Blue LED Dash Conversion

[myberlina]

Also the A/C don't exist in mine... I have climate control and you thought yours was a bitch ey???

I'm told mine are a pain to remove...

 

[235rwkw]

Not that i have completed all my buttons. but have done the climate and 3 trip windows.

get around to the rest one day when i have time.

Anyway most of you seem to have hot spots of some sort. I'll have to give away my $ecrets on that. Heres the tip for older cars when replacing globes with LEDs. Not only file the tip off but put a dab of blue paint right in the center of the tip directly over the emitter. that way it has no center hot spot.

 

[myberlina]

You sneaky prick! lol

Can I ask what sort of LED you need for the climate control? I used 5mm ones for the trip windows, speedo, tacho, fuel and temp guages.

I have heard that the climate control LED are completely different... is that true?

 

[myberlina]

Also deserthead, I took some photos of the backing on my cluster panel which shows what I am talking about. Photo quality is crap but it says it all.

So the choice is... do I take the lot off or simply do as you did... spend money on new one. I do like yours. Very nice. Just dont have that kinda money at the moment! lol

 

[235rwkw]

You sneaky prick! lol

Can I ask what sort of LED you need for the climate control? I used 5mm ones for the trip windows, speedo, tacho, fuel and temp guages.

I have heard that the climate control LED are completely different... is that true?

climate is the same as the trip leds stock globes with green condom one on each side

 

[myberlina]

Ahhh... cheers for that.

It's gonna be a bitch to get the same LEDs. I went to three dicksmith stores to just get 10 of the 5mm suckers! I guess I'll have to order them in. Urgh.

 

[deserthead]

Yeh I c wot u mean bout the back of the speedo. I've got my old one in the garage. But didn't really take much notice of it . . . . .
Maybe do wot spyder did and stick in the LEDs and c how it comes out???

Have u tried Jaycar? I got all my stuff there, they had everything!

Oh and 235rwkw, Mine don't got any hot spots at all. Thats just a bad picture.

Hows it all comin anyway?

 

[Spyper]

Ah sorry I haven't been around to help out. I read about removing the backing of the cluster and was just hoping that ya hadn't done it already. TEST IT!. Put 3 volts (2 AA Batteries) into the LED (I rigged up a LED tester with an old battery pack for a toy that had wires coming out) and put it behind the face of the cluster. No green shows through at all. The blue is so bright, you won't see or notice any green whatsoever. Do NOT take the backing off the cluster. You will destroy it. The way I did works fine. But every part of it will be blue. Even the little red lines at the top of the Rev Tacho.

6x 5mm LED's - 5000 or 8000 MCD (brightness) - (and 6 resistors) needed for the cluster. For an SS (with the 3 trip buttons) you'll need another 2. So 8 total if you have the 3 trip computers.

I used 3mm LED's for the Air Con controls. You'll need 1 for each dial. If you want to change the colours of the lights when activating rear demist and A/C, get another 2. I forgot to do this so not sure how. You'll need the resistors for this too.

Sorry that my guide isn't here yet. I have all the pictures but no descriptions. I'll upload them tomorrow. Any other help, just ask. But I won't be home til tomorrow. Good luck and sorry of the delay.


azkwazere: It will be exactly the same. If you don't remove the backing though, a blue globe won't be strong enough to shine through blue. Do the same as mentioned here. Solder an LED onto a resistor, and solder both ends into the place the globe was. Just gotta make sure you do it the right way up.

When the cluster is facing away from you and right way up, the positive end is AT THE TOP.

Good luck.

 

[myberlina]

Put the blue LEDs in the other day... comes up ok. Slightly hot spotted on the speedo a bit but the fuel and temp gauges come up great.

As for the green backing... nah... couldnt be stuffed taking it off. Not to mention if it did f*** up I would be stuck with an expensive mistake. As for the red markings that showed originally... they dont now... not with the blue coming from behind.

Eventually I will replace the cluster panel altogether with one like deserthead has got. I looked at the website for it and I like it.

I looked at Jaycar's online catalog and they don't seem to have the LED's that I have used. I got some 8000mcd LED from Dicksmith but Jaycar only have up to 5000mcd. Will ring and ask'em thou anyway.

I still have the climate and headlight controls to do... the headunit (factory original) can stay as is... a DVD screen will replace it one day! :yeah:

Will post my photos later today when my camera phone isn't suffering PMS :flame:

 

[Spyper]

Good work dude. I'm thinking I want to replace my dash facia also haha. I like the look of desertheads', looks really professional.

I got most of my LED's from dicksmith, some from jaycar - jaycar being MUCH more expensive. 5000 or 8000 dont worry about, I've mixed and matched. Can't tell the diff. Look forward to the photos.