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

AmBo · Jan 2, 2007

Looks exactly like what I ordered. I'm going to order 1 74 LED from superbrightleds along with 2 for my HVAC. I'll let you know if they are brighter than the ebay ones when I get them in.

GToddyT5 · Jan 2, 2007

OK cool because I just threw in a Pioneer head unit and would like the blue on there to match everything else.

SMRcalidiv · Jan 2, 2007

ok thanks guys.

ab 281 gt · Jan 2, 2007

I finally got my bulbs working correctly this afternoon. I really need to change out the HVAC bulbs now though.. Oh and btw the pic sucks as its from my phone.

SMRcalidiv · Jan 2, 2007

It looks like you basically lose your needles and any red coloring in the gauges like redline etc. Do your needles show up more than the makes it look?

thomas91169 · Jan 2, 2007

isnt the plastic tinted green? ive seen writeups where they take the whole shibbang apart and wetsand the tint color off, and either use a colored bulb, or a white bulb and re-tint with a color-tint spray.

i might do this soon, i think i want to do red lights though, blue is too rampant and ricer-related, red seems to be more of a subtle color.

btw those led's are like 39c Ea. at teh RadioShaq with 0 shipping.

AmBo · Jan 2, 2007

thomas91169 said:
isnt the plastic tinted green? ive seen writeups where they take the whole shibbang apart and wetsand the tint color off, and either use a colored bulb, or a white bulb and re-tint with a color-tint spray.

i might do this soon, i think i want to do red lights though, blue is too rampant and ricer-related, red seems to be more of a subtle color.

btw those led's are like 39c Ea. at teh RadioShaq with 0 shipping.

yea that sounds totally unnecessary

Mach1Run · Jan 3, 2007

Are the bulbs something I can get at a radioshack or something?

AmBo · Jan 3, 2007

I wouldn't think they would carry such a tiny LED in blue. Prove me wrong

GToddyT5 · Jan 3, 2007

Prob do, I worked at Radio Shack for three years. They have a lot of that crap in the parts drawers.

Silvergto2 · Jan 3, 2007

Why not just get some new gauges?....I took on this "change the dashboard color" project 2 years ago and it came out pretty successful...I bought new gauges for the dash and the HVAC from Speedhut and then swapped out the leds in the rear defrost, trac control, and fog light buttons to blue. I also bought new HVAC knobs that light red so it matches the dash cluster. The only thing left stock green is the cd changer. I did pull that apart but it had too many surface mount leds and I am not an electrician, but it still looks good...This would be easier except the needles are hard to see.

thomas91169 · Jan 3, 2007

AmBo said:
yea that sounds totally unnecessary

well no, if you take off the green film and re-tint it the color you want and utilizing the stock bulbs (or white LED's with diffusers), it will have a more constistent glow, unlike with just using a LED in the stock locations, you get hotspots like the pics above (look at the parts where its brighter than the rest, kinda looks half assed IMO)

i dont know how hard it would be to take apart the stock gauges. i know with my dsm i could take the stock overlay off, and mark the shaft for the needles so i can re-install them fine later, i dont know how it looks on our gauges so i really dont know..........yet. might get bored later..........

blubullett · Jan 3, 2007

Maybe if you paint the needles white it will reflect the blue better. Red needles+blue light=brown needles. I just ordered the bulbs so ill see if white shows up better.

AmBo · Jan 9, 2007

Let me know how it turns out. As for the "hotspots" comment, it doesn't bother me and I've gotten nothing but compliments on the blue dash. For $8 I'll take it.

I'm going to eventually get all these suckers blue...

SMRcalidiv · Jan 9, 2007

What are the bulb sizes for the Rear Defrost and Trac Control buttons?

AmBo · Jan 10, 2007

SMRcalidiv said:
What are the bulb sizes for the Rear Defrost and Trac Control buttons?

Wondering the same thing. Once I find out i'll let ya know unless someone else already knows

BlackGT4.6 · Jan 11, 2007

has anyone tried it on a 96-98? same idea or completly diffrent?

Merbie · Jan 11, 2007

...Bulbs are on the way! I ,as well, would like to know about changing the bulbs behind the radio/ac/heat...

Thanks for the idea!

Merbs

AmBo · Jan 11, 2007

BlackGT, the 96-98 is different. I think (not 100%) that they are actually more common bulbs. Pretty sure they are 194/168 which means u have a slightly bigger bulb and MUCH more of a selection. For example --> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2pcs...9QQihZ010QQcategoryZ33713QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem with these, it also has LEDs going SIDEWAYS which would light up the entire panel and you'd have less "hotspots"

Merbie - The radio is a PITA as it's a bunch of onboard LEDs that require soldering. Not for me hehe. But the HVAC (ac/heat as you say) is simply two 194/168 bulbs. See the pics I posted above.

Anyone get a bulb size for the defroster/trac/fogs yet or do I have to go tearing my console apart

BlackGT4.6 · Jan 11, 2007

thanks for the info

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

AmBo

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GToddyT5

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ab 281 gt

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