Do-It-Yourself LED dash lighting upgrade (writeup)
03-13-2008, 11:36 AM
#46
Rennlist Member
FWIW I did this to my car recently, but used a total of twelve red 18 mcd (same intensity as Keith's original post). At first, it wasn't bright enough, but I did some creative repositioning and was able to increase brightness by 100% or so. Then, I went ahead and redid the reflectors and everything looks fantastic now.
I'll get a pic or two up.
Oh and Keith you may be interested to know that carb cleaner works fantastically on the aluminized finish and doesn't take any of the plastic away with it. I should've gotten a picture but you could easily see through the tunnels after I took off the finish.
I'll get a pic or two up.
Oh and Keith you may be interested to know that carb cleaner works fantastically on the aluminized finish and doesn't take any of the plastic away with it. I should've gotten a picture but you could easily see through the tunnels after I took off the finish.
03-13-2008, 12:13 PM
#47
Drifting
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'll have to take my cluster apart one of these days and show pics of what I did, it was so easy. I removed the plastic reflectors completely so no more issues with those ever. The dimmer only dims the lights slightly but the brightness is perfect. Not too bright, not too dim.
04-04-2008, 09:12 AM
#48
Pro
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Aldie, VA
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Does someone know what are the specs on the bulbs in the instrument cluster?
I was looking at the them mini wedge bulbs and was wondering if they had one that can fit in the original sockets.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.html
I was looking at the them mini wedge bulbs and was wondering if they had one that can fit in the original sockets.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.html
04-05-2008, 03:44 AM
#51
Instructor
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Ok So i got my leds in and how do I know which one is positive side and which one is negative! FYI one side of the wire is shorter then the other coming from the led and what side do i put the 12v resistor on?
04-05-2008, 12:26 PM
#52
Advanced
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Stafford, VA
Posts: 82
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For those of us whose instrument clusters aren't badly mauled, where can we get straight drop in replacement LEDs? A website with an item number would be sweet.
-GuyKeefer
-GuyKeefer
04-16-2008, 09:14 PM
#53
Burning Brakes
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Hammond, Indiana
Posts: 1,187
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My next step is to attack the climate control and defrost switches etc. I'll be taking pictures and noting polarity etc. I think that 5MM LEDs should be able to fit, although there'll need to be a 500Ω current limiting resistor in line with one of the legs... -The good thing is that they should never burn out, so it would be a one-time deal, rather than occasionally replacing burned-out incandescent bulbs.
Keith
Keith
06-21-2010, 03:23 PM
#56
Drive-by provocation guy
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: NAS PAX River, by way of Orlando
Posts: 10,439
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'll have to take my cluster apart one of these days and show pics of what I did, it was so easy. I removed the plastic reflectors completely so no more issues with those ever. The dimmer only dims the lights slightly but the brightness is perfect. Not too bright, not too dim.
06-23-2010, 07:34 PM
#57
Drifting
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Michigan
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
10-19-2017, 08:56 PM
#58
Team Owner
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: one thousand, five hundred miles north of Ft. Lauderdale for the summer.
Posts: 28,704
Received 212 Likes
on
153 Posts
ok,
who's good with taking all this junk apart and putting it back together?
i don't wanna touch this f_cking garbage.
who's good with taking all this junk apart and putting it back together?
i don't wanna touch this f_cking garbage.
10-20-2017, 01:58 AM
#59
Anyone with a soldering iron can easily update the old light bars with led's. VDO is not junk, it's only labeled as junk by people with no skill set to do anything by themselves. Use oversized led's and resistors and done in 15 minutes.
10-20-2017, 02:20 AM
#60
Team Owner
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: one thousand, five hundred miles north of Ft. Lauderdale for the summer.
Posts: 28,704
Received 212 Likes
on
153 Posts
no, my lights are great thanks to LED strip tucked inside the front sil like 9 years ago.
it's taking the crap apart for the new, gps speedo and tach without messing anything up......
it's taking the crap apart for the new, gps speedo and tach without messing anything up......
