audi49

I have to remove the instrument cluster... while I'm at it I want to upgrade all of the dash lights. I have a '88 base model.
Thinking LEDs for the actual instrument cluster. Incandescent elsewhere on the dash (I believe that helps with diming the 3 main lights in the cluster if I make those LED).
Anyway, either I don't have or the lights are burned out for the following. Should the following have lights / be lit? (Thanks)
Instrument cluster:
-coolant temperature warning light
-fuel reservoir indicator
-parking brake on light
Dash:
-AC switch
-sunroof switch
-side mirrors switch
-headlight switch
-window switches
-side vents

Aivar88

one option.

audi49

So i started this project today, necessary to fix my odometer.
It's clear what the 3 larger lights are that illuminate the face, and I have 14 smaller bulbs (1.2W) that illuminate various things with back-lighting.
However there are also 4 lights that are located between the back panel that has the circuit 'board' and the left and right gauges (low fuel, high temp, low oil pressure, low alternator charge).
See the bottom picture at the following link:
https://www.paragon-products.com/Bul...bulb-p/194.htm
It's not clear to me how to remove these two gauges in order to access these 4 lights. Is it by removing those diamond shaped pieces on the back side? thanks

DSMblue

You can upgrade to LED if you want, but you first should fix the light tunnels. I can tell from the pic that those have lost most of their original reflectivity. If you do that, you may find that the incadescent bulbs are still fine for the general illumination - and are certainly better balanced from a color spectrum perspective to the other lighting in the car relative to LED's

audi49

yes, that’s definitely in the plan. No acetone nail polisher remover and I have this silver metal tape that is quite shiny on the adhesive side that I plan to use.

Wisconsin Joe

There are a lot of similarities between the later 944 cluster and the 928 cluster. Not identical, but similar.

There's a REALLY good write up on this for the 928.
"Cluster Repair I & II" are what you want.

http://dwaynesgarage.norcal928.org/

And to answer the actual question you asked, there is a nut inside the 'black diamond' piece.

Remove that nut and pull the black diamond off.

screamin94Z

Don't do the LED's - my opinions:

1. Whiter light ruins your night vision. Not cool.
2. The color temperature doesn't match the rest of the dash. Very not cool.
3. Totally unnecessary once you repair the reflectors. I also used aluminum tape after they were clean and works great.
4. Dimmer function - not sure on this one but are any available mini LED bulbs dimmable? The PO had some installed in my car without fixing the reflectors and they were awful. Dimmer didn't work.

My suggestion: LL158 bulbs are 3.4W, 25% higher than stock. More than enough light output to let you see in the dark without blinding you. I don't have to turn the dimmer all the way up to see the gauges in the dark and they match the rest of the dash. Perfection

Perry 951

If whiter light compromised your vision, people with modern vehicles would be crashing all the time. The display panels used for instruments and center information displays are significantly brighter than any mod your going to do for a front lit gauge set.

LEDs when properly designed and positioned for front lit gauges can match the interior lighting just fine, and they are dimmable to a point with the rheostat and can be infinate with a PWM controller.

I'd use extreme caution in overwatting an incandescent bulb in this application. More than a few people have melted the housing due to the increase in heat.

screamin94Z

slow it down a bit, I'm not suggesting you will crash immediately if you install LED's or buy a modern car. Higher color temperature strains your eyes more, that's not opinion. I personally don't like the look of ultra-bright gauges and displays in modern cars, I always run mine on the dimmest setting and turn off the center screen when driving at night.

As for dimmed LED's, just a word of caution to the poster to make sure what you buy can be dimmed to save some potential headaches. I have had experience where they can't. Agreed on exercising caution in adding more heat to an incandescent bulb, however an increase of 25% won't affect temperature enough to melt anything.

Perry 951

So you're saying that the blue colors used in Honda and Ford vehicles for the last two decades or so are not as safe as VW that used red for even longer because the color temperatures are opposite and therefore cause more eye strain?

We're not flying stealth bombers in total darkness.

The amount of artificial light at night in all but the most remote areas washes out a lot of the interior lighting in most vehicles, especially on the factory gauges with a maximum of 21 lumens at the bulb face and far far less through even perfectly silvered light tunnels in VDO front illuminated clusters. Overwatting to compensate works but at the risk of added heat. The enclosure has next to no airflow and is sealed on 3 sides. As I said above, there have been more than a few people post about melted housings over the years.

For the OP (Audi49), if you want to do an LED 194 replacement, find ones that either illuminate 360 degrees or ones that you can swivel to adjust the light down into the reflector. SuperBrightLED.com has a good assortment.

FrenchToast

The word "safe" may be an overreach, but it is true the blue spectrum causes more strain than red in darkness. I believe it is one of the reasons taillights are red, but that may be coincidence/legend.

VDO, along with manufacturers, I think did studies on instrument lighting in the 90s. Could be remembering wrong.

That said, it has been proven that red spectrum is easier on the eyes in darkness. I believe it has to do with the bias of cones in the eye, but don't remember exactly. I don't know what wavelengths are ideal.

Perry 951

​​​​​I know I've read before that red was used for instruments in flight controls going back to the 50s and 60s as it had less impairment in very dark conditions, but that technology or requirement isn't really relevant in modern day automotive lighting. That's all I'm trying to get across. The color temperature is more a preference than anything in automotive design (and even in avionics as most modern aircraft use white lit display panels).

audi49

I had a B5 A4 from the late nineties. Back then the A4 had all-red dash lighting. I recall that most reviewers did not like it. I always thought it was cool and unique and liked it. Audi moved to white lighting for the B6 A4.

Perry 951

I had a 2002 B5 and didn't like the red that much either. My 2009 G8 is white and I find looks better and has less glare. It's really down to preference.

I color matched the LED reflector kits I make to the white/amber of the stock interiors and not the original cool white design of my early kits. I tested a number of colors back in 2002 and nobody liked blue, red, or green at that time. I say do what pleases you.

audi49

Replaced the 4 'warning bulbs' for alternator, oil pressure, fuel, temperature today. Removing the gauges to get to these was quite easy - just removing the diamond shaped parts on the back. Could not find aftermarket bulbs like these so went OEM. (Waiting on other bulbs and odometer gear before finishing this project.)