Interior LED Changeover (uhm...Looooong)
#121
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Thanks, Ed - that write-up is a thing of beauty. I need to add it to the FAQ if it's not already there.
The GTS under hood light is indeed an old fashion festoon bulb. May just leave it stock for now.
In Keith's write-up he recommends a brighter bulb for the forward 'map light' located between the front visors. Did you use a different type for that one?
I'm wondering why you chose the narrow beam type for the overhead hatch, rear hatch and CEL panel locations?
The GTS under hood light is indeed an old fashion festoon bulb. May just leave it stock for now.
In Keith's write-up he recommends a brighter bulb for the forward 'map light' located between the front visors. Did you use a different type for that one?
I'm wondering why you chose the narrow beam type for the overhead hatch, rear hatch and CEL panel locations?
Ed?
#122
Addict
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Thanks, Ed - that write-up is a thing of beauty. I need to add it to the FAQ if it's not already there.
The GTS under hood light is indeed an old fashion festoon bulb. May just leave it stock for now.
In Keith's write-up he recommends a brighter bulb for the forward 'map light' located between the front visors. Did you use a different type for that one?
I'm wondering why you chose the narrow beam type for the overhead hatch, rear hatch and CEL panel locations?
The GTS under hood light is indeed an old fashion festoon bulb. May just leave it stock for now.
In Keith's write-up he recommends a brighter bulb for the forward 'map light' located between the front visors. Did you use a different type for that one?
I'm wondering why you chose the narrow beam type for the overhead hatch, rear hatch and CEL panel locations?
I think there might have been some physical size constraint issue, but I really don't remember.
#124
Drifting
OK, here are a bunch of photos. I don't have time to add any explanation right now (I'm just in the middle of painting my home office and a couple of adjacent small rooms). Just ask if you have any questions. They're in chronological order, so the first two are before I made any changes.
Click any photo for the big version.
Click any photo for the big version.
#125
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I found this picture in my folder on '78 #241 that I did last year. That washer is the shim to get the bevel gear to line up with the selector **** gear.
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islaTurbine (12-02-2020)
#126
Rennlist Member
Troubleshooting on a digital dash
Im in the middle of this change-over on my 1992. I have all the bulbs in the gauge cluster and did a test power up. However I have two issues that I could use help with:
First, I seem lost the bright/dim toggle on the general backlighting, I am using these 194 LED Bulb - COB LED - T3.25 Miniature Wedge Base - 135 Lumens for the backlight. These are dimmable bulbs and I have used these before in my 1988 dash with success. Are others experiencing this loss of a feature when converting to LED?
Secondly, I seem lot have lost the illumination at the HVAC/radio/ashtray with the headlights/parking lights are on. Is there any continuity dependancies between the backlighting of the cluster and the accessories? The pod switches still have backlighting when the headlights are on.
First, I seem lost the bright/dim toggle on the general backlighting, I am using these 194 LED Bulb - COB LED - T3.25 Miniature Wedge Base - 135 Lumens for the backlight. These are dimmable bulbs and I have used these before in my 1988 dash with success. Are others experiencing this loss of a feature when converting to LED?
Secondly, I seem lot have lost the illumination at the HVAC/radio/ashtray with the headlights/parking lights are on. Is there any continuity dependancies between the backlighting of the cluster and the accessories? The pod switches still have backlighting when the headlights are on.
#127
RL Community Team
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Rennlist Member
Im in the middle of this change-over on my 1992. I have all the bulbs in the gauge cluster and did a test power up. However I have two issues that I could use help with:
First, I seem lost the bright/dim toggle on the general backlighting, I am using these 194 LED Bulb - COB LED - T3.25 Miniature Wedge Base - 135 Lumens for the backlight. These are dimmable bulbs and I have used these before in my 1988 dash with success. Are others experiencing this loss of a feature when converting to LED?
Secondly, I seem lot have lost the illumination at the HVAC/radio/ashtray with the headlights/parking lights are on. Is there any continuity dependancies between the backlighting of the cluster and the accessories? The pod switches still have backlighting when the headlights are on.
First, I seem lost the bright/dim toggle on the general backlighting, I am using these 194 LED Bulb - COB LED - T3.25 Miniature Wedge Base - 135 Lumens for the backlight. These are dimmable bulbs and I have used these before in my 1988 dash with success. Are others experiencing this loss of a feature when converting to LED?
Secondly, I seem lot have lost the illumination at the HVAC/radio/ashtray with the headlights/parking lights are on. Is there any continuity dependancies between the backlighting of the cluster and the accessories? The pod switches still have backlighting when the headlights are on.
#128
Rennlist Member
I dont think my issue is related to the LED bulbs. I swapped them back to the original incandescent bulbs and no change. I have only one setting for backlighting, and I have no voltage going to the illumination of any of the pod switches or center console accessories. Basically I have no voltage to the Black/Blue line. So it must be unrelated to the LED swap. I'll need to research the wiring diagram to figure out where I am loosing the voltage to that system. It looks like the problem is upstream of the dimmer controller
#129
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
I dont think my issue is related to the LED bulbs. I swapped them back to the original incandescent bulbs and no change. I have only one setting for backlighting, and I have no voltage going to the illumination of any of the pod switches or center console accessories. Basically I have no voltage to the Black/Blue line. So it must be unrelated to the LED swap. I'll need to research the wiring diagram to figure out where I am loosing the voltage to that system. It looks like the problem is upstream of the dimmer controller
#130
Electron Wrangler
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As Petza says when you have fixed this - they still won't dim acceptably - you need a PWM solution to dim LED's like Ed's and all pod/console illumination will need to be changed to LED.
Alan
Alan
#131
Rennlist Member
Dimming issue solved
i figured out my issue, it was a simple fuse issue (fuse 9). I must have overlooked the fuse to the dimmer when I was checking the "instrument cluster fuse".
Dimmable LED's work with the stock rheostat
The LED's I used were dimmable and they do in fact dim when using the OEM dimmer, and it retained the Bright/Dim setting when using the headlights/parking lights/ Here is a video demonstrating the dimming. The dimmable range is not very much because these LED are far too bright to begin with.
Some LEDs are too bright for the POD
I will point out these primary backlight bulbs I used are far too bright at 135 lumens. Too bright on the eyes in daytime and too bright at the lowest dimmable setting. I see light leaks through the black filament. I would NOT recommend using this bulb, I would recommend using something with about 25%-50% less lumens (75-100lumens). Something like this bulb, 194 CAN Bus LED Bulb - 5 SMD LED Tower - Miniature Wedge Base, would be 65 - 85 lumens depending on the color temp you want would be a good choice.
Some of the colored warning lights are also too bright because they are used at nigh when driving and they can be hard on the eyes. These would include the blue at 4.5-lumens (brights) and green at 15-lumens (parking, blinker, PDD), and specific red lights at 8 lumens (Parking and brake test). My solve for this the to add a piece of colored painters tape to these lights. It offers just enough opacity to dim the bulb.
Ghost Illumination
I found several warning lights will stay dimly illuminated after shutoff as long as the information bar stays illuminated. This include: ABS, "P" for automatics, and Parking Brake. I am going to revert these back to incandescent so I don't have that issue anymore.
i figured out my issue, it was a simple fuse issue (fuse 9). I must have overlooked the fuse to the dimmer when I was checking the "instrument cluster fuse".
Dimmable LED's work with the stock rheostat
The LED's I used were dimmable and they do in fact dim when using the OEM dimmer, and it retained the Bright/Dim setting when using the headlights/parking lights/ Here is a video demonstrating the dimming. The dimmable range is not very much because these LED are far too bright to begin with.
Some LEDs are too bright for the POD
I will point out these primary backlight bulbs I used are far too bright at 135 lumens. Too bright on the eyes in daytime and too bright at the lowest dimmable setting. I see light leaks through the black filament. I would NOT recommend using this bulb, I would recommend using something with about 25%-50% less lumens (75-100lumens). Something like this bulb, 194 CAN Bus LED Bulb - 5 SMD LED Tower - Miniature Wedge Base, would be 65 - 85 lumens depending on the color temp you want would be a good choice.
Some of the colored warning lights are also too bright because they are used at nigh when driving and they can be hard on the eyes. These would include the blue at 4.5-lumens (brights) and green at 15-lumens (parking, blinker, PDD), and specific red lights at 8 lumens (Parking and brake test). My solve for this the to add a piece of colored painters tape to these lights. It offers just enough opacity to dim the bulb.
Ghost Illumination
I found several warning lights will stay dimly illuminated after shutoff as long as the information bar stays illuminated. This include: ABS, "P" for automatics, and Parking Brake. I am going to revert these back to incandescent so I don't have that issue anymore.
Last edited by Michael Benno; 11-28-2021 at 06:17 PM.