Change your Dell xps 15 L502x Backlit keyboard color!

Hi guys ,this thread is to show how to change the lights on your keyboard of the dell xps 15 L502x, i think it should be aplicable to L702x as well.

Try this as your own risk!
OK first off the tools you need:-
Colored film (transparent)
A screwdriver
Courage!LOL!

1) ok first off flip your laptop and remove battery
Then remove the screw using a screwdriver! D: sry i didnt have one



Now,push the 2 clips/holders or watever..



This will raise the plamrest..now with something flat or with ur fingers ,gently pull up from left to right..


Gently now..



Okay,so after ur one with that, be really careful lift the palmrest and keep it in the position like in the one below



Now to detach keyboard ,push the two clipers as highlighted


After that, Keep the keyboard in this position



And disconnect cables (careful) aslo the backlit cable


Remove/pull the cover at the back (not completely!!!)
Just a little on the side so you can open the one inside



Then remove the second layer ..yes there are dots on it (the leds)
be carefull not to break it or dont bend it too much..



Use some colored transparent film



Place them on ,below the second layer ,like this
U can have them as the way u like



Place it back..place everthing back it place ..



And this is the final result !!



This is a video of it
Dell xps 15 Backlit Customised :3 - YouTube
If you like it Thumbs up! if u dont Thumbs Up!

 

OMG THANK YOU!!! Yes!

 

glad to help you!

 

Do post some pictures of the final result

 

At first I thought it was a huge meh if you simply did it yourself and you did do it yourself but it turned out to be impressive! And creative too!

 

Nice mod! Creative too! - You could probably do the same for the power button, not so sure about the touch sensitive buttons.

But I can't see the pictures EDIT: some

 

Thx .. and yes u can do it for the touch sensitive buttons as well and for the power button although i like it white
but m not too sure if those arts get really hot it could melt or discolor the film (power button n touch sensitive )

 

This looks really dope. I might do this when I get a backlit keyboard.

 

Thanks well..Goodluck!!

 

I applaud your creativity !

 

Thanks man!

 

I would imagine that this would apply to the L702X too. I've been wanting to clean my backlit keyboard but I never got around to messing with the film and layers.

Edit: I skimmed through your post and did not see the "applicable" part, apologies! I was quite enthusiastic about replying to this thread =)

 

Yeah the keyboard part will be the same thing but i u suggest u look at dell's site on how to open ur keyboard other than that probly the same method for the keyboard! GL! would love to see some pics of the xps 17

 

Very nice and unique, but a bit too colorful for me. Hats off, and great job!

 

Thanks man ..Haha u can make it less colorful

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the finish to my backlit keyboard, for the xps 17 users beware that the right side of the bevel is held together by screws, I forgot about this and faced 30 minutes of frustration and ended up bending part of my bezel, however it is not too noticeable.

XPS 17 Colored Backlit Keyboard - Imgur

 

Any pics? XPS 17 here and find the white very boring...

 

Look at my post right above yours...

 

Looks really nice! Big up!

 

thx for the pics it looks similar to mine haha @ the_azn_devil!

 

oh yea 1 more thing ... there's a flexable metal stript behind the keyboard which gets pretty hot and can literary wipe / discolor your plastic flim ...try putting some paper behind it :O :"D

 

awesome mod!
loving it ^^

I wish I had a backlit keyboard to try this, but I cant find any online store with spanish backlit keyboard for my l502x, the ones I found have no stock

 

hmm m not sure abt spannish stores but here is a nice place to buy one :-http://www.laptopskeyboard.com/dell-xps-keyboard/4963-replacement-for-dell-xps-15-l502x-keyboard-backlight.html i bought mine here too and its dosnt cost too much ..n they ship international

GL

 

thanks for the link limanochet

well, I dont care if it is a spanish store or not, I can buy on any place, I dont mind if it is a asian site or whatever.

I just want the Ñ at the keyboard

I noticed the keyboard from that site is an US keyboard.

I will keep looking for it.

thanks anyway ^^

and again, loving your mod ^^

 

ah u wanted the spanish one D: sry abt it .. and m glad u love it

 

I sense another possible mod!:

It might be possible to use the back-lighting components from a standard US-EN keyboard and place them in your Spanish keyboard.
So long as the letterings on your keys are laser etched and aren't stickers or painted on.

EDIT:

The white back cover which contains the LED backlights (as seen being partially removed in the first post) can be replaced entirely.

You just need to remove the black tape holding the data cable - then carefully unpeel the data cable from the white back cover.

I found it easier to do if you heated the data cable and the glue holding it under a lightbulb for about 5 seconds.

However this all depends on that your keys are semi-transparent and the non-backlit keyboard is configured in a similar manner!

 

that is the problem, the non backlite spanish keyboard I am using at the moment doesnt have transparent keys, some people complained about the backlit keyboard was not visible on day whith lights off for that reason.

here you also have a pic comparing both keyboards (normal top, backlit bot)



the image is from a spanish topic talking about keyboard replacement

Manual: Montar teclado retroiluminado (backlit) en tu dell XPS 15 (L502x)

I checked the whole topic, but the links of the guide had no keyboads stock.

 

@ capitankasar .. True the non backlit version ,keys arent transparent so the light wont pass through them..also i thk there is a white layer in the backlit version to hold the LED sheet --Why not try callign dell?

 

@limanochet
yeah, that is the point.

well, I will call dell, however I doubt it will be cheap, since they will send a technician to take appart my laptop (and I preffer to save the money and do it by myself), I just need the keyboard.
I will ask them anyway.

if I got the backlit keyboard I think I will try a mod like yours, but different.

similar to alienware laptops.

for example, the whole laptop keys will be red color.
except:

w s a d keys will be blue (as gamer I will love that )

escape,space,intro shift, del, shift and tab will be green.
and F1 to F12 will be yellow ^^

 

ok, I called dell today, and they told me it is not posible to updgreade a normal keyboard to a backlit keyboard using their services.

so the only chance I have to get a backlit keyboard is using online stores >.<

 

Sorry to here the mod won't work

But it does make sence, because turning off the backlight can make the laser-etched keys difficult to see

Dell be damned!


PS I like your idea for the Alienware themed lighting

 

yeah, I may have to get a US keyboard if the spanish ones still no stock >.<

hehe glad you liked my idea

 

ok, update, dell called me today.

it was the same person who talked with me the another day.

she said she talked with the tch guys and that is posible to upgreade to the backlit keyboard.

it was interesting since she gave me two options:

* part + installation by a technician (200€
* part only (74,14€

the bad news is that it seems that they have ONLY the US keyboard avalible.

it seems like it is imposible to get a spanish backlit keyboard, all of them seemed to be sold out, and I also cant find them via online stores.

so I have two options, try getting the spanish keyboard used, or try getting the US keyboard.


I am more about getting the US one.

relating your link, I noticed the total cost is $50.78 ( 39.03€

and 39.03€ is way better than the one dell offer to me 74,14€.

I think Ill use your link then

cant wait to customize the keyboard with the gamming style modding I mentionated before

 

Sry u couldnt get the spanish version and OMG 74euros is alot fo that
Nwys i guse u decide to get the us backlit bersion

 

Is it safe to put paper in there?

 

well.. basically its not paper but plastic flims and so far my lappy seems fine ,its dosnt melt or anything

 

awesome work

 

Nice job. I dont have the backlit keyboard. I'm getting one ,can you post a pic of the backlit cable and where it plugs in? Thanks