LED dashboard lights

[foot2firewall]

For anyone contemplating replacing faulty dashboard bulbs, this is my experience with LEDs, which will hopefully be helpful.

I tried three types of LED as replacements for the standard capless bulbs. The problem I found was that LEDs have a very narrow beam, so I’d only get illumination straight in front of the LED. Even some of the wide beam ones didn’t fully illuminate the dials, this is the only one that I found worked:
http://www.aceparts.com/lights-electrical/led-bulb...

I replaced the bulb in the fibre optic illumination for the heater controls with one of these:
http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/233-led-extreme-p...

The fibre optic illumination for the switches on top of the transmission tunnel was replaced with these LEDs (the warm white version), which have a pre-wired resistor:
http://www.layouts4u.net/leds.html

I used a female crimp connector minus the outer casing to install them:


And this is the illumination:


I left the fibre optic illumination in place for the heater controls

[v8s4me]

That’s a very neat solution, and very cheap. Are they a lot brighter than the original fiber optics? Presumably by using pre-wired ones you didn’t have to make up a resistor board and could connect them straight into the existing loom? Does anyone know where to get the little stickers for the light lenses eg with the fan symbol on?

[DelboyH]

v8s4me said:

That’s a very neat solution, and very cheap. Are they a lot brighter than the original fiber optics? Presumably by using pre-wired ones you didn’t have to make up a resistor board and could connect them straight into the existing loom? Does anyone know where to get the little stickers for the light lenses eg with the fan symbol on?

You can get sheets of self adhesive switch symbols from Car Builder Solutions for £3.60 + postage.

http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/product/Self_Adhesive_S...

[RayTVR]

Excellent solution.

I have been on the wrong track entirely- I changed the bulb in the fibre optic thing for LED but still got nowhere.

LEDs on order today!

[french dave]

hi,thinking of buying some of those wide angle leds - how do you connect them in to existing wireing? thanks dave

[french dave]

hi all,sorry i meant do the leds come with their own connectors?

[foot2firewall]

french dave said:

hi,thinking of buying some of those wide angle leds - how do you connect them in to existing wireing? thanks dave

The wide angle LEDs I bought are a straight replacement for the original T10 type bulbs in the instruments, so no wiring required.

[foot2firewall]

v8s4me said:

That’s a very neat solution, and very cheap. Are they a lot brighter than the original fiber optics? Presumably by using pre-wired ones you didn’t have to make up a resistor board and could connect them straight into the existing loom? Does anyone know where to get the little stickers for the light lenses eg with the fan symbol on?

The fibre optics didn't generate any illumination. so yes much brighter! The resistor is pre wired within the shrink wrap tape behind the LED and I just spliced the leads into the wires for the fibre optics.

[v8s4me]

I’m looking at the LED’s on this link but can’t figure out which ones you used for the switches on the centre console. Can you let me know the part numbers on your order form please so I can get the right ones? Also, for these switches, did you use green or clear LED’s. Thanks. Joe

[foot2firewall]

v8s4me said:

I’m looking at the LED’s on this link but can’t figure out which ones you used for the switches on the centre console. Can you let me know the part numbers on your order form please so I can get the right ones? Also, for these switches, did you use green or clear LED’s. Thanks. Joe

Hi, if you mean the switches on top of the transmission tunnel (Heater, driving lights and fog lights) the only description on the invoice I received was 'pwww - Prewired Warm White 12 volt LED' on the Layouts4U website: http://www.layouts4u.net/leds.html

It's the 13th item down on the above web page!

Edited by foot2firewall on Monday 8th April 21:46

[v8s4me]

I think I see the ones you mean but the bulbs in the picture on the web site don't look like they would fit in the little hole on the translucent surround for the switch in the way you have showed in your photo above - they don't look slim enough.

[foot2firewall]

v8s4me said:

I think I see the ones you mean but the bulbs in the picture on the web site don't look like they would fit in the little hole on the translucent surround for the switch in the way you have showed in your photo above - they don't look slim enough.

They don't fit - I had to use the inside of a crimp connector to hold the LED and wedged it into the hole in the transluscent surround. There's plenty enough light from the LED to illuminate the picture on the switch.