Swapping out to Led's?

[RCP Phx]

I'm changing out all my lamps to led's on a 2000. What I don't know is the type and quantities of the instrument cluster lamps and a list so I can choose a color depending on whether it's a general back-light or a specific gauge/idiot light? I'm trying not to tear it down just to place a order but put it back together in the mean time while I wait!

 

[RCP Phx]

Another question I have for those that have done this, in the case of indicator/idiot lights do you get more light/color when using a white light on a colored lens vs a matching color lamp?

 

[RCP Phx]

Took a good look at it this evening, everything is backlit together so the only thing I don't know is the quantity and the type. I will use nothing but white leds.

 

[camojeep88]

cany help you on bulb count but I do have experience with doing the LED swap in my renix. I just got a random selection from local autoparts stores. I did notice a difference in brightness going from the standard to LED but the issue I had was inconsistency of the color itself. I see it a lot in my line of work being an electrician and the issue is them ranging from 5500-6500k in color which is more on the blue side. Also the ones I got were not dimmable. it was either on or off. Just make sure whatever you get has the ability to be dimmed if that matters to you and personally I wouldn't go anything above 5000k which is more of a pure white. Id order a couple extra just in case one goes out you are guaranteed the same color

 

[asymptonic]

Yeah, I do a lot of work with LED lighting outside of automotive and that's kept me away from doing it in the instruments. The quality of the light is annoyingly 'dead' if you can't get a high quality LED with a warmer color temperature. In and around the house it has to be 2700K. Even 3000 sucks to my eye.

 

[4x4JeePmaNthINg]

youll want 194 leds:https://www.amazon.com/Yorkim-Gener...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

As camo said led dont dim much, I have my whole dash as led. They dim some but not as it was stock. Also you want the 194 bulbs (like the link) that have the leds positioned around (360) and not on top or you will see the lighting between rpm/mph will be darker than the rest.

pretty cool upgrade though, makes everything a crisp read out.

 

[RCP Phx]

I've already ordered all the lamps, the other one in question was the type 74 which is used for the indicator lights in the cluster and some of the other dash components.

 

[RCP Phx]

I forgot to add that I'm buying everything in 6k white, I've found that to be the best. I have converted my house and garage to that and they work great with all my IR cameras in providing the needed spectrum to get color at night.

 

[RCP Phx]

I've already done 2 other cars and they turned out great. The trick here with the cluster will be to test and mark all the lamps for polarity so as to get it done in one shot and one assembly of the dash!

 

[asymptonic]

Any chance you can snap some before and after photos?

 

[RCP Phx]

Any chance you can snap some before and after photos?

That's already planned!

 

[RCP Phx]

I just received my 3157's and the 194's, I went with the sealed 194's because they also go in the floor console, kick panel, over-head map lights and clearance lights.

 

[RCP Phx]

So far it's made a un-believable difference. I've got the third brake light done (waiting on new taillight lenses), the cargo light and the front dome/courtesy lights done, and the center console shifter lights. I started on the kick panel lights but they were not what I expected(1156 vs the 168 the owners manual shows). The kick panel lenses are heavily dis-colored by high heat but I'm not having any luck finding those.

 

[RCP Phx]

The pics of the taillights didn't turn out that great, but the console one's did.....
Before...

After...

 

[Anak]

Which bulbs did you use for the third brake light?

I am looking at changing those to LED to go along with a flasher module. If you have some you are happy with I would like to know what those are.

 

[Black1990jeep]

Another question I have for those that have done this, in the case of indicator/idiot lights do you get more light/color when using a white light on a colored lens vs a matching color lamp?

Get the colored led that matches the lense color. use a red led with a red taillight lense.

white light is all colors, a red led only produces red light, and it goes thru the red lense. a white led will have all but the red blocked by the red lense, the blue is blocked, the green is blocked.... etc if you got a 5 watt white led, that five watts is used to make all the colors that the red lense will block, so most of its watts worth of light will be blocked. With a red led however, all five watts is used to make only red light, and that red light is passed by the red lense, there is no blue, nor green light produced to be blocked and wasted.

So for your red lensed tail lights and brake lights, for best brightest light for a given wattage, use a red led.

 

[RCP Phx]

Which bulbs did you use for the third brake light?

I am looking at changing those to LED to go along with a flasher module. If you have some you are happy with I would like to know what those are.

It was a 921 and is the one on the right in post 13.

 

[Anak]

Thank you.

 

[RCP Phx]

Get the colored led that matches the lense color. use a red led with a red taillight lense.

white light is all colors, a red led only produces red light, and it goes thru the red lense. a white led will have all but the red blocked by the red lense, the blue is blocked, the green is blocked.... etc if you got a 5 watt white led, that five watts is used to make all the colors that the red lense will block, so most of its watts worth of light will be blocked. With a red led however, all five watts is used to make only red light, and that red light is passed by the red lense, there is no blue, nor green light produced to be blocked and wasted.

So for your red lensed tail lights and brake lights, for best brightest light for a given wattage, use a red led.

I wished it was that simple, but it's not. I purposely bought the 6k white's for everything!

 

[gba88]

RCP Phx:

This is perfect timing, my fuel light in the dash has burned out and the coolant one has also gone out and come back now and then...was looking to replace them with LEDs. I love the before and after pics of the shifter console! I have had bad eye issues and recently have had surgery to hopefully correct everything once healed. The dim incandescent bulbs do me no favors in low light! I'd still like them to be dimmable and I know that's not an option with most LEDs. I just want to do the HVAC console, the instrument panel and the floor console... could someone post what bulbs and how many for each of those areas are needed? Links would be great, too! I have looked at the thread and see 194s (for the dash, how many?)but not sure if those are just for the dash or what... links would be appreciated too if possible I saw the amazon one but not one for the sealed 194s.