OK, I've looked everywhere for some bright dash lights and have found jack ****. I sanded off the back of my gauges like Hyperite and used the same LEDs he used but for some reason they're not working for me. The small ones are working actually, the big ones suck though. They're not giving off enough light, and the light they DO give off isn't evenly displayed across the gauges. I'd like to try a regular bulb instead of LED so it will give off the light evenly, but the ones I've tried aren't bright enough, and the highest one I've tried is 5watts. I need size 194, same size as the turn lamp bulbs. The Sylvania OEM replacements aren't bright enough and they're like an off-white, I've tried some "CyberWhite Xenon Lightning" bulbs from Wal-Mart that claimed to be what the name says, and they're just as bad as the OEM replacements. I've tried white LED bulbs from PepBoys for almost $10 a pair and they're AMBER, even though they claimed to be white. I'm looking at getting these PIAA bulbs... http://www.shopatron.com/product/pro...PIA19168/353.0 but I'm not sure about them either. I read somewhere that 168 is the same as 194, so no I'm not illiterate, haha. Anyone have any suggestions or leads?

Oh, and I already did a search and didn't find anything helpful.

 

You do know that the gauge lenses / overlays a lot of the time are orange, so no matter how brite / white bulbs are they'll still be somewhat yellowish...

Also In the FD the dash has acrylic lenses that direct light evenly (Or try to)

The only thing for brightness I can think of is what a cousin (43 Yr. Old Engineer) told me he did for his motorcycle... he put in 6V bulbs into a 12v system (like a car). 2X the brightness 1/2 the life expectancy....

I can't say that that will be a safe idea since in a headlight or on a motorcycle dash, heat has someplace to go, but in the dash with no real ventilation I'd be afraid what would heat up too much....

 

Yeah, I already scratched off the amber coloring to get the clear effect. The small LEDs (74) work fine, they come through superwhite and bright (I actually had to keep the stock bulbs in the warning lights at the bottom cause the LEDs through the color off) but the 194s sucked. They had the light coming out the top and 4 coming out the sides, and they just weren't bright enough and actually seemed like they dimmed very quickly, and one of them is blown already I think. It flickered ALOT before it actually went out. I bought some better LEDs from Superbrightleds.com. I actually did the research myself this time instead of buying what worked for someone else. The ones I'm getting now, 2 different kinds actually...one has 12 LEDs on top and the other is one larger LED with a cone shaped end and both give wide angle dispersement. The site said LEDs generally aren't as bright as normal lights but I'm hoping the 12 LEDs will fix that, haha. If the bulb part actually fits in there. I haven't come across any 6v lights yet.

I like your avatar btw, haha. "UNPIMP THE AUTO", haha.

 

you mean something like this? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/89-91...69540021QQrdZ1

 

You can also remove the stock gauge faces and scan them into a computer, change the color to whatever you like then print them on the thinnest paper you can find, (to make them translucent) cut them out and glue them over the original faces. You will want to try it on a sheet of plexi or something a few times first because its very tricky to get them glued smoothly. I used super thin model epoxy to glue them but the stuff you use for headliners would probably be easier since you can spray it on. Once you get the hang of glueing (sp?) then you will need to sand off the the paint on the original faces so the backlighting doesn't make the original design show through.

 

^I'm at work so I'm not able to check Ebay to see what tandolla was saying, I'll check it when I get home. Texrx, I don't really want to change my gauge faces themselves, just where the light comes through. So instead of it being a black face with red coming through, I want the black face with bright white coming through. I pulled indiglo gauges off that the previous owner had on there. But if you were just saying that's another idea for an inexpensive way to change your gauges, it's not a bad idea. I actually bought some (hopefully) better LEDs from superbrightleds.com. Two different kinds...one with 12 little LEDs on top, and another with just one big LED with a cone shaped end, so both will have wide dispersement, or so it says. I'll post the results when I'm finished. Thanks for all the input guys.

 

Well I'm not sure but the red should be on the gauge face and not affected by light color. I know the 1st gens are that way and 2nd gens too so you may have to change the gauge face to get rid of the red color. Though I may be misunderstanding something.

 

You may also want to try sanding/ reshaping the end of the LED. Sanding it will have the same effect as the white coating on an ordinary soft white house bulb and reshaping will of course change the dispersal of light.

 

I already sanded off the back of the gauges that give it the amber color, so it allows clear white through when the right bulb is used. My problem is as of yet I haven't found a bulb bright enough that spreads evenly across the whole cluster. That's why I was looking for a regular bulb that was just super bright white, cause a regular bulb will have even dispersement. But those other LEDs I ordered should work, I hope they do anyway. The LEDs I've had to fit the 194 slot had a small light on the end, and a light pointing out of each of the 4 sides.

Here's the link to when Hyperite did his...

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ghlight=lovers

I got all the same bulbs he did, the 5 LED matrix and the small bulbs. The small bulbs are fine, the big ones didn't work for me, and I did it exactly like he did.

 

Hey, I've been thinking about converting colors in my FC, and maybe check into EL glow wire.. may be easier to get more uniform lighting: http://www.elbestbuy.com/shleofremali.html

...especially considering how bright electro-luminecent stuff is. Downside is that it will burn out before an led would.. but it will still last for atleast 5+ years.

 

Hey speed, I'm having the same problems you are. I found some 194/168 white LEDs on this site: http://autolumination.com/194.htm. Its the second one down called Super Star. I tried them out in the 99spec front turn signals and the dome lights and they are bright as hell. Haven't tried them out in the dash yet cause I haven't had time to pull it apart. Kinda expensive though but they seem to have a wide area of light. Lemme know if you're gonna go for these and how they turn out. Thanks!

 

I looked at his pics and it seems to me that he had the same problem...it looks that the light dims out towards the middle section...or is it just me?

 

tandolla...I finally got to look at the Ebay ad, definitely NOT what I'm looking for, haha. That's like what I pulled off.

Flash...I may have to try that if all else fails. Even if it does only last 5 years, it's 5 freakin years! Haha. I could handle only having to change them once every five years, but I only want to try that if I can't find a good bulb. I'm not sure exactly how I'd run it through there. I guess through one of the light bulb holes since they wouldn't be there.

basaltFD...that doesn't look bad at all. I've seen that site but for some reason never looked through to see what they had. I forgot about it. They do have some good bulbs on there though. If the ones I'm getting don't work, I'm going to try those or the frosted bulbs below those. Actually there are several good bulbs on there. Thanks for pointing that out.

seven lust...he did say he was having that problem too, but mine was MUCH worse. They weren't nearly as bright as his to begin with, and they only got dimmer.

Thanks guys!

 

I was looking at those Super Stars more. DAMMIT why didn't I see that before. Oh well, I guess I'll try those next.

 

Hey is it possiable to make a reflective shield on top of the middle section to reflect the light back, this would give you more even lighting....just a little thin strip of material that is reflective...I have not looked at this piece myself, so I do not know if it can be done... bet that something of that nature can be done...just a thought...

 

^what do you mean when you say middle section? Are you talking about between the gauges or in the middle of each gauge or what? Each gauge is mounted on a piece of plastic, and each piece has a part that goes down just over the lamps closest to it, basically to direct the light through the plastic itself to the back of the gauge. The back of the cluster is white, which I think is already works pretty well for spreading the light, and the part that goes over the gauges is black (of course) and then the plastic piece that goes over all that. You know what I'm talking about, or have you seen that already?

 

well, thinking about the shield and that will not work...no room for it...what might work is some foil tape used for ducting, it can be found at home depot. I have used this for some old headlights before and it helped reflect the light. so maybe if you taped up the plastic pieces behind the gauges it may spread the light better because it reflects so much better then white and black or what ever color they are behind there...again I have not seen these pieces in person because mine have never been off ... I am just throwing ideas out there that might help or maybe it may help you think of another way...I think you have tried some pretty good bulbs, and I dont believe the bulbs are the problem....the solution is in the light not being lost. somewhere it is being soaked up or lost...thats why I think that the foil tape might work....

 

Yeah I see what you're saying. I was thinking the same thing before. I actually think the bulbs I've used thus far weren't that great. I really wish I had seen those Super Star bulbs before I bought the ones I'm getting now. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks though seven lust.

 

Alright, so I got the bulbs in a couple days ago. I tried the smaller bulbs first, the single LED with a cone shaped end, and it wasn't bright enough (go figure), so I tried to put in the one with the 12 LEDs on top and it was too big. It was too big around to fit through the hole for starters, so I took out the 3 screws (4 for the speedo) that hold the actual gauge and motor in place, and tried to put the light in that way, and when I went to put the gauges back on, the plastic that rests just above the light normally was hitting the top of it and it wouldn't seat properly, so I'm going to get some of the Super Stars. I'll let you all know what happens. Hopefully I can find some good lights and it will save whoever else tries this some time and money.

 

Came out to $38.96 for the Super Stars, and it was like $35 for the ones I just got that don't work...this ****'s gettin' expensive for some freakin' bulbs, haha.

 

dont forget to take pics!

 

Well I will if I get some good damn bulbs, HAHA.

 

I've seen it in person and it really isn't THAT bad as far as even lighting goes. Can you take pics of the LEDs that you DO have for a comparison?

Also, he had mentioned in that thread that he was going to add lights to even things out. Just as an FYI, he hasn't done that yet.

I don't remember the specs, but look at the viewing angle and luminosity of those and any other ones from autoillumiation. Get anything with a wider angle and brighter and that should help.

 

^His didn't look that bad, mine were horrible. I don't have any pics. I do still have the lights but I'm not putting them back in for pics, haha. Although that would help show everyone what I mean. I'm not sure how he was going to add more lights, I'd have to see how it's done first.

 

Alright, I tried the new lights. They are a LITTLE better than the original ones I tried (the same ones Hyperite used). I think I might just need a new cluster or something, maybe I'm not getting enough power or something.