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illuminate the joystick shifter?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by windstrings, Sep 2, 2009.

  1. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I'm still trying to figure out a way to "illuminate" the cool blue shifter....
    Maybe unscrew it and put some glow paint on the inside and screw it back down?...... If light could make it to the glow paint, it would give a soft blue glow in the dark!

    Any better ideas?
     
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  2. harajuka

    harajuka New Member

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    maybe remove and drill a hole and put a led underneath?
     
  3. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Why not put an LED in the roof console near the interior lights to shine down on the gear selector?
    :confused:
     
  4. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    LOL!... you a funny boy! ... where you come up with that idea?

    Mine already has that... the design and colors in the shifter are actually very nice.. if we could just now illuminate it, it would be rad.

    Putting an led in its place may work if you could find a small enough insert, but it would quickly drain the battery as it would run 24/7.

    I'm going to see if I can easily unscrew it.. if so, I have glowpaint and glowpowder that should do the trick.
     
  5. a64pilot

    a64pilot Active Member

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    Well you could tap into switched power for the LED, I would tap into the dash lights so it would only be on when the headlights were on. What I think will be your problem is getting a soft even illumination as opposed to a bright spot right at the LED. I would purchase a shifter knob to play with until you get what you like, then install it in the car.
    Be sure to take pictures, sounds like a neat mod:cool:
     
  6. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Yea, I don't know if a wire could be fed down joystick knob and lead anywhere you could actually access or not. The glowpaint or powder fix would "reilluminate" everytime the interior car lights came on......
     
  7. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Take pictures and post please.
     
  8. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    I'm at work so I can't play with it now, but I took my joystick shifter off and looked up inside and its indeed hollow and when looking to the side on the top, it appears there is allot room for a product to be poured inside.

    I may use glow powder so its reversible until I know for sure... I may put epoxy in with glowpowder once I'm done, I don't know if paint would dry... or I may just leave the powder... we'll have to experiment.

    Btw... the steel rod is solid.. so no running wires inside... too tacky to run them outside IMO

    [​IMG]
     
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  9. mgb4tim

    mgb4tim Noob

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    how does it attach? screw on like an old shift knob?
     
  10. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    exactly... the shaft is threaded.. it unscrews pretty easy.
    I suppose you could replace it with something crazy if you wanted.. but it wouldn't have the B mode on it, nor do I remember any that have the configuration pattern we do..... it would be fun to custom make something... but I really like the stock one if I can get it to glow a bit.
     
  11. mgb4tim

    mgb4tim Noob

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    I used to have a beer tap handle in my old MGB :D
     
  12. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    Here is another idea.. tritium sticks!.. the glow continuous only losing 1/2 thier brightness every 12 years... if one could stick some of those inside?
     
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  13. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Hmm, how much room would you say is between the top of the shaft and hole into the knob? Say enough room for an LED with a light sensor connected to 2 watch batteries?
     
  14. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    I suspect the shaft is probably grounded and if so, you would only need one wire to an LED. You can get really thin wire that would work with an LED running down the front of the shaft (hardly noticeable). I think I might just try this...
     
  15. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    True, a thin wire may not be noticable... if someone does that mod or figures it out.. let me know... I don't intend to try that one just yet if the other works well.

    As far as the watch batteries... I would have to remeasure.. but the shaft is pretty small.. I think smaller than the diameter of watch batteries.. but close.

    From the top of the shaft to where the hole starts... or another way of putting it is that there is approx 1/2 inch of threads on the shaft.

    But I think I see a pretty good hollow space inside that would hold glowpowder quite well.. I'll try that first.

    I only want a soft glow... nothing bright that would kill night vision.
     
  16. marshac

    marshac New Member

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    I like the glow paint idea, although with a twist. If you applied the glow paint to the inside of the shifter, and then replaced the roof-mounted LED with a UV LED, you could have a cool fluorescent glow effect.
     
  17. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    a thin wire and heat shrink around the shaft.
    Looks like a good flat area next to the hole for the shaft to insert an LED.
    You wont need a big LED, you don't want it too bright, just a glow I suspect.

    How about a 6 speed gear knob? You can remember the actual shift pattern.

    I had a flashing LED run for over a week on a small 9 volt battery like you use in a small portable radio so I doubt an LED would draw so much as to flatten the battery of the Prius in under a month or 3.
     
  18. radioprius1

    radioprius1 Climate Conspirisist

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    I would want a very, very low glow in the shift knob. Just barely glowing. I was actually surprised it didn't glow the first time I was in the vehicle at night.
     
  19. windstrings

    windstrings Certified Prius Breeder

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    By going UV.. I suppose you would lose the normal ambiance to the rest of the center console "which I like"... or you you still have a glow... like a black light of sorts?... that could be trippy!
     
  20. SlowTurd

    SlowTurd I LIKE PRIUS'S

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    look around. you can find all sorts of tacky led shift knobs


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