Xbox360-Hacks.com / XBOX 360 controller led swap

redryno1221 · 0801.08 17:17:16

Over 1000 views Please C&C!!

This is a very easy tut that was made for anyone who wants to swap leds that wants to minimize the chances of messing up...

I am not responsible for anything you do to your controller but will help you if you need it (through this forum)...

Sorry for the crappy pics I have a really crappy camera.

Items you need:
Torx security allen wrench (find it on ebay(look up xbox screwdriver))
0603 Led
Solder
Soldering Iron (I used a 20 watt)
Small Pliers

Optional:
Helping Hands (or a magnifying glass)
Knife

1.)First get your controller that should look something like this...

2.)Now take out the battery and take out the obvious screws

3.)Then find the hidden screw found here...

4.)After that open the controller from the very tip of the handle (slowly)...

5.)And slowly pick it up towards the Left and Right triggers...

6.)Once uncovered you'll need to remove the rumble motors...

7.)Set the motors aside and hold the charging port and headset jack and wiggle it until the board comes off...

8.)Then set the cover aside and should look like this...

9.)Now remove the joystick grips...

10.)VERY CAREFULLY melt the solder on both sides of the led you are going to swap

11.)After a couple times put very little pressure on one side then the other until the led slowly comes off of the contacts...if you put too much pressure you will completely take the contact off...

12.)If you happen to do this you'll need to scrape the paint off the trace and solder the led on it...

Test it...swap the rest off the Leds and follow the directions backwards to put the control back together and enjoy!!!

Any questions, comments, and Help just post and I will try my best to help...

Here's a couple of my controllers...

Last edited by redryno1221 (0806.23 00:57:12)

dragon-x · 0801.09 06:52:37

Very nice TUT man!

redryno1221 · 0801.09 18:01:18

Thanx

iMotox · 0801.13 17:45:19

Nice tut, where do you suggest I get LEDs from?

redryno1221 · 0801.14 20:14:38

uniqueleds.com is a very great site for ordering leds from they have many to choose from (you'll need 0603 leds for the swap), cheap leds, and fast shipping!!!

dragon-x · 0801.16 02:07:04

redryno1221 wrote:
uniqueleds.com is a very great site for ordering leds from they have many to choose from (you'll need 0603 leds for the swap), cheap leds, and fast shipping!!!

http://www.unique-leds.com/

Last edited by dragon-x (0801.16 02:07:33)

Powerslave · 0801.16 08:52:36

Dude, those pictures are WAY to big at 1027x768, and take a while to load, at almost 1MB each. Not only that when Photobucket is experiencing load, it hangs the whole post up. This also happens with people that have images in their SIGs that are from Photobucket. Can you resize them (I use Lveiwer Pro) to at least 640x480, which will also takes the size of the file down to well under 100K (54.9k (56k on disc) for that last one), and I can still see what you're doing.

redryno1221 · 0801.16 16:41:20

dragon-x wrote:
redryno1221 wrote:
uniqueleds.com is a very great site for ordering leds from they have many to choose from (you'll need 0603 leds for the swap), cheap leds, and fast shipping!!!
http://www.unique-leds.com/

The links do the same thing but ok

powerslave wrote:
Dude, those pictures are WAY to big at 1027x768, and take a while to load, at almost 1MB each. Not only that when Photobucket is experiencing load, it hangs the whole post up. This also happens with people that have images in their SIGs that are from Photobucket. Can you resize them (I use Lveiwer Pro) to at least 640x480, which will also takes the size of the file down to well under 100K (54.9k (56k on disc) for that last one), and I can still see what you're doing.

I left them at full res so that you don't have to download and zoom in but I would be great if a mod could add "56k Warning" to the title....

dragon-x · 0801.16 17:12:27

redryno1221 wrote:
dragon-x wrote:
redryno1221 wrote:
uniqueleds.com is a very great site for ordering leds from they have many to choose from (you'll need 0603 leds for the swap), cheap leds, and fast shipping!!!
http://www.unique-leds.com/
The links do the same thing but ok

sorry mate........ but it doesn't work when clicking on it, u get "cannot display the web page" u should add the minus! - unless you've got some special DNS you're using!

redryno1221 · 0801.16 18:54:42

dragon-x wrote:
redryno1221 wrote:
dragon-x wrote:

http://www.unique-leds.com/
The links do the same thing but ok
sorry mate........ but it doesn't work when clicking on it, u get "cannot display the web page" u should add the minus! - unless you've got some special DNS you're using!

Both work fine for me but thanx for changing it anyway........ is the guy in your sig supposed to be a mouse???

dragon-x · 0801.17 13:47:19

redryno1221 wrote:
Both work fine for me but thanx for changing it anyway........ is the guy in your sig supposed to be a mouse???

hey! yip a mouse indeed

redryno1221 · 0801.17 21:59:11

dragon-x wrote:
redryno1221 wrote:
Both work fine for me but thanx for changing it anyway........ is the guy in your sig supposed to be a mouse???
hey! yip a mouse indeed

^is it from a game or a show or just a random pic???

dragon-x · 0801.18 09:02:37

redryno1221 wrote:
dragon-x wrote:
redryno1221 wrote:
Both work fine for me but thanx for changing it anyway........ is the guy in your sig supposed to be a mouse???
hey! yip a mouse indeed
^is it from a game or a show or just a random pic???

it's from one of the best cartoon shows ever created The Biker Mice from Mars check it out!

redryno1221 · 0801.18 17:14:37

Oh ok....never heard of it... maybe it has something to do with the fact that I was only 2 when it came out

Do any of the other 186 people that have seen this thread want to comment on my tut...

dragon-x · 0801.19 04:38:48

2 years old! LOL! yeah so i'm guessing that's the reason you've never heard of it

redryno1221 · 0801.29 21:38:33

Yup I was only two.....

Anyone need any help or have comments about my tut?!? 338 views and only 15 posts?!?!?

tallard87 · 0801.30 22:22:37

i many have missed it in the tutorial . .but what is the point of doing this? is it just to replace an LED? or would you be able to actually change the color of it, cuz if that's the case, i think a black controller with blue LEDs around that center button would look pretty cool.

redryno1221 · 0801.31 00:30:43

The point is to swap the green lights for whatever color you want (yes even blue)

Like this (sorry crappy quality)

tallard87 · 0802.02 12:55:59

hey, thats pretty bad-ass, man. looks like darth vader's controller if he were to ever play 360

redryno1221 · 0802.03 13:52:40

^yeah it does... i never thought of that.....anyway r u going to try the mod???

redryno1221 · 0804.10 18:21:33

Does anyone need any help.... [cough]**BUMP**[/cough]

shnargophagus · 0811.04 23:17:26

i thought your tutorial was very useful. I used it to swap the leds in three of my controllers, but my fourth controller is for my elite(which i just bought). I tried swapping the leds in that, but the first led i swapped hardly gave off any light at all. It was the bottom right led. I thought maybe that particular led was defective or something so i tried putting another one on instead. same problem. Just thought i'd ask before i go mess around with it again, cause i don't have the best soldering iron. I guess my question is what can i do to fix it?

shnargophagus · 0811.12 00:24:25

i guess this thread is pretty much dead...oh well i ask somebody else to see if they can help me.

r0b3rt03 · 0902.10 17:37:23

redryno1221 wrote:
Does anyone need any help.... [cough]**BUMP**[/cough]

Yes. I have done a couple of these so far and the last one I did I overheated and removed the contact completely. I tried to replace it by placing the iron on that spot and then touching the end of the iron with the solder with no success. The solder just runs up the iron and not onto the board. What can I do to replace the contact as the controller looks ridiculous with only 3 LED's.

Thanks

lilunwl · 0905.16 23:39:38

shnargophagus... Couple of things could be an issue. One is a very common issue. It could be that the leds you got are "diffused" which means the lens is clouded rather than clear. When you order the 0603's make sure to get "water clear" rather than diffused. Another thing which is fairly common is either low batteries or high voltage foward voltage requirement.Meaning the LED is calling for more volts than is available make sure that they are atleast a 2.4 forward voltage but definantly not above 3 volts required. The max volts can be more but not the minimum. And I do suggest making sure you are getting the 0603's also. Hope that helps you out.

r0b3rt03...... I have done this exact thing about a half a dozen times when I first started doing the LED swaps. I have done probably around 50 now so I know your feeling. But however I have some good news for you. It is most likely fixable. On the trace Scratch the coating off at the very end where the pad broke off so that you can see the copper on the actual trace. Then bathe the area with flux and get some solder on the iron you are using and lay the solder puddle that is on the iron down. Make sure the copper is showing where you scratched the trace and you should get enough solder to hopefully beable to get the led to reattach. It is a learning curve for sure If you need any further help let me know. I live in ohio if you need someone to help and you live anywhere close I can possibly help you. I do these for people just about every week along with RF so I have been there. Just keep at it and you will get it!!! Good luck!!!

Announcement

#1 0801.08 17:17:16

XBOX 360 controller led swap

#2 0801.09 06:52:37

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#3 0801.09 18:01:18

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#4 0801.13 17:45:19

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#5 0801.14 20:14:38

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#6 0801.16 02:07:04

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

redryno1221 wrote:

#7 0801.16 08:52:36

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#8 0801.16 16:41:20

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

dragon-x wrote:

redryno1221 wrote:

powerslave wrote:

#9 0801.16 17:12:27

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

redryno1221 wrote:

dragon-x wrote:

redryno1221 wrote:

#10 0801.16 18:54:42

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

dragon-x wrote:

redryno1221 wrote:

dragon-x wrote:

#11 0801.17 13:47:19

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

redryno1221 wrote:

#12 0801.17 21:59:11

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

dragon-x wrote:

redryno1221 wrote:

#13 0801.18 09:02:37

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

redryno1221 wrote:

dragon-x wrote:

redryno1221 wrote:

#14 0801.18 17:14:37

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#15 0801.19 04:38:48

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#16 0801.29 21:38:33

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#17 0801.30 22:22:37

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#18 0801.31 00:30:43

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#19 0802.02 12:55:59

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#20 0802.03 13:52:40

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#21 0804.10 18:21:33

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#22 0811.04 23:17:26

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#23 0811.12 00:24:25

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

#24 0902.10 17:37:23

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

redryno1221 wrote:

#25 0905.16 23:39:38

Re: XBOX 360 controller led swap

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