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Easy LED's for gauge cluster

dyeager535

dyeager535

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I'm surprised I hadn't seen this before!

Perhaps it's been posted, and I've just been ignorant. Checked the supplier mentioned, found the bulbs, only $1.49 each. Really not that bad as long as they put out some good light. Should reduce heat too, which screws up the plastic gauge housing.

http://s-series.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=Sections&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=39&page=1

I should go out on a limb and buy a set of them for the cluster, but I'd sure like to see how they compare to the stock incandescents first.
 
Dim bulbs drive me nuts!!

Please post back on theese bulbs--every GM truck I have has hardly any bulbs lit bright enough to read the gauges at night--I'm getting tired of using a flashlight to see the dash at night----

reminds me of the "Rusty Chevrolet" song they play by the DaYoupers this time of year--(sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells")
"Rust and smoke,the heaters broke,the door just blew away"--
"I STRIKE A MATCH TO SEE THE DASH--and then I start to pray"--
"The frame is bent,the muffler went,the radio its ok"--
"Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusted chevrolet(hay)

Its a cool song--I dont remeber all the lyrics,but whoever wrote it must have had a few "Rusty Chevrolet's" :)
 
I bought a 98 VW off a friend of mine who is an LED nut. :) He has LED's in place of most bulbs... They wrok good.. not sure if they're really any brighter. But there are some places that offer LEDs with more small bulbs in a bulb....

There are a few good sites out there that offer LEDs tha are replacements for regular bulbs.... I'll see what I can find.
 
I've known others to do the same, but after taking apart multiple clusters, I don't think that a higher wattage (heat) bulb is the answer. Some of the "holes" in my plastic housing are already loose, and it is obvious that the problem is caused by heat from just the stock bulbs. The plastic housing warps, and the socket the bulb fits in will no longer stay tight against the housing, so you either end up with inoperative lights, or intermittent lighting.

I'm not saying it WILL cause problems to use a higher watt bulb, just that it's more likely in the long run.

LED's could kill three birds with one stone...less heat, more light, longer life.
 
I am sure it will cause the cluster to warp and fail eventually........but i will use that as a reason to get aftermarket gauges:thinking::thinking:
 
"I'm getting tired of using a flashlight to see the dash at night----"

thats what i had to do when i first bought my truck: the bulb by the speedo is off more then on, ans the Kph #'s are smaller and darker so they're very hard to see. i now have Mph convertions memorized now though ;)
 
diesel4me said:
reminds me of the "Rusty Chevrolet" song they play by the DaYoupers this time of year--(sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells")
"Rust and smoke,the heaters broke,the door just blew away"--
"I STRIKE A MATCH TO SEE THE DASH--and then I start to pray"--
"The frame is bent,the muffler went,the radio its ok"--
"Oh what fun it is to ride in a rusted chevrolet(hay)

Its a cool song--I dont remeber all the lyrics,but whoever wrote it must have had a few "Rusty Chevrolet's" :)
Click to expand...





I think it was done by Blue Sparks From Hell. Haven't heard it in years, do you have a copy
 
My gauge cluster in my 79 is nice and bright when all the bulbs are working. I dont have a problem seeing the gauges at all.
 
the cheap alternative

the cheap alternative to LEDs in the dash is to paint the reflecting surfaces with chrome bumper paint. its like $5 for a can and it makes a REALLY big difference
 
"The Rusty Chevrolet"

I have a tape by a group called DaYoupers--they took their name from the place they came from,the upper peninnsula of michigan-they call the folks there "yupers" I guess,,,anyway,I do have the song on tape..if you'd like to year it I'm fairly sure you can find it on Cars.com--go to the "Car Talk" section with Click and Clack,the Tappet Brothers(they have a radio show on NPR you might have heard of)--they have a list of all the songs they have played during the shows--not sure if you can listen to them online though.
I think more than one group has sung this song--kinda like "Hot Rod Lincoln" a lot of groups covered that song too--..
 
I would definitely like to hear some more about led conversions for blazers or truck. I have had the same problems in the past with the lack of lighting and want to do something about it and not half a$$ it. I am talking about the whole truck though. Headlights, taillights, accents on interior, gauges, dash, glove box, etc etc. Has anyone out there done it and would be willing to do a writeup on it? Or does anyone know where there is some good information about how its done?

Remington
 
The S10 site I originally linked to has an LED external conversion article as well.
 
Only ones I have seen in action are ones displayed at local swap meets.

IMO there aren't enough LED's, and they will end up looking like ricer taillights, with one circle of light, and the rest of the lens dim.

Perhaps the ones sold by the company in the original link are the "wide angle" type, but I still think that you need a large face of LED's, no matter what, to get away from that pinpoint light effect.
 
dyeager535 said:
Only ones I have seen in action are ones displayed at local swap meets.

IMO there aren't enough LED's, and they will end up looking like ricer taillights, with one circle of light, and the rest of the lens dim.

Perhaps the ones sold by the company in the original link are the "wide angle" type, but I still think that you need a large face of LED's, no matter what, to get away from that pinpoint light effect.
Click to expand...


My friend ordered some from that link I added to the thread. They offer a regular and wide beam model.... Wide beams do make a huge difference.
 
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