LED Cluster

[Madelinot169]

Been looking at a few threads. And I found this pic that Fritz posted and it caught my eye.
http://home.comcast.net/~cdredman2/Accord/odo2.jpg

I'd like to do something like that with the blue.*But not sure I'd like the needle like that tho. I'd tape it red like I seen RedRyder do on his thread. So what is everything I need to know to do this? I've read somewheres the gas gauge might need a resistor? My car is blue and I got blue neon lighting on the inside so I'd def like to have blue.

So I'd be better off getting a blue LED and not white? And from www.superbrightled.com. Tail light red tape the needles. But just get the standard and not high intensity. Any suggestions or tips? I need someone to point me in the right direction here.

 

[RedRyder]

The big setback with our cluster is that the gauge faces and the needles are illuminated by the same bulb. So when people put a blue bulb behind red needles, the needles are dim.

But your car is an 02…so you already have red needles…

If you use a white bulb behind the faces, the gauge readouts will be a light blue, and your needles will still be red.


And no, you don't need a resistor for the fuel gauge. And if you were thinking of changing the low fuel warning light, don't bother.

 

[Madelinot169]

Oh, didn't know that. Well I never checked either. So my best option would be to get white? Warm white? Cool white?

 

[RedRyder]

98-00 have amber needles, 01-02 have red.

I would look for a good cool white incandescent bulb if you can find it. LED's have one disadvantage, which is that they create hotspots in the cluster. That can be fixed, but it's a tedious process and involves custom work. Like I said though, white LED's will get you a light blue due to the filter on the back of the gauge faces. If you want darker blue like in the photo and the needles to light up well...you need to find a way of individually lighting the needles.

If you use LED's, the best thing you can do is get ones with good spread (degrees) so as to evenly distribute the light throughout the clear acrylic.

 

[thatklazzickid]

Oh, didn't know that. Well I never checked either. So my best option would be to get white? Warm white? Cool white?

warm white is incandescent and the same color as the bulbs that come stock. your best bet is pure white 4300k to cool white 5000k

 

[Madelinot169]

Lucky me for already having red needles I read on another thread 360 degree ones, is that what I'd need? And LED or not I just want my gauges blue lol. I'm a noob with this stuff -_- help haha

 

[RedRyder]

Like I said above, white lighting will get your gauges light blue and red needles will be well lit.

Blue lighting will get your gauges a darker blue, but the red needles will be dimly lit.

Yeah, 360 or 120 depending.

 

[Madelinot169]

Okay, what about the other lights? Srs abs etc. does anyone bother changing them?

 

[RedRyder]

No point in changing a light that only comes on when you turn the ignition, then disappears.

Most people just change the bulbs lighting the gauge faces/needles, the odometer bulb, and the turn signal bulbs. Some people have changed the PRND321 bulbs, not sure what size those are.

 

[Madelinot169]

Okay nice, thats exactly what I'd like. Gauge faces/needles, the odometer bulb, and the turn signal bulbs. So which would make a brighter darker blue, cool white or pure white? And if someone could please, tell me exactly which ones I would need to order so I can go online and order them, thank you.