Honda ST1300 Section > "How To..." Instructions and Pics for Regular Maintenance Jobs specific to the ST1300...
ST1300 dash backlight upgrade using kit from LightenUpgrade
CallMeSteve:
Here is a link to the kit I purchased, using white LEDs.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/led-clock-upgrade-kit-lightenUPgrade-WHITE-HONDA-ST1300-pan-european/152335382541?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2648
The LEDs themselves are 3mm SMDs that you could theoretically buy a little cheaper from somewhere like RS, but if you get the kit you'll save yourself pouring over LED specs, and probably get them sooner too. Mark is super helpful, and his kit includes very good instructions, an ample supply of nice bright LEDs and also a replacement diffuser card. Just support Mark and buy the kit.
Mark has gone to considerable effort in putting together a very good set of instructions for the ST1300 (and has considerably refined his instructions over the last few years), so to protect his IP I have decided not to repeat it here. But what I will say is that getting the dash out is trivial. Remove the windscreen, then remove the black trim that sits under it (by gently sliding it up over the arms that hold the screen), then undo 6 bolts to get the dash out. From a standing start and with no advance knowledge, I had the circuit boards out in less than 90 minutes. Some have said that you need to pull off a heap of Tupperware to get the dash out. It's just not true.
While I'm not going to give a full step-by-step I will unload a few pointers at the circuit board level that might be helpful without making redundant the very good information provided with the kit.
Apart from the obvious Philips head driver and sockets for getting the dash out, you will need:
- A temperature-controlled soldering iron (about $70 from Jaycar). Do not use the simpler uncontrolled ones. They are fine for soldering wires but they will likely fry the LEDs with too much heat.
- Get a very fine tip to go with your iron because the LEDs are very small. I used a 0.5mm tip.
- A solder sucker or desoldering braid (also from Jaycar)
- A small desktop circuit board holder ($25 from Jaycar)
- A kitchen fork or some similar weapon to lever off the tacho and speedo needles.
- A pair of square-nosed pliers to bend back the metal tabs that hold the LCD module onto the PC board.
- Very fine tweezers for handling the SMD LEDs
- Circuit board cleaner or Isopropyl alcohol.
- Whatever optical accessories you need to give you clear vision at just a few inches. I tried using Ruth's illuminated magnifier, but I rejected it in favour of a simple set of +3 reading glasses.
- An anti-static mat and strap is not a bad idea. (Thanks Brock).
Brock has rightly pointed out the benefit of anti-static gear. Personally I can be a bit cavalier about this. In a dry indoor air-conditioned environment with carpet or vinyl flooring this is an absolute must, but I've always felt that a 'shed' environment - concrete floor with a bit of humidity, combined with some sort of absorbent material on the bench (cloth or paper), makes static buildup a non-issue. I'll leave you to decide.
Once you've got the dash out you will want to unplug the three connections shown below. Then you can remove the dial assembly and the smaller assembly containing the ST1300 logo. You don't need to remove the headlight leveller and the pushbuttons on the left.
The needles are a -very- tight press fit onto the respective shafts. To remove them without damaging the face you could use a flat card and a fork to pry the needle off the shaft.
Eventually you'll be down to the two circuit boards
Install the circuit board in the board holder. This will hold the board still while you are working. This process is fiddly enough without also having the board wobbling around.
The LEDs are tiny:
A note on soldering: Do not use an iron any hotter than is necessary to cleanly melt the solder. The white LEDs are quite easily damaged by overheating. I suggest using old-fashioned tin-lead solder rather than the newer lead-free solder just because it melts at a lower temperature. About 250 Celsius on the soldering iron seems to work well.
LEDs are polarity sensitive, and they will not work if you install them backwards. There is a little triangular notch in one corner which matches with a triangular mark on the board.
Ironically, the OEM orange LEDs are white, and the new white LEDs are yellow.
Here's a short video that shows how to go about replacing the LEDs. I'm not the world's tidiest solderer but you'll get the idea.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Posting/i-dKPmwcV/0/fe24f206/1920/New%20video_mp4-1920.mp4
Replace just one LED first as a test, and then plug the board into the bike to check that the new LED lights. The difference in brightness will be stunning. If that's OK you'll have the confidence to continue.
<edit 12-JAN-2021 8am: The following paragraph and image has been updated to reflect the comments made by Biggles regarding the red LEDs that light the speedo and tacho needles>
Note that the 35 LEDs to be replaced are all labelled on the board as 'YELLOW'. There are other LEDs of various colours that perform other functions - you don't want to touch these. I suggest that you do not remove and replace all 35 LEDs at once. Most of them are connected in pairs, in series (i.e. head-to-tail). This means that current flows first through one LED, and then through its mate. If either LED is faulty or incorrectly installed then both LEDs will fail to light, and it may be hard to figure out which of the two LEDs is the culprit. Therefore I suggest that you replace the RED circled LEDs first, then check that they all light, and then replace the BLUE circled LEDs. or the other way around - it doesn't matter whether you do the REDs or the BLUEs first. Then check again that all LEDs light.
You should remove the flux (the brown stuff) around the LEDs as it can have long-term effects if you leave it. You can do this with either proper circuit board cleaner for even just Isopropyl alcohol. Spray it on liberally, use a small toothbrush to lightly brush the area, and then a final good hefty squirt to rinse. Dab it dry or let it dry naturally.
Replace the orange diffuser filter with the new one supplied in the kit. Re-assemble the diffuser to the LCD panel and re-attach to the circuit board, twisting the metal tabs on the back to secure it in place. Plug the board back into the bike again and verify that the LCD displays correctly.
<edit 12-JAN-2021 8am: The photo below shows that I mistakenly replaced the red LEDs that light the speedo and tacho needles, but I'm not about to go back and fix that.>
Now you can start re-assembly in reverse order.
Once you have re-attached the black front panel with its 4 black screws you will reattach the tacho and speedo needles, and you want to make sure they are correctly aligned. One method is to power up the board, at which time the shafts will rotate to the zero position. Then very loosely position the needle so that it sits on the shaft and also sits up against the zero stop, and then push down to secure it on the shaft. Finally give each needle a spin to ensure that it rotates fully without fouling.
<edit 13-DEC-2020 2pm: this method resulted in the speedo and techo reading quite wrong. See my follow up post for the process I used to correct them>
The rest of the re-assembly should be trivial.
Enjoy your new dash. Here is it indoors:
And here it is in full afternoon sun:
Let me know if you spot anything that I should add or change.
Finally, for anyone in my general area I'm very happy to help with this.
Brock:
Its a good idea to use an antistatic wrist strap when soldering in the LEDs, connected to a grounding point on your Temp controlled iron. It will stop blowing any static sensitive devices on the board.
Now back to you regular program.
CallMeSteve:
The original post has been completed. Do let me know of anything I should change.
Biggles:
Looks doable for an average klutz like me. About how long to do the job? And how long did it take for the kit to arrive from the UK?
CallMeSteve:
90 mins to dismantle, a couple of hours to do the LED swap, 90 mins to reassemble, plus some stuff-around time. You could be done in a day. It was quicker and easier than I expected.
The kit is delivered via eBay’s global freight service and in my case arrived in 10 days.
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