Need help with dash lights

[tdangle]

looks much better with the green led bulbs. Can you share what bulbs you got and did they just plug in the bulb holders or require new holders?

I would like to brighten up my dash. I did find that the fuse was not making a good connection in the fuse panel and this helped quite a bit, but still not like yours. (my 15 challenger has me spoiled with a bright dash.)

[hotwls13]

Originally Posted by Rich69shortfleet

Last week I drove the truck at night. I was disappointed in the illumination of the lower gauges, they are all pretty dim while the upper gauges are nice and bright. Also, with the white LEDs the gauge faces are all white with the reflected light into the housing not picking up the green tinge like occurs with incandescent bulbs. This results in green illumination in the captions on the lens face with white on the gauge faces. So, I got some green LEDs which also have side firing diodes to hopefully illuminate the lower gauges better.

The result is much better illumination of the lower gauges and everything appears green (which I like and prefer). The new LEDs are much brighter than the incandescent I have in the spot that feeds the shift indicator which then made the lighting more uneven in both color and brightness so I put an LED in that location as well. This lessens the illumination of the shift indicator, but still lights it so I'm calling it good.

The gauges now match the color and brightness I've gotten in the heater controls so everything goes together well now. More pleased.

The leftover white LEDs will get recycled into use on other vehicles I have. I've already completely LED-ized my daily driver and am working on doing so on the wife's car. Her car has an incredible number of interior illumination bulbs.

Looks great!

Do u have a link to the Green LEDs u used??

[Rich69shortfleet]

These are the green front and side firing LEDs I used. Very inexpensive and I've used this seller before and he is always fast to ship. Never had a problem with anything I got from him.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/6-x-T10-Gre...72.m2749.l2649

They work just like the push-in or wedge bulbs that are stock. You do have to sometimes turn them 180 degrees to get them to illuminate since LEDs are polarity sensitive unlike normal bulbs. The stock bulb holders are just fine. In fact, the LED bulbs are a bit thicker at the base so they fit even more snuglying into bulb holders than the stock bulbs.

To do just the instruments you only need 4 bulbs. I bought 6 to have a couple spares, though I doubt I'll need them. The heater controls use a different style bulb as do the turnsignal bulbs. The TEMP and BRAKE and high beam lights use the same style bulb, but should have red or white bulbs, not green. I used white, they too are very bright. All the bulbs you need are available on ebay. I limit my buying to US based sellers, never had a problem, always very reasonably priced and I get them in a week or less.

For reference:

Gauge illumination (assuming green): green LED 194 bulbs, need 4, best to pick those with top and side firing LEDs
TEMP and BRAKE and high beam lights: white or red 194 bulbs, need 3
Turnsignal indicators: green or white (green works better) 1895 bulbs, need 2
Heater controls panel: green or white (green matches gauges) 1815 bulbs, need 1

[Rich69shortfleet]

And another follow up to an earlier follow up. One solution to getting the glovebox light to work would be to hunt down an LED bulb that is not polarity specific. I was unable to find one in the bulb style required. I have been LED-ing the heck out of most of my cars so I have some nice extra LEDs lying around. I simply took a very bright festoon lamp that I had and hardwired it to the lamp circuit keeping the original glovebox door switch in place and in use. This LED happens to be non-polarity specific, but even if it was polarity specific I could have just wired it correctly.

Anyway, the results are a much brighter glovebox.

[kenwkirk]

Thanks 4 the info,,,, very Good info. Thanks again

[72LB]

Are you able to dim them?

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by 72LB

Are you able to dim them?

Dash lights? No, I didn't buy the dimable type bulbs. They are available, more expensive of course, but I've yet to see green ones that were dimable.

[72LB]

I've been thinking of brighter lights just don't want overly bright. I really like the green just don't want the cab to glow at night, how are they driving at night?

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by 72LB

I've been thinking of brighter lights just don't want overly bright. I really like the green just don't want the cab to glow at night, how are they driving at night?

I typically keep my dashlights fairly dim, though as I get older I have brightened them up recently.

In the truck, however, I've always found the dash lights rather impotent. Before LEDs I typically had the gauge lights pretty much at full power anyway. The lighting is weak and the gauges sit well below the line of sight of the driver so I typically had them at or near full power. With the LEDs they are as bright or brighter than the full setting previously, but with the strong green tint they are still not glaringly bright, just a nice strong glow if that makes sense. If you want to use nondimable LEDs, just get straight firing bulbs and the lighting will be full but dim. If you want bright, get straight and side firing super bright bulbs and you'll get a fuller more intense lighting. Compare my earlier and later photos in this thread to see the brightness level difference. Or, just search out dimable LEDs. You only need four, but the only dimable 194s I found were $5 EACH. Still, $20 isn't a huge investment.

One of the nicest side effects of LEDs is the lowered load on those flimsy circuit panels used on these instrument clusters. I can't imagine LEDs ever drawing enough current to melt a circuit. Another nice side effect is that the LEDs don't brighten and dim with engine speed.

I also installed the accessory footwell lights and put high power 1156 LED bulbs in them along with a bright LED festoon in the dome light and wired them up with door jamb switches and I REALLY REALLY like the powerful illumination I now have upon entering the cab. I have absolutely no concern leaving the doors open while working on something with no concern the bulbs will be melting light housings or the dome light lens.

[72LB]

There's more than 4 lights so 5 a pop will get pricey. Is the first pic with straight firing LEDs?

I haven't seen much on dim-able LEDs but I will keep looking. For now might just get the white.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by 72LB

There's more than 4 lights so 5 a pop will get pricey. Is the first pic with straight firing LEDs?

I haven't seen much on dim-able LEDs but I will keep looking. For now might just get the white.

Yes, the first pic is straight firing white LEDs.

I have a cluster with a tach and gauges, but pretty sure the lights are the same for all. There are only 4 lights that illuminate the gauges. There are other bulbs for turnsignals, high beam indicator, temp light and brake light. So, there are nine in all, but only 4 of them illuminate the gauges. The five that illuminate indicators/warning lights can just be done with cheapie straight firing nondimming LEDs with fine results. They can be red or green as needed, but white works too since they all have colored lenses to provide the green or red tint as required by each. The turnsignals use 1895 bulbs instead of wedge based 194's so you need at least two kinds to do them all. The heater controls take an 1895 as well. If you have a lighter with a light, it too uses an 1895.

[72LB]

Funny mine are all wedge type in the cluster and 1895 for the cig and heater control, don't have a glove box light yet.

Have you looked at these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jtech-10x-T...kAAOSws65TrK93

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by 72LB

Funny mine are all wedge type in the cluster and 1895 for the cig and heater control, don't have a glove box light yet.

Have you looked at these? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Jtech-10x-T...kAAOSws65TrK93

By 72 they may have switch the turnsignal bulb sockets to wedge type. Honestly, all it would take is different sockets.

I've never used those, but that's the same guy on ebay I've bought many from already. Decent products for the price, shipping is always quick.

[72LB]

Must be the cluster you have, my 69 has wedge also.

I ordered both green and white to see which I like best. I was tempted to get the blue as well but decided not to. Thanks for the info.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by 72LB

Must be the cluster you have, my 69 has wedge also.

I ordered both green and white to see which I like best. I was tempted to get the blue as well but decided not to. Thanks for the info.

Post back with your results.

[72LB]

Originally Posted by Rich69shortfleet

Post back with your results.

Will do they should be here sometime next week.

[72LB]

Your not kidding about the shipping, they were here today. I tried both white and green and ended up with green. I put the four wide fire green in the back light spots and two straight fire green in the turn signal spots. The high beam and brake light are straight fire white. The only one I left a bulb in was the temp light since I have a gauge I don't think it even works.

[Rich69shortfleet]

That looks great!

[Old_Gold]

As I watched my dash lights go out one by one, I knew I had to do something, now I know what. Those look fantastic!
Just wondering, has anyone tried red?

Thanks,
Jim

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by Old_Gold

As I watched my dash lights go out one by one, I knew I had to do something, now I know what. Those look fantastic!
Just wondering, has anyone tried red?

Thanks,
Jim

I haven't, but I have some reds lying around I could experiment with.

[Old_Gold]

If you have a spare dash already out, it would be cool to see, but don't tear your trick apart for that. The green really pulls the image off the, not sure the red will do as well, but curious since i was going to do more red accents.
Thanks again,
Jim

[Rich69shortfleet]

I got bored. Here's what it looks like with red LEDs. Lighting is a little uneven as I used two different types of LEDs, one pair brighter than the others.

Sorry for the poor picture quality, all I had with me was my phone and it has a hard time focusing in the dark.

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by Rich69shortfleet

And another follow up to an earlier follow up. One solution to getting the glovebox light to work would be to hunt down an LED bulb that is not polarity specific. I was unable to find one in the bulb style required. I have been LED-ing the heck out of most of my cars so I have some nice extra LEDs lying around. I simply took a very bright festoon lamp that I had and hardwired it to the lamp circuit keeping the original glovebox door switch in place and in use. This LED happens to be non-polarity specific, but even if it was polarity specific I could have just wired it correctly.

Anyway, the results are a much brighter glovebox.

I've been meaning to ask, can you give us some more specific info about how you adapted the festoon lamp to your glovebox door switch? Looks like a great idea, more light there would be nice to have.

[Rich69shortfleet]

Originally Posted by Stocker

I've been meaning to ask, can you give us some more specific info about how you adapted the festoon lamp to your glovebox door switch? Looks like a great idea, more light there would be nice to have.

Solder one end of the festoon to the contact spring inside the switch/bulb socket and solder the other end of the festoon to the hot wire coming from the fuse panel. I covered the solder joints with shrink tubing. Then you can just attach the festoon to the upper corner of the glovebox with tape or a dab of glue. If the festoon is polarity specific, make sure to solder the end that wants negative to the switch/bulb socket spring which functions as the ground in the circuit. Just use a short run of wire from the spring to the festoon. The switch comes apart so you can solder to the spring outside the socket and then reassemble it.

[Stocker]

Thanks! That's one more small project to add to my list....