dash light change over help

[tiger_yota]

I've gotten tired of the same old green tint dash lights and guages so recently i changed the lights on the guages to blue by getting some from advance that just fit right in. It looks much nicer. After messing with the rest of the dash i realized that especailly on the temperature station(i.e. a/c, heat) that they use l.e.d.s with little green rubber fittings. i don't think they make blue fittings so i've been trying to match my gauges.

first i took the green rubber covers off and tried, dying the bulbs, coloring the bulbs, coloring the inside of the buttons, and the next thing i'm gonna try is getting some of the gels that are used for stage lighting in theaters and concerts and such.

If anyone has any other ideas please let me know. i have spent hours working on this and am getting impatient.

Thanx in advance.

[atobe]

i've tried the same thing blue doesn't show up that great for some reason.. which is why i went with amber bulbs.... you can just try to get some high quality bulbs like polarg... i think i spent like 20$ for 4 194 bulbs turned out good

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by tiger_yota

After messing with the rest of the dash i realized that especailly on the temperature station(i.e. a/c, heat) that they use l.e.d.s with little green rubber fittings. i don't think they make blue fittings so i've been trying to match my gauges.

Do you have the push switch controls or the lever type?

The push switch one uses LEDs.

[tiger_yota]

sorry in my first post i didn't mean the green l.e.d.'s, i meant the small bulbs that you have circled in RED. they put off an amber glow when they're without the little green rubbers...haha. and yes the push button one exactly like pictured. i was wondering if there are:

bright white l.e.d. replacements
blue l.e.d. replacements
any kind of dyes for bulbs
or any other options

all to match the 194 dash gauges that atobe mentioned but blue(not amber).

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by tiger_yota

sorry in my first post i didn't mean the green l.e.d.'s, i meant the small bulbs that you have circled in RED. they put off an amber glow when they're without the little green rubbers...haha.

Those bulbs don't light up the buttons though.

i was wondering if there are:

bright white l.e.d. replacements
blue l.e.d. replacements
any kind of dyes for bulbs
or any other options

The problem with the bulbs is that they don't pull out like your normal 194/168 type bulb.

The wires on the bulb go through the socket and wrap around the backside of the socket.

So if you want to use leds, your going to have to rig something up.

[tiger_yota]

Those bulbs are actually the backlighting to the buttons at night.


also... do you know what voltage the l.e.d.s take i would also like to change these to blue l.e.d.s. I can get them at radioshack right?




thanks in advance

[JetspeedCamry]

Yeah i'd like to do the same to mine. Mine's got bulbs to "illuminate" it the whole thing (which i've put blue sleeves over) and the LED's that are there to illuminate when you press the button. (eg. when the Fan speed setting 2 is selected, that button will have a green LED that will light up)
Id like to customize mine with some different colors, incl. Amber/Red/Blue.
Voltage would be a concern, as i think Green LED's require the lowest amount of volage (1.6V??)

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by tiger_yota

do you know what voltage the l.e.d.s take i would also like to change these to blue l.e.d.s. I can get them at radioshack right?

The voltage (forward voltage) depends on the LED. Different color LEDs have different forward voltage requirements.

Normal led = around 2V.

Superbright (blue, white, etc...) = around 3.3 - 3.5V.


Radioshack sells blue LEDs, but they charge a grip for em.

Look on eBay. You'll probably have to buy 100, but you can get them for cheap.


http://www.lsdiodes.com/shop

^ I've ordered from them before.

[SnakeyeS]

Originally Posted by 88 LE

The problem with the bulbs is that they don't pull out like your normal 194/168 type bulb.

The wires on the bulb go through the socket and wrap around the backside of the socket.

So if you want to use leds, your going to have to rig something up.

Actually, these are brand new. They should the right or similar size:

http://www.ledtronics.com/ds/BSD-1838-0Ux/default.asp

[tiger_yota]

Originally Posted by JetspeedCamry

Yeah i'd like to do the same to mine. Mine's got bulbs to "illuminate" it the whole thing (which i've put blue sleeves over)

do you mean blue sleeves to replace the green rubber sleeves that i referred to earlier? please tell how you got them?

[JetspeedCamry]

Yep..blue silicon sleeves to replace the green ones. The local auto store here carries them.

[JetspeedCamry]

Originally Posted by 88 LE

The voltage (forward voltage) depends on the LED. Different color LEDs have different forward voltage requirements.

Normal led = around 2V.

Superbright (blue, white, etc...) = around 3.3 - 3.5V.


Radioshack sells blue LEDs, but they charge a grip for em.

Look on eBay. You'll probably have to buy 100, but you can get them for cheap.


http://www.lsdiodes.com/shop

^ I've ordered from them before.

So would know what kind of voltage there is on the circuit board? Is the board designed for 2V green LED's? If you but a blue LED that requires 3.3-3.5V...how will it light with only 2V?

[tiger_yota]

Originally Posted by JetspeedCamry

Yep..blue silicon sleeves to replace the green ones. The local auto store here carries them.

really?! what is the name of the store and do they have a website i could order from? I really didn't know they made those.

[88 LE]

Originally Posted by JetspeedCamry

So would know what kind of voltage there is on the circuit board?

Don't know.

Is the board designed for 2V green LED's? If you but a blue LED that requires 3.3-3.5V...how will it light with only 2V?

2V and 3.3 - 3.5V is whats required by the LED.

That doesn't mean thats theres 2V supplied to the LED. It could be 5V, 12V, etc...


You'll have to open it up and measure the voltage supplied to the LEDs.

[JetspeedCamry]

Originally Posted by tiger_yota

really?! what is the name of the store and do they have a website i could order from? I really didn't know they made those.

No idea. As i said, i got mine from a local auto store...Autobarn they call it. But i'm in Australia, so you wouldn't have that. Just hunt around in your local auto shops.