DIY - Gauge Cluster LED swap

[Top-Secret]

@Acree is that the same process you used for gauges? just darker LEDs?

[Top-Secret]

Originally Posted by Pwolf

@sirisvirus as well (sorry for the late response)

Cool White for the gauges from:
http://www.oznium.com/plcc-2

and then Blue for the LCD displays from:
http://lighthouseleds.com/plcc-2-121...-1000-mcd.html

(Probably doesn't matter but the blue ones from Oznium didn't seem bright enough earlier in my LED conversion process so I bought a bunch from Lighthouse LEDs to do finish the interior.)

For the gauges I bought some transparent blue vinyl from Ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transparent-...-/370298539724

Had to cut out and stick it to the backside of the insert. That was the hardest part and took the most time.

@Mooseknuckle44, probably depends on what LEDS you're using. I have no problem seeing the clock or the LCDs on my gauge cluster during the day or night. Definitely looks better in the dark though :P

and then Blue for the LCD displays from:
http://lighthouseleds.com/plcc-2-1210-smd-led-blue-ultra-bright-1000-mcd.html
^^will these do all the rest of the interior also?

[Pwolf]

Originally Posted by Top-Secret

and then Blue for the LCD displays from:
http://lighthouseleds.com/plcc-2-1210-smd-led-blue-ultra-bright-1000-mcd.html
^^will these do all the rest of the interior also?

Yep, used the same ones.

[Top-Secret]

Originally Posted by Pwolf

Yep, used the same ones.

roughly how many LEDs for the interior?

[Pwolf]

Originally Posted by Top-Secret

roughly how many LEDs for the interior?

Depending on what you swap out, anywhere between like 45 and 75 LEDs. I bought 50 blue and 20 whites and still have a few of each left over. I have some pictures of the PCBs I can post later when im not out of town.

[DustinS]

So I was just about to order my LED's when I started looking at luminosity. The Blue LED's @Acree mentioned are 560mcd and the white LED's I was going to add(to get more of a blue-ish white -6500K-, from the same company) are 2300mcd. Do you guys think I will have an issue with the White being WAY too over bright compared to the Blue?

Planning White Needles, White Numbers with Blue "Tick marks", Blue Displays, Blue everything else(plan on opening stock radio and seeing about changing those as well).

Blue LED's

White LED's

Should I look at getting White LED's closer to the lumins of the Blue LED's?

[Pwolf]

Originally Posted by DustinS

So I was just about to order my LED's when I started looking at luminosity. The Blue LED's @Acree mentioned are 560mcd and the white LED's I was going to add(to get more of a blue-ish white -6500K-, from the same company) are 2300mcd. Do you guys think I will have an issue with the White being WAY too over bright compared to the Blue?

Planning White Needles, White Numbers with Blue "Tick marks", Blue Displays, Blue everything else(plan on opening stock radio and seeing about changing those as well).

Blue LED's

White LED's

Should I look at getting White LED's closer to the lumins of the Blue LED's?

I'm using white LEDs @650-850mcd and they're pretty bright already. That said, the Blue LEDs I'm using are rated at 1000mcd.

[DustinS]

I was going to purchase 50 of the whites, but I am going to order 30(should cover everything I need white) of the Bright ones, and 30 Osram White @ 560mcd 5600K.

I will check to see which I like more when I am in there.]

Osram LED's

Edit: Has anyone looked at moving the shift light to the the needle itself? Would it be detrimental to add maybe two Led's extra(stock shift light + two wired to the needle) on the shift light circuit, and wire them up to illuminate the Needle a certain color when the shift light goes off.

2nd Edit?: Ordered some bright Red 0805 LED's. Going to try and light the needle red with the shift light.

[Top-Secret]

Originally Posted by DustinS

I was going to purchase 50 of the whites, but I am going to order 30(should cover everything I need white) of the Bright ones, and 30 Osram White @ 560mcd 5600K.

I will check to see which I like more when I am in there.]

Osram LED's

Edit: Has anyone looked at moving the shift light to the the needle itself? Would it be detrimental to add maybe two Led's extra(stock shift light + two wired to the needle) on the shift light circuit, and wire them up to illuminate the Needle a certain color when the shift light goes off.

2nd Edit?: Ordered some bright Red 0805 LED's. Going to try and light the needle red with the shift light.

when you figure this out post up. im really curious if it will work or not. and do a DIY for it please. just incase it does i would love to do something like it when i go to do my lights soon

[DustinS]

Got it somewhat done. The vinyl isn't as nice/is a bit too dark for my liking. So that will most likely be removed. I am going to replace the white LED's for something the same lumins as the Blue so they dim just about the same. I still need to try the shift light. I think it would work better with white needles as the red should make the needles super red. They are going to turn purple now haha. I am also going to change the red warning lights(except oil) to blue, and the amber to white.

[Top-Secret]

Originally Posted by DustinS

Got it somewhat done. The vinyl isn't as nice/is a bit too dark for my liking. So that will most likely be removed. I am going to replace the white LED's for something the same lumins as the Blue so they dim just about the same. I still need to try the shift light. I think it would work better with white needles as the red should make the needles super red. They are going to turn purple now haha. I am also going to change the red warning lights(except oil) to blue, and the amber to white.

this looks unreal. how did you make the needles blue? white paint with blue LEDs or blue paint? i imagine you have to scrape the old red stuff off first?

[DustinS]

I scraped the red paint off the top, bought some flat white model paint and an expensive very fine paint brush, and painted the bottom of the needles. I used my normal camera to get pictures of the white paint and i haven't pulled them off the card yet.

[Top-Secret]

Originally Posted by DustinS

I scraped the red paint off the top, bought some flat white model paint and an expensive very fine paint brush, and painted the bottom of the needles. I used my normal camera to get pictures of the white paint and i haven't pulled them off the card yet.

do the needles seperate easily from the black casing type thing? need to pull those pictures SAP

[DustinS]

The holes in that needle that was pulled apart is from two plastic tabs. I just cut the lip off with an exacto knife. I then used a very fine flat head to carefully pry the black cover (the small one keeping the needle on the big black piece) off. Then after you finish stripping and painting(I painted the bottom flat white, though I did also buy gloss white, and silver) the needles, you insert them back into the casing(take note as the clear plastic of the needles are thin and flex a lot, they might be easy to break). Then put the black cover back over the clear part and eight use the soldering iron the melt the cover to the remaining black tab to keep it closed, or there might be enough of a lip to just snap it back on.

I am thinking about buying another gauge cluster from eBay and making a very detailed video. I didn't this last time because I started working on it last minute and was kinda rushing to get it done.

Edit: I wonder how pink would look... I think purple wouldn't be too bad.