How To: Change Your Cluster to Blue L.E.D.s/Incandescent bulbs for $8

AmBo · Dec 24, 2006

Okay guys, I've seen a ton of threads on "how to make my cluster blue" and I tackled it today so listen up! Oh, and this only applies to 99-04 fellas out there.

*EDIT* For BRIGHTER results, purchase 5 Tri-LEDs from here -->http://autolumination.com/74.htm @ ~$24 shipped. See the difference at this post -->http://forums.stangnet.com/showpost.php?p=6684203&postcount=93

Once, they come in, let's get working. First, follow the instructions posted on MW to remove your cluster. Should take you about 10 minutes to remove the entire cluster: http://mustangworld.com/ourpics/fcar/whtf1.htm

Okay, now you got your cluster out. Turn it over and you'll see all your sockets for the bulbs. There are 5. What you need to do is stick needle nose pliers into the sockets and twist a 1/4 turn to the left and pull out the socket:

Next, take the socket and pull out the nasty bulb that's in it:

and replace it with one of your new LEDs:

to his:

Place back in the socket and twist. All done! Do this for all 5 bulbs.

*NOTE!!!! The LEDs have polarity!! So if you put them in and plug in your cluster and they don't light, take them out and turn around the LED within the socket. ***

Go ahead and put the cluster back in and you're all set! Here is what you'll have when you're all done:

Before:
View attachment 415025

After:

:SNSign:

san~man · Dec 24, 2006

Nice job, I'll sticky this for a while.

Now "Mr. Smartypants," what about the instrument panel bulbs? Wonder if the bulb is the same....I would think so. Would look funny IMO with blue dash and green instrument panel.

AmBo · Dec 24, 2006

san~man said:
Nice job, I'll sticky this for a while.

Now "Mr. Smartypants," what about the instrument panel bulbs? Wonder if the bulb is the same....I would think so. Would look funny IMO with blue dash and green instrument panel.

Woot! My first sticky

Sadly, I haven't ventured back there, but I will when I change the location of my iPod adapter, but right now I have no need to ask my LCD blocks it
View attachment 415001

When I get back there and locate the size of the bulbs, I'll update the thread if someone hasn't already.

Mossberg · Dec 24, 2006

That looks sweet. The only thing is that the needles don't glow like they used to. If there is a solution to that, I may try this mod since my stereo is blue.

Mustang5L5 · Dec 24, 2006

I'm waiting for someone to do a write-up on changing the 01+ Mach 460 from green to blue. That's the only thing holding me up from changing my center console over to blue.

I know you need a doner CD-6 from an aviator, but i don't want to spend the $$$ to be the test subject

Then again, if this shade of silver matches my IUP center console stuff, i might swap the whole radio in. I just don't want to pay $250 for it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford...019QQitemZ290041789705QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

AmBo · Dec 24, 2006

Mossberg said:
That looks sweet. The only thing is that the needles don't glow like they used to. If there is a solution to that, I may try this mod since my stereo is blue.

In real life they are visible, just nowhere near as bright as they used to be. Doubt there is a mod for it unless you get to some serious modding.

Mustang5L5 said:
I'm waiting for someone to do a write-up on changing the 01+ Mach 460 from green to blue. That's the only thing holding me up from changing my center console over to blue.

I know you need a doner CD-6 from an aviator, but i don't want to spend the $$$ to be the test subject

Then again, if this shade of silver matches my IUP center console stuff, i might swap the whole radio in. I just don't want to pay $250 for it

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-...spagenameZWD1V

Why not just get an aftermarket HU? Better sound too.

BurningRubber · Dec 24, 2006

That sure does look great. Is there any worry about keeping the needles in place or them getting messed up like when you swap guage faces?

AmBo · Dec 25, 2006

BurningRubber said:
That sure does look great. Is there any worry about keeping the needles in place or them getting messed up like when you swap guage faces?

What you see is what you get. You don't even touch the front of the cluster. So to answer your question, no.

This whole mod should take you 20-25 tops the first time. The second time I had to go in after finding out the LEDs had polarity (see note in bold in first post) it took me 8 minutes to take it apart, switch two LEDs and put it all together again.

Mustang5L5 · Dec 25, 2006

AmBo said:
Why not just get an aftermarket HU? Better sound too.

I'm not really a stereo person. I used to be when i was younger, but now i don't care about that stuff anymore. The stock Mach 460 is good enough for me. Besides, the $1500-2000 i would spend on a 1.5 din radio setup I could use for a new set of rims or part of a supercharger.

Since i don't plan on keeping my car that much longer, it just doesn't make sense to spend that sort of cash on it

AmBo · Dec 25, 2006

Looks like a few people are interested as all of the bulbs within the auction I posted sold out. lol.

BurningRubber · Dec 25, 2006

Yeah thats pretty freakin sweet.

langod · Dec 26, 2006

Aren't the needles lit independently?
Could you leave the bulbs in for the needles and just change the LEDS for the panel? (or get maybe white LEDs for the needles, so that they stay visible and red?)

AmBo · Dec 26, 2006

langod said:
Aren't the needles lit independently?
Could you leave the bulbs in for the needles and just change the LEDS for the panel? (or get maybe white LEDs for the needles, so that they stay visible and red?)

No, they are not idependent of one another. THey aren't BRIGHT, but you can deff see the needles at night.

hotmustang331 · Dec 27, 2006

Looks good Ambo! I think i will do this mod after you figure out a way to do the mach stereo . My fuel gauge is a pretty blue...and then there are the green gauges lol. Stock clucter looks good by itself, but besides the blue it just doesnt look good haha.

Do you think its because the bulbs you used are LED? I wonder if regular bulbs (but W/ tinted blue glass) would make the needles and red line more visable? In the pic you can barely see them, but you said that they are visable. Maybe its just because the gauges are so bright now that they blind the camera to the red?

None the less, awsome job

Roaddane · Dec 30, 2006

Yes very nice, I'll have to look into this when I get my car out of the mothballs.

AmBo · Jan 1, 2007

Finally got behind the HVAC. Looks like a 194 bulb:

SMRcalidiv · Jan 1, 2007

Has anyone done this with red bulbs yet? Can you tell me exactly which lights I need to buy for the cluster too, I think it was 74 37 in the ebay post, but is that 2 seperate lights? Anyways, post some pics if you do the HVAC as well, thanks.

GToddyT5 · Jan 2, 2007

What about these other so-called HID ones that I'm seeing on ebay. Obviously they're not HIDs but they appear to be brighter.

AmBo · Jan 2, 2007

SMRcalidiv said:
Has anyone done this with red bulbs yet? Can you tell me exactly which lights I need to buy for the cluster too, I think it was 74 37 in the ebay post, but is that 2 seperate lights? Anyways, post some pics if you do the HVAC as well, thanks.

74 and 37 are just references to the same bulb size. You need to buy exactly what I put in the first post: 6 bulbs as linked. The link up top was for 2 bulbs so you'd order 3 pairs and have 1 extra bulb.

GToddyT5 said:
What about these other so-called HID ones that I'm seeing on ebay. Obviously they're not HIDs but they appear to be brighter.

Link?

GToddyT5 · Jan 2, 2007

AmBo said:
74 and 37 are just references to the same bulb size. You need to buy exactly what I put in the first post: 6 bulbs as linked. The link up top was for 2 bulbs so you'd order 3 pairs and have 1 extra bulb.

Link?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-BL...ryZ33713QQihZ015QQitemZ250061565507QQtcZphoto

That's a link to the blue ones. The whites are advertised as HID, but I don't see a noticeable difference between those and the blue ones. The description is pretty much the same.

How To: Change Your Cluster to Blue L.E.D.s/Incandescent bulbs for $8

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How To: Change Your Cluster to Blue L.E.D.s/Incandescent bulbs for $8

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