About Changing dash lights?
#1
About Changing dash lights?
Is it possbile to get some cheap led bulbs off ebay to replace the dash lights and effectivly change the dash light color?
My stock gauges look a little yellow and I'm bored with them.
I want to get blue or green or orange, I figure it should be easy to atleast do everything but the radio and climate control but the climate control might be easy, does anyone know?
I have an A4 so I also want to do the shifter.
Does anyone know of a thread where this is completely referenced? I've tried searching for 30 minutes, can't find anything but a $60 led kit just for the gauges!
http://www.ledgauges.com/ls1techsales.html
thanks
My stock gauges look a little yellow and I'm bored with them.
I want to get blue or green or orange, I figure it should be easy to atleast do everything but the radio and climate control but the climate control might be easy, does anyone know?
I have an A4 so I also want to do the shifter.
Does anyone know of a thread where this is completely referenced? I've tried searching for 30 minutes, can't find anything but a $60 led kit just for the gauges!
http://www.ledgauges.com/ls1techsales.html
thanks
Last edited by Evolution223; 04-03-2010 at 09:56 PM.
#2
Blue 5 LED 194/168 12V 4W (T10 Wedge) Wide View Angle Bulbs. I have 7 of these in my gauge cluster. I think I got 20 of them off ebay for $40 or something. I haven't replaced any of the other interior lights. Make sure you get some that disperse the light over a wide area.. mine have 5 LEDs each so they do a relatively good job but they could be better. I don't know what else is out there and haven't looked into it in a long time though cuz I'm happy enough with them. Also, you can get the bases at auto parts stores and you can use the old bases if you can get the old bulbs out of them.
Last edited by camaro_chic17; 04-07-2010 at 12:36 PM.
#6
yeah, I think the clear cover just snaps on, you have to push in the tabs to get it off, but you shouldn't even have to take it off to do this anyway.
it should be easy, unbolt it, pull out the whole gauge cluster assembly, unplug the harness, pull the bulbs out of the back of it, and change them. I've only done it on my Kawasaki ninja but I assume the car is exactly the same. The whole thing takes at most 40 minutes.
The crappy thing about doing it with LED's is you probaly can't dim them, that's why I would Standard bulbs colored blue for this if I were you.
But yes, you can find out which bulbs it takes and find whatver color you want this is real cheap and easy to do.
According to Camarochic 17 it takes The T10's or 194's which are very common, infact that's whats on my Ninja gauges and that same bulb that's used on the marker llights on the camaros, they are very common.
Although The shifter for the A4 is a smaller bulb, I know because I have taken that apart before, but I don't know what spec it is. Does Anyone? I guess a dealer would know or you could find it on a GM parts website. It's probably these T5's but I dont know.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-X-T...Q5fAccessories
it should be easy, unbolt it, pull out the whole gauge cluster assembly, unplug the harness, pull the bulbs out of the back of it, and change them. I've only done it on my Kawasaki ninja but I assume the car is exactly the same. The whole thing takes at most 40 minutes.
The crappy thing about doing it with LED's is you probaly can't dim them, that's why I would Standard bulbs colored blue for this if I were you.
But yes, you can find out which bulbs it takes and find whatver color you want this is real cheap and easy to do.
According to Camarochic 17 it takes The T10's or 194's which are very common, infact that's whats on my Ninja gauges and that same bulb that's used on the marker llights on the camaros, they are very common.
Although The shifter for the A4 is a smaller bulb, I know because I have taken that apart before, but I don't know what spec it is. Does Anyone? I guess a dealer would know or you could find it on a GM parts website. It's probably these T5's but I dont know.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-X-T...Q5fAccessories
Last edited by Evolution223; 04-07-2010 at 11:18 PM.
#11
They were kinda finnicky and that's why I bought extra bases and messed with it until I got it as good as possible. I took it apart about 4 times last fall after replacing 2 or 3 of them trying to make it "perfect" and this is as good as it gets. I originally did this about 5 years ago so having to replace a couple wasn't unexpected. I do love the color these blue LEDs provide.
You do not take the clear part off to do this. If I remember right you take the pillar out, prop the dash pad up, take the part of the dash under the steering wheel and the part over the steering wheel out (and unclip the switches) and you take the part over the radio off so you can take one of those around the steering wheel off, and there are four bolts holding the guage cluster in.
Last edited by camaro_chic17; 04-08-2010 at 01:52 AM.
#12
^^^That's pretty much it. Since they're leds you might have to install cluster & turn on lights to verify operation. If it doesn't look like it's lit up take it back apart, take out led, turn 180 degrees, and reinstall. <--I had to do this a couple times to get all the lights to work.
#13
#14