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

ford00stangt · Sep 15, 2007

anyone have any pics of red Led bulbs for there cluster i just ordered them and was wonderin what they would look like

ravenr_1 · Sep 15, 2007

i tackled this project this weekend and my gauges dnt look as blue as the pics that were posted. any suggestions?

'03GTinFLA · Sep 16, 2007

ravenr_1 said:
i tackled this project this weekend and my gauges dnt look as blue as the pics that were posted. any suggestions?

Take the bulbs out and turn them around. One way they are bright and the other way they are dim. Either way, they don't seem to turn out as bright as the ones in the pic. I've done it with stock gauges then bought Mach 1 gauges and did that too. Just got a speeding ticket because I can't really see the red needle and a cop was behind me. I thought I was going 50 and turns out I was doing 60. Court, money, points. Not worth it but I've spent so much on the gauges I'm keeping the damn things now.

str8stang036 · Oct 25, 2007

I just tried the blue led on the dash and it lights up, but it is very dim. So dim I can barely see the dash. They all light up so the LED aren't on the wrong end of polarity.

Any ideas what it could be?

AmBo · Oct 26, 2007

str8stang036 said:
I just tried the blue led on the dash and it lights up, but it is very dim. So dim I can barely see the dash. They all light up so the LED aren't on the wrong end of polarity.

Any ideas what it could be?

This may sound like i'm being a dick and i'm not, but did you make sure you turned the knob you pull out to turn your lights on all the way to the left? Sounds like you accidentally turned it all the way to the right when you removed your gauge cluster

AmBo · Oct 26, 2007

'03GTinFLA said:
Take the bulbs out and turn them around. One way they are bright and the other way they are dim. Either way, they don't seem to turn out as bright as the ones in the pic. I've done it with stock gauges then bought Mach 1 gauges and did that too. Just got a speeding ticket because I can't really see the red needle and a cop was behind me. I thought I was going 50 and turns out I was doing 60. Court, money, points. Not worth it but I've spent so much on the gauges I'm keeping the damn things now.

Are you guys buying the tri-leds?

Mine are bright as hell as represented in the pics. I love my guages.

AmBo · Oct 26, 2007

This thread makes me miss my DVD player and gauges...bastards that stole my ****.

Since then I've swapped out the HVAC bulbs though with some blue LEDs. Looks nice. If I had a camera that worked, I'd take some pics

str8stang036 · Oct 26, 2007

Its a good question Ambo. I did turn the headlight knob back and forth to make sure it wasn't that. It lights up, but it barely shines through. I was thinking of the Tri- Led, but it might be a waste if these didn't work at first.

AmBo · Oct 26, 2007

str8stang036 said:
Its a good question Ambo. I did turn the headlight knob back and forth to make sure it wasn't that. It lights up, but it barely shines through. I was thinking of the Tri- Led, but it might be a waste if these didn't work at first.

Yea, I bought the cheapies first time around, then got the Tri-LEDs and they were 10x better. Shoulda went that route the first time. hehe

'03GTinFLA · Oct 27, 2007

AmBo said:
Are you guys buying the tri-leds?

Mine are bright as hell as represented in the pics. I love my guages.

Yeah they are tri-led's. I put them in the Mach 1 gauge cluster. I'm used to them now and they aren't that bad. Most people think they look awesome. It's just that I have my Cobalt gauges in the A pillar that are brighter blue and the red needles are light up so that you can see them. I'll try to post up a pic later. I need to do my HVAC too.

mixedbreed02gt · Dec 2, 2007

so does anyone know which cars have the green film overlay on the stock gauges and which one's dont?

Mine light up green, so I'm assuming I have the film on it?

also my car is a 2002 Mustang GT.

so if I have an 02 Mustang GT that has the green film overlay, and i get the Tri-LED's in Blue, will it shine through the green, and appear as blue? or will it still show up as green?

Killa · Dec 2, 2007

Half of my gauge 0-50mph is very dim, half of other is light up fine ( stock ). is this because the bulb is bad ? if its then I should replace it with the one most people put on.

mixedbreed02gt · Dec 2, 2007

just thought of something, but not sure if it will work.

if you find some blue film paper and you cut a strip to cover the odometer rectangle exactly, it might change it blue. find something really thin though...the thicker it is, the harder it will be for the light to pass through it. the odometer is LCD (liquid crystal display) and not LED, so that's why you can't change those. but with a small film overlay you could

jprovence · Dec 16, 2007

ford00stangt said:
anyone have any pics of red Led bulbs for there cluster i just ordered them and was wonderin what they would look like

I did replace the HVAC with red incandecent bulbs, didn't really work out at all. Like a very dull red. So I said forget ordering the LEDs and trying to it work. I think the green film is going to interfer for RED. So I odered everything from speed hut. Jet back, with red lettering. Got the HVAC to match. Alot more expensive, but the results will speak for themselves.

I did tackle the Traction/defrost/fog buttons on friday. I got 3mm red LEDs from radio shack and some 680ohm resistors. I soldered it all in there, and it looks great. Good even light and nice red buttons. I didn't replace the idicators LEDs in the buttons though. I have an Eclispe head unit that is red, so everything will match. My father-in-laws audi a8 is red, at night, the interior has this red hue in it that is awesome. Literaly every single button is lit by LED. Even the rear passenger map light buttons and behind the door handles is a subtle red glow. Some things good project ideas for the stang. I wish we had lighted window switches.

94GTHO · Dec 16, 2007

Im thinking about doing this mod too. looks pretty cool.

tag4car · Dec 16, 2007

how about these right here 6th down
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-...t=CAR&keywords=&cart_id=8983027.15482&next=50
i think i want to do them in white

jprovence · Dec 17, 2007

If you want to put LEDs in your cluster, you should look at some of the proven methods and specifics LEDs and vendors previously metioned in the thread.
BTW, a bullitt and Mach one clusters are already white. The stock bulbs are white (non colored) and the light shines though a green film. I think just putting in white LEDs would just give you a sharper looking green.

MichaelsLilGray · Jan 27, 2008

Easiest way is to go on ebay and buy a el glow or reverse glow set ... it makes this so much easier. Just make sure you follow instructions on installation and removal of needles... Here are a few pictures of mine.

View attachment 334150
View attachment 334152
View attachment 334154

All the lighting is really kind of easy to manipulate if you have questions just give me a pm or post up

jprovence · Jan 27, 2008

See that ring of light around the AC nobbs, thats why I didn't do my HVAC. Thats not supposed to be there. I had the speed hut black face, with red reverse glow, it didn't look right with the little ring around the nobbs. That kinda stuff turns me off.

AmBo · Jan 27, 2008

MichaelsLilGray said:
Easiest way is to go on ebay and buy a el glow or reverse glow set ... it makes this so much easier. Just make sure you follow instructions on installation and removal of needles... Here are a few pictures of mine.

View attachment 334131
View attachment 334133
View attachment 334135

All the lighting is really kind of easy to manipulate if you have questions just give me a pm or post up

well now. i don't really even post much on here but since you decided to come into my thread you woke the giant

first off, if taking your gauge cluster completely apart, removing the needles, remembering where they were, putting them back on correctly, then completely reinstalling the cluster is easier than removing 6 bulbs, you're mind works ass backwards

secondly, you're looking at ~$40-60 for a DECENT looking overlay while new LED bulbs will run you ~24 shipped.

lastly, I have yet to see a good looking overlay. Yours, for example, is hideous. Not to mention, by the looks of it, you just v-teched your motor; 6,800 redline!!! That right there, is the best mod ever

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

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