R.Pires

Hi
I need to replace the little 12v 1,2w bulbs on my dash and as they are so dim I tought if it will be OK to replace with these:

http://www.svetila.com/en/light-bulb...line-6297.html

They are exactly the same size but 2w. They also have 2,3w but those I think will be to bright compared to the rest of the dash ilumination.
So any disavantage on this small "upgrade"?

Thank you for your opinions

davek9

I think they would work just fine, I used LED's and yes they are brighter than stock. Also had never noticed the different colors before I did, however not at all distracting or too bright for me.

Use a cotton swab to clean out the inside lens of the *****, that will also make them brighter too.

Dave

R.Pires

That is a great idea, small details sometimes make a huge diference!
Thanks Dave

Wisconsin Joe

Keep in mind that the ***** for the foglights, defroster & hazards are very dim unless they are turned on.

Randy V

Pro Tip: A short section of standard aquarium air line tubing slips onto the bulbs, allowing them to be easily extracted.

Ed Scherer

Good time to move to LEDs. I recommend the Autolumination #74 Super High Power 1 Watt Super-Charged LED Bulb (Autolumination isn't good about having good, brief product numbers or IDs).



If you do use LEDs, though, you'll probably want to preserve the "bright/dim" states to indicate on/off on some of the switches. This requires adding resistors to some of the wires leading to the switch sockets. See the "Pod Switches" (and especially the "Adding Resistors to Set Maximum “Dim” Level" subsection) of Converting Porsche 928 Interior Lighting to LEDs for details.

Alan

I would not upgrade in incandescents for risk of damage to the switch parts.

1.2 W bulbs are easily available nationally: Type 2721

e.g. Sylvania 2721

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/s...-ll/99997887-P

LED's are easy to do in these pod lights even if nowhere else - however some of the dual level bulbs may not have the same distinction between the 2 levels unless you make other changes. e.g. some are on at low intensity at night for identification - but switch to bright mode when activated. LEDs will likely look similarly bright in both modes. Follow Ed's guidance on how to this.

I'd recommend an LED particularly in the main light switch - it is always on with ignition - single level - so the LED long life pays off here.

Alan

R.Pires

Thank you Alan

R.Pires

Hi Ed,

You're right but I don't feel confident enough to make a complete change to LED's in all the car lights! A few months ago I bought a few plug and play LED's only for the pod *****, I liked the look but besides loosing the dimming ability it was a very noticeable discrepancy with the rest of the dash lights and the A/C, radio, etc that I move back to the incandescent ones! So when I move to LED's it must be a complete interior change!
Sooner or later my pod has to come out, I'm missing some warning lights and at that time after all the contact cleaning is done, new rheostat that I already have, etc, if they're still very very dim, I guess I have to go for it!
Thanks for the link!

Regards

ThetaTau87

Another thing to consider is that by increasing the wattage you also increase the heat output. 0.8w increase doesn't seem like much, but it is a 67% increase in power.

Swapping 2w bulbs in place of 1.2w is a common "upgrade" in older Audi dash clusters. It can cause the plastic around the bulb to overheat and melt or become brittle over time. Those in the know have gone away from 2w and put in 1.5w instead.