Brightening Instrument Cluster

[Coupe-This]

Hey guys, i have an autometer c2 guage so it matches my blue el guages at night time, which also happens to have the same blue as my headunit. Now the el dials in the instrument cluster are alot more dull than everything else in the car. Including my turbo timer. I want to make it look more universal so it looks like its all meant to be there like that.

My question is, how the hell can i make these lights brighter?

[TokyoTaxi]

You'll have to pull the instrument cluster out of the dash and pull all the globes out of it. From the factory, the globes have little green rubber condom things over them. You can remove them and replace the globes and it will be brighter. IMO, if you're in there, get a hand full of new globes ( try to find GOOD QUALITY ones ) and install them.

[justin911]

while were on the subject of dash removal..

when you take off the dash.. how do you get the part around the right side of the steering wheel off ??

do you need to pop that side off first or just keep trying to pull it off from the left hand side / centre console bit of the dash??

and yeah blue lights would be cool

[LiQuid IcE]

you just pull it out...gently but firmly... the bit above the steering wheel is a bit scary coz its thin... the bit on the right hand side is tough to get out coz of the air vent.

Also some compliance shops put a twisty knob on the right side of the wheel to adjust the lighting for the dash lights, so u need to unscrew that dial thingie first before you take off the dash

[justin911]

yeah i remember i tried that a while back... heard a cracking noise from the middle bit so i left it and stuck it back on, didnt seem cracked anywhere i could see though which was good

you just pull it out...gently but firmly... the bit above the steering wheel is a bit scary coz its thin... the bit on the right hand side is tough to get out coz of the air vent.

Also some compliance shops put a twisty knob on the right side of the wheel to adjust the lighting for the dash lights, so u need to unscrew that dial thingie first before you take off the dash

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[justin911]

coupe, i pulled mine out tonight... in the end

there like fat32 said.. a little globe with a condom thingy over it..

there fairy easy to yank out

[TokyoTaxi]

Just thinking........I wonder if there are LED's that can replace that style of globe I'm sure they would be brighter, generate less heat and would last for ever !!

There's a project for someone

[GTR_STEALTH]

Ok im not a Skyline person as i still gotta pik mine up...However when it comes to cars i know my shit...

If those globes are the 12v standards ya get in say...Commodore parkers then yes you can get LED ones for it!!!

They are heaps better and you can get different colour ones. I got a set of red LED's for my parkers on my Commodore and its a good strong red like ur stop lights! HaHa The BMW's got 'angel eys' I got the DEVIL EYES!!!

...unlike the condom globes they look dull

[RANDY]

See the "climate control lights" thread or the "LED bulb" thread in the DIY section. =-]

[JD_R33]

The problem with blue LED's is that a lot either aren't bright enough, or are too directional to use in your dash (i.e. only shine forward in a really small arc).

I must have pulled my dash out about six times before getting it right!

First I tried the little blue condoms from Repco - not blue enough.

Then some Monza blue LED's from supercrap - really dull and only light up small sections of the dash.

Then made some up using blue LED's from Jaycar with dropping resistors - a bit brighter but still too directional.

Finally found some LED's on Ebay that were listed as something like "T10 Spark Blue Inverted LED's". Instead of having a rounded end these are, well. inverted I guess. They came in packs of two, so ordered six as dash uses five from memory - kept one for a spare.

These look pretty good with a nice spread of light.

Oh, and does anybody want to buy 6 condoms, six Monza LED's or six homemade blue LED's?