up, everyone! A little while ago I finally was able to finish this project that took me around three months to do. Balancing both work and grad school full time consumed most of my time. Anyway, I had installed a pair of illuminating kickplates and also had switched out the LEDs from an amber color to a bright blue. There are existing DIY articles on this so I wanted to only highlight my experience while doing this and provide a lot of reference pictures. Pics can be extremely helpful!

The tools I had are (but may not be all pictured):

Soldering Iron
Solder
Razor Box Cutter
Razors
Clear Adhesive Silicon
Small Flathead
UT-672NB 0805 Super Blue SMD from » LED Light Bulbs, LED Lamps
Small Pliers
9 Volt Battery (other batteries would do as well) and electrical wires
Old newspapers or fliers to perform the work on

Here goes the pictures and be sure to see this thread in its entirety:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4432.jpg
The new kickplates all laid out.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4434.jpg
The items that I used. I got the clear silicon from Home Depot. The tools are actually what I use for building and repairing computers.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4435.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4436.jpg
Getting ready to take it apart.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4437.jpg
I'm starting to take the first of the adhesives on back off starting with the power wire.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4439.jpg
I'm starting to slowly separate the aluminum finish from the plastic. I used the small pliers to pull back the little, silver tabs.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4445.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4442.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4443.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4444.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4497.jpg
I continue to VERY slowly perform the separation. I used a combination of a very small flat-head and a razor blade. I would leave the plastic cover on the aluminum.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4447.jpg
Separation completed.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4499.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4500.jpg
You have to remove this tape by peeling it off to get to the LED assembly.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4502.jpg
Exposed LED assembly.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4510.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4449.jpg
Now I'm taking the LED assembly off, which is right under the "Z" design. I had to use the box cutter to slowly cut away the white, silicon adhesive.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4450.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4456.jpg
The LED assembly has a metal backing so I used the box cutter to slowly cut that away and pull it apart. I was cutting away at the white, silicon adhesive.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4458.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4512.jpg
Removal of the metal backing completed.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4460.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4516.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4525.jpg
The LED boards.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4465.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4534.jpg
The new, blue LEDs.

From this point, I pretty much followed Cjanik's thread when it came to identifying the LEDs that needed to solder: http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...or-change.html. I HIGHLY recommend reading through this thread because it touches on several questions especially when it came down to performing the soldering itself. Therefore, I didn't list any info on the soldering.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4493.jpg
The original kickplates illuminating. I connected the electrical wires to the battery with tape and touched the connectors on the kickplates to make sure they would lit.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4487.jpg
Now the modified kickplates with the blue LEDs.

I would have to say, this was one of the tougher tasks I've ever taken on! But I'm only speaking of soldering the LEDs! Everything else is super easy. Fortunately the LEDs I bought were a tad bigger so that made it a little easier, I think. Please keep in mind that I had the standard, run of the mill soldering iron from the store, not the smaller, maybe even more precise size that would have made soldering of the LEDs much easier. So it is possible to use what I use, it just may require extra patience! But I would highly recommend getting or borrowing a smaller version and it would bring down the difficulty much more. In addition, be careful to not burn the LED board when soldering.

The reassembly is literally backward of everything you did to take it apart. Any of the places that you had to cut or remove the white silicon, just add the clear silicon! BUT before you do, be sure to remove as much of the original, white silicon. I'm really trying to explain that it really isn't too much involved at all to this aside from the LED soldering as mentioned above.

Just be patient and you'll do just fine! :tup:

Here is the final result:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...s/IMG_4551.jpg

I took the liberty to scan in the Nissan instructions on how to install the kickplates for your convenience:

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img007.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img008.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img009.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img010.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img011.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img012.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img013.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img014.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img015.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img016.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img017.jpg
http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...tes/img018.jpg

If you have any questions, please post them and I'll do my best to answer them and others may be able to as well. Thank you for reading and please rep me if it helped you! :tiphat: