LED instrument lighting

[Low87]

Is there a retro kit anywhere to illuminate the gauges with LED rather than the weak bulbs currently used?

I've got my dash apart working on A/C & heater core (heck on earth).  Figured I'd get the blue panel more reflective and upgrade lighting while I'm in there.

[Captkaos]

There is several companies that make them.  I think they are 194's.

[Got Smoke?]

You can replace the blubs in the twist locks on the back of the gauge cluster with LEDs. They are 194s like Capt said you can get them very reasonable from www.Superbrightleds.com

Just let me warn you...I tried a set of red leds single element wide angle in my gauge cluster and the visability was worse than the regular lights. I swapped them to white single element leds and I can see much better now.

[Captkaos]

Red it an awful illuminator unless you can get it really bright.  Its best to paint the reflector in the gash as there really isn't any "direct" light in there.

[chevymanrob]

yes, in a nutshell, red sucks!!! i typically use the red "condoms" in my autometer ultralites to keep the brightness down. i dont like to be blinded at the big end of the track .

[VileZambonie]

foil tape works great for reflection

[Got Smoke?]

Red it an awful illuminator unless you can get it really bright.  Its best to paint the reflector in the gash as there really isn't any "direct" light in there.

I have a feeling that if I had gotten some 4 element red LEDs it might have been ok, but I decided to cut my loses ($10 on led's that already wouldn't work) and just put white ones in there.

[Got Smoke?]

foil tape works great for reflection

Where would you find that at?

[thirsty]

foil tape works great for reflection

Where would you find that at?

Hardware stores or parts stores should have it.

[Low87]

That's sweet, I had no idea there were plug & play LED bulb replacements.  Thanks guys!  Good tip on the foil tape Vile, I hadn't thought of that.

[ssapach]

I like the idea of LED replacements, to brighten things up a bunch.  But I'm curious, do the LED's dim just like the plain old bulbs that came with my truck?  Or will they be on/off type of light and that's it?

[Got Smoke?]

I like the idea of LED replacements, to brighten things up a bunch.  But I'm curious, do the LED's dim just like the plain old bulbs that came with my truck?  Or will they be on/off type of light and that's it?

Mine are on off currently.....but my light switch is in need of replacement. You can pull the head lights on and the dash lights don't come out...then you have to twist it back and forth "just right" to get them to come on.....yeah its on my list.

[Irish_Alley]

im sure i read somewhere that you cant dim them, now this was a couple years ago not sure if they changed anything

[Da67goatman]

Dimmable LEDs are still in the works.  But They are getting close.  I have a flashlight that does get dim as the battery dies, but you can't tell until you put new batteries in.

[1979C20]

The LEDS I installed inside my computer dim with a potentiometer. Theyre just standard LEDs from radio shack, UV purple. They run on 4v max, and I use a potentiometer to adjust it down from 12 volts that the computer puts out. It dims between zero and 4 volts, and blows much over 4.