LED Speed Gauge Cluster Build

This is the other 2 i was talking about..

Mike




Gauge-2.gif
 
I haven't forgotten about this build everyone. I place my order about a week ago and they were back ordered on some of the LEDs. Should be here in a week or 2. I'll keep updating. Thanks for the patience.
 
I like to replace mine too. I found I had one blown. I replaced it but it would be nice to have them brighter. One question can these be dimmed with the stock switch?
 
I like to replace mine too. I found I had one blown. I replaced it but it would be nice to have them brighter. One question can these be dimmed with the stock switch?

According to them, they are fully dimmable...

UPDATE: I received the bulbs today. I'm scheduled to do my Turbo install in about 2 weeks, so I'm thinking I will do Dash at same time since the car will be out of commission for a few days and it's my daily, so I'd like to take my time with this mod.
In the meantime, I plan on photographing new bulbs next to their OEM counterparts for a comparison and will post here.
 
Checking in to give another updated. Sorry to everyone that's it's taking longer for the install. I have decided to do a full engine swap, so I'm still waiting on engine stuff before I start pulling the dash apart. I will get it installed ASAP and update again.
 
If I remember correctly, the gauge faces have an amber film that is laminated between the foil face and the plastic diffuser backing. If you put white (or whatever color bulbs in) the back-light on the gauges will still be tinted amber.There is no way to remove that amber tint without destroying the gauge face. I played around with white leds a few years back. They were a lot brighter but still amber :rolleyes:

as for dimming.. You can still dim them slightly.

Interested to see what you come up with.
 
Sorry for delay everyone. I still haven't changed them out yet. I have been waiting on my engine and turbo kit to arrive, and I am going to do the lights while they are installing engine and turbo. Sorry it's taking so long, but I'm hoping I can do this month. My NSX is my daily driver, which is why I've been waiting to do lights when it's already undriveable.
 
Just seeing this thread...

Purchased my '98 abt a year ago. Dash lites are red - I assumed that was stock, and they do not illuminate the dash very well. Was red Factory?

I think white will work better... Subscribed...
 
If I remember correctly, the gauge faces have an amber film that is laminated between the foil face and the plastic diffuser backing. If you put white (or whatever color bulbs in) the back-light on the gauges will still be tinted amber.There is no way to remove that amber tint without destroying the gauge face. I played around with white leds a few years back. They were a lot brighter but still amber :rolleyes:

as for dimming.. You can still dim them slightly.

Interested to see what you come up with.

Sweet. I dont want to remove the amber I just want a brighter light. keep us updated
 
2 Bits of Good News!
1. Engine is due to ship on March 12th, so I will be able to pull out my dash around March 18th and complete this build.
2. I purchased a used OEM Climate COntrol Unit to try and change the lighting color to match my new guage LED's so I'll include that as part of this build.

THanks everyone for your patience!
 
^ i did just that...

i converted my CCU face and HU from orange illumination to white illumintation.

i swapped orange selection lights to red leds and green bulbs to green leds.

I'm yet to convert the screens, but i already know what gel filter color i have to buy
to convert them to white light... have to source some tone samples to check what's
the right tone.

It was an intense conversion... lot's of welds and stuff... but i managed

If you need help with the voltages, i know them all!!

Thanks,
Nuno
 
^ i did just that...

i converted my CCU face and HU from orange illumination to white illumintation.

i swapped orange selection lights to red leds and green bulbs to green leds.

I'm yet to convert the screens, but i already know what gel filter color i have to buy
to convert them to white light... have to source some tone samples to check what's
the right tone.

It was an intense conversion... lot's of welds and stuff... but i managed

If you need help with the voltages, i know them all!!

Thanks,
Nuno

Nuno
I'd love to see this, kindly post pictures and any DIY. I want to brighten up my displays...Thanks!
 
Hi,

i'm yet to do the displays...i'm having a hard time trying to source the gel filters..

so, i can take photos, but the displays will still be orange....as the DIY, i didn't take any pictures (sadly)
but i can explain what i did and take photos of the work done, once i uninstall everything to change the
displays.

Nuno
 
Hi,

well ... first of all, don't forget that i only changed:
- Illumination lights to White LEDs
- Orange Selection lights to Red LEDs
- Green Selection lights to Green LEDs

the hardest part comes now: Balance the brightness so i have the same
intensity all over.

Here are the 3 photos i shot:



Notes:
- The CCU red selection of window and inside circulation, and the HU TPA button selection are RED, real RED, but on the photo look orange.
- The green selection on the CCU is very bright...i have to bring it down....a lot
- On the CCU, the white illumination is uniform, but on photo some buttons/areas look almost without illumination....weird
- On HU, i have the number buttons and knobs in bad shape, but i already have new knobs and have some spare number ones to choose.

Nuno
 
Hi,

well ... first of all, don't forget that i only changed:..........
Nuno

Nice work! So do they dim with your dimmer switch? My intentions were to just swap out the bulbs inside the CCU unit with LED's that dim, but it sounds from your experience that it's way more complicated than that. Ami I correct>?
 
Hi,

everything that dimmed before, dimms now too... what i did was a direct change from tiny bulbs to LEDs, or
Leds to Leds (to change color).

In the CCU, the whole illumination is done by only 2 Bulbs...replacing them directly with 2 LEDs won't do it...
i even sanded the LEDs so they diffuse more and project less, but i had to add more leds to it... not complicated.
I will add 1 or 2 more leds to the CCU display the next time i open it for balancing, just to smooth.

All in all...if you are familiar with a soldering iron and familiar to remove and weld back this type of electronic
components, you will do it with easy..

To resume it: It's easy to do, but take you time to do it right...lot's of testing....i'm far from done...but it's
rewarding to see the results (even beeing this bad balanced :tongue:)

I also changed the Cigarrete lighter ring and ashtray illumination to white...and the Euro/JDM switchs to white also.
The only thing still orange in my whole center console is the 3 displays: CCU, HU and Clock

Nuno

PS - when i remove everything to start the balance process, i'll take photos of what i have done and explain how
and why.
 
Engine is due here on March 25th, so I should be able to get started on Dash shortly after.


Hi,

everything that dimmed before, dimms now too... what i did was a direct change from tiny bulbs to LEDs, or
Leds to Leds (to change color).

In the CCU, the whole illumination is done by only 2 Bulbs...replacing them directly with 2 LEDs won't do it...
i even sanded the LEDs so they diffuse more and project less, but i had to add more leds to it... not complicated.
I will add 1 or 2 more leds to the CCU display the next time i open it for balancing, just to smooth.

All in all...if you are familiar with a soldering iron and familiar to remove and weld back this type of electronic
components, you will do it with easy..

To resume it: It's easy to do, but take you time to do it right...lot's of testing....i'm far from done...but it's
rewarding to see the results (even beeing this bad balanced :tongue:)

I also changed the Cigarrete lighter ring and ashtray illumination to white...and the Euro/JDM switchs to white also.
The only thing still orange in my whole center console is the 3 displays: CCU, HU and Clock

Nuno

PS - when i remove everything to start the balance process, i'll take photos of what i have done and explain how
and why.

THanks for the help and input. I'm excited to get the CCU done as well.
 
Hi,

link, i didn't use bulbs... i used LEDs that i used to replace OEM bulbs... you have to open up both the CCU and HU Faces,
and use your solder iron ...

About the clock, the procedure is exactly the same as the CCU and HU display:
You need to remove the current gel filter and replace it with another one in a different color.

Nuno
 
Gotcha where should I get the led that you used? I'd like them dimmable and want to try this project next weekend . I love what you did.
 
Hi,

i bought them locally, but the specs of all of them are:

3mm
3v
30mA
High Brightness

the exception is that i used 5mm ones for the CCU, to replace the 2 bulbs

i sanded some so they would spread more light arround and had less projected light.

Nuno
 
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