Power LED connector doesn't fit motherboard

VintalageVintalage Maryland
edited July 2003 in Hardware
I have an ECS K7S5A motherboard and the leads for the power led connector isn't designed for the way my case's led connector was shipped. Is there any way to modify the led connector? I have attached a pic below. Notice how the wires are at the edges. The connector has 3 holes, but 2 are being used. The one in the middle is left unused. Can I move one of the connectors to the middle?

pc%20powerled.jpg

Comments

  • EQuitoEQuito SoCal, USA
    edited July 2003
    It's kind of hard to remove those pins without breaking them.
    What do I do? I use a sharp scissor or exacto knife to cut the connector in half and then shave the excess plastic on each half to make it look like a single one so they'll fit properly.
  • VintalageVintalage Maryland
    edited July 2003
    That sounds difficult. What do I use to shave the excess plastic?
  • stoopidstoopid Albany, NY New
    edited July 2003
    Originally posted by Vintalage
    That sounds difficult. What do I use to shave the excess plastic?

    anything... a file, course sand paper, dremel bit, and exacto knife... etc

    Just don't cut the wire and you'll be fine.
  • mr-FUmr-FU
    edited July 2003
    NO you don't hafta do that!!
    take a thin item, yet stiff, like a needle, and hold the connector, the side with the 3 plastic flaps in front of you, pry the flap of the wire you want to move, untill it is bent to a 90 angle. now, you can simply pull the wire out, and push it into the middle hole.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    I have done several of these and it is easier than you think. On the side opposite the writing on the plug are the little tabs that hold the leads in the plug so all you need to do is use and exacto knofe to lift up the tab on where the green wire is and pull the wire out and push it into the center hole till it snaps in place.
  • mr-FUmr-FU
    edited July 2003
    ermm..isn't that what i said? o_O
  • CoasterCoaster
    edited July 2003
    :) I think you pretty much posted at the same time there :)
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    My mate had the same problem and same mobo, I just used some scisors to cut the plastic connector in half.

    NS
  • EQuitoEQuito SoCal, USA
    edited July 2003
    mr.FU's trick will only work if there is enough room next to it.
    Sometimes, next to the PWR LED there is something else so you cannot use a 3 wire connector.
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited July 2003
    Um... So,move connector, then trim off empty end that you now have-- flush side cutter, radio shack, to trim off extra if must. Xcelite\Cooper Tool Group makes some real nice ones (part 170M), use those instead sometimes. They also have a nice little pliers that is a semi-stubby needlenose (part 378M). Home Depot has those two as a set sometimes, at least in my area. If you do a lot of system work they are almost must-haves, along with a bent paperclip or three.
  • NixxerNixxer Nottingham, UK
    edited July 2003
    I have the same mobo, and a case which gives me the same problem. I did what was said above. Used a needle to lift the tab and then slid one of the wires out. Then I just put it into the middle slot. Works fine, and keeps everything intact. The now empty slot should be hanging over where there are no pins, like mine is.

    A little tip for keeping all the headers in the same position is to fit them, then use a securey tie thing around them as close to the plastic as possible. This makes it easier when installing a new mobo, or if you ever take them out.
  • ZuntarZuntar North Carolina Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    mtgoat's and mr.FU's suggestions are the best way to go if you have room for the extra pin like Nixxer said he does.

    OR

    You can snag any two pin connector from an old PC or a friends old PC and swap the three for the two.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Or you can cut the connector in half, that way it fits no matter what connector the next mobo has or if they are at seperate ends of the section.....

    NS
  • mr-FUmr-FU
    edited July 2003
    i know for sure it will work because i've done it with that mobo like 4 times for friends taht i've built computers for
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited July 2003
    Works that way on almost any board. Your idea is good. Have had boards where had to trim off end, and have even cut right through middle, trimmed jaggies with flush nipper, put polyolefin milspec heat shrink around the one I cut one plastic insulating side off the first time I did that, and that all works nice.

    Technically the black connector surrounding is not required if you have some 1\8" or 3\16" milspec heatshrink tube from Home Depot around and a cigarette lighter. I suppose you could even take some 1\4 heatshrink and join the two, but usually do not bother. Knowing that fix should help if one does botch the cut in any way and wants a nice neat look.

    For my own machines I do not bother making it super neat(just safe and efficient air flow), for others who have windowed boxes all is hyper-tidy.
    Even my 3M electrical tape keeps wanting to unravel a bit, so I use heatshrink tube.

    John Danielson.
  • OldDogOldDog Whittier,Ca.
    edited July 2003
    Hey, two words - electronics store! Well stocked electronics stores sell those little buggers, and they don't even cost very much. If the three pin is too large you can simply insert the same pins into a two pin housing.I got tired of fighting with that sort of thing and bought an assortment of plugs and connectors and pins. Much less of an investment than you'd expect and a great time saver. Anytime a computer in my neighborhood goes to that great computer Valhalla it leaves with no plags of any type in it! The pins are cheap.
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited July 2003
    Like mr.FU and myself said (yes, we posted at the same time) by simply moving the one wire to the middle hole and pluging it in is simple and the extra pert of the plug just hangs in empty space to the side of the mobo like Nixxer posted. The BIG advantage of just moving the pin is that when you change to another 3 pin header mobo all you need to do is move it back and it's all cool.:D
  • AgeekAgeek
    edited July 2003
    I get pins from JameCo. And do not worry about housing at all with housing cheap as they are and crimp connects as easy as they are to get and with the fact that two separate heatshrinked wires can go as needed. Replacing housing neatest, trimming next neatest, leaving alone so long as the right polarity is maintained when you switch a wire is fine.

    John Danielson.
  • OldDogOldDog Whittier,Ca.
    edited July 2003
    OK guys you're right. All of the above methods will work but we who wire things for a living can't stand it when we have to do anything without using the right parts except temporarily to try things out. Seriously though, if you just keep an eye out on trash day you can have enough plugs on hand to switch back and forth all you want. Only takes a minute to pop open a case and cut off all plugs! I've accumulated enough that all I ever buy now is pins on those rare occasions that I run out
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