How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Mateo, CA, USA, Earth, Sol, Milkyway
Age: 55
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Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Another quick update, you CAN remove the bezel around each of the LCD displays and simply remove the green lenses. Take care to tip out the LCD screens and just lift out the lenses and rest the LCD screens back.
I'll update the OP with this tidbit.
Also, "Project Purple" continues... I have another couple of "How-to"s on the way. One of which is how to change the SMT LEDs on a new head unit (Alpine iDA-X100M specifically). The other will deal with the switches below the stereo and the climate controls.
Stay Tuned!
I'll update the OP with this tidbit.
Also, "Project Purple" continues... I have another couple of "How-to"s on the way. One of which is how to change the SMT LEDs on a new head unit (Alpine iDA-X100M specifically). The other will deal with the switches below the stereo and the climate controls.
Stay Tuned!
Last edited by MMZ_TimeLord; 04-12-2011 at 08:13 PM.
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Thanks for putting all this up. I have been wanting to change the green forever (as with many others) very interested to see the x100. I have the x305 and while I would probably go blue everywhere and be set I could go green to match stock in the meantime.
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Here is the cluster with my new UV LEDs installed. I've also included a false color image below that better reflects real life as my camera does not pick up UV deep purple.
I'll be posting an article soon about what bulbs and or modifications were used for all these different color change projects... stay tuned!
I'll be posting an article soon about what bulbs and or modifications were used for all these different color change projects... stay tuned!
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M4rCu5 (11-08-2020)
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
?. Could you not send out the stock gauge overlay to a aftermarket gauge supplier to custom an overlay in the colour of your choosing? ie: a glow gauge similar to a 300 or a stainless steel look. Amazing thread...can't wait to start the process!!
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M4rCu5 (11-08-2020)
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Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Originally Posted by Weebeeste
?. Could you not send out the stock gauge overlay to a aftermarket gauge supplier to custom an overlay in the colour of your choosing? ie: a glow gauge similar to a 300 or a stainless steel look. Amazing thread...can't wait to start the process!!
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Awesome write up, I actually bought a spare speedo months back just to experiment like this but never found the time until now. Thanks for doing the dirty work! A few questions if you don't mind.. Did the low fuel indicator ever light up? And what leds did you use? The one's I bought didn't work out so well
Thank you again for a great write up!
Chris
Thank you again for a great write up!
Chris
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Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Originally Posted by airborne82nddiv2003
Awesome write up, I actually bought a spare speedo months back just to experiment like this but never found the time until now. Thanks for doing the dirty work! A few questions if you don't mind.. Did the low fuel indicator ever light up? And what leds did you use? The one's I bought didn't work out so well
Thank you again for a great write up!
Chris
Thank you again for a great write up!
Chris
The low fuel light did NOT in fact light up. I was disappointed. I'm sure I could tap the existing low fuel circuit and make the one on the gauge active again, but I have not tried yet.
I ended up with two bulbs types from SuperBrite LEDs website.
Code:
Qty | Product / Options | Price/ea |
============================================================
2 | WLED-xHP5: Wedge Base Bulb | $ 5.95 |
WLED-UVHP5: UV-BlackLight
------------------------------------------------------------
5 | B8-HP: B8-HP series Instrument LED bulb | $ 2.59 |
B8.3D-UVHP: UV-BlackLight
Hope that helps.
Last edited by MMZ_TimeLord; 05-26-2011 at 01:26 PM.
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M4rCu5 (11-08-2020)
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
Originally Posted by MMZ_TimeLord
Chris,
The low fuel light did NOT in fact light up. I was disappointed. I'm sure I could tap the existing low fuel circuit and make the one on the gauge active again, but I have not tried yet.
I ended up with two bulbs types from SuperBrite LEDs website.
The only issue I ran into was that the instrument bulbs are not the correct type for our sockets. I had to do some trimming of the bulb bases to get them to fit. But they were the only UV ones that matched.
Hope that helps.
The low fuel light did NOT in fact light up. I was disappointed. I'm sure I could tap the existing low fuel circuit and make the one on the gauge active again, but I have not tried yet.
I ended up with two bulbs types from SuperBrite LEDs website.
Code:
Qty | Product / Options | Price/ea |
============================================================
2 | WLED-xHP5: Wedge Base Bulb | $ 5.95 |
WLED-UVHP5: UV-BlackLight
------------------------------------------------------------
5 | B8-HP: B8-HP series Instrument LED bulb | $ 2.59 |
B8.3D-UVHP: UV-BlackLight
Hope that helps.
Thank you, great info!
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
I couldnt figure out how to post pictures.. I was excited to show off my newly white gauges! Thank you MMZ for the thread. Because of this thread and the download of the service manual I successfully accomplished what was expressed in these posts! As mentioned in this post, what LEDs will work best behind the gauge cluster? I have bright white LED radio lights as well as my map lights and cargo lights.
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
just been looking at this with great interest - could you please advise how long the dis/assembly took? While I wish I had the skill to do this I'm realistic and KNOW that I WOULD break something (probably many things tbh!!!). Soooo the plan is to get my local garage (whom I've used for about 10 years now) to do all the work for me - just need to tell them roughly how long it may take
Re: How to recolor your gauges! (lots of pictures)
When doing the LED's unless your a machine when your doing this, it will take a few days. I have had to balance working on this and going to work so its been 4 days so far. And you are working with some really small peices that can break easily. Also go to Radio Shack and get their Desoldering Iron, it makes it alot easier.
Last edited by Trenzman; 06-08-2012 at 04:19 PM.
Chris,
The low fuel light did NOT in fact light up. I was disappointed. I'm sure I could tap the existing low fuel circuit and make the one on the gauge active again, but I have not tried yet.
I ended up with two bulbs types from SuperBrite LEDs website.
The only issue I ran into was that the instrument bulbs are not the correct type for our sockets. I had to do some trimming of the bulb bases to get them to fit. But they were the only UV ones that matched.
Hope that helps.
The low fuel light did NOT in fact light up. I was disappointed. I'm sure I could tap the existing low fuel circuit and make the one on the gauge active again, but I have not tried yet.
I ended up with two bulbs types from SuperBrite LEDs website.
Code:
Qty | Product / Options | Price/ea |
============================================================
2 | WLED-xHP5: Wedge Base Bulb | $ 5.95 |
WLED-UVHP5: UV-BlackLight
------------------------------------------------------------
5 | B8-HP: B8-HP series Instrument LED bulb | $ 2.59 |
B8.3D-UVHP: UV-BlackLight
Hope that helps.
B8.3d don't fit right I order one of them and got 4 b8.4d they fit perfectly in place like oem And for others who don't wanna spend to much one LEDs on eBay u can get t10 LEDs for $10 shipped
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MAYAman (12-19-2022)
Re: How to replace dash light?
Hi;
Simple question/answer I hope. One, maybe two lights are burned out on my dash panel; the one between the fuel gauge and speedo. Unusual, I know, but annoying at night.
...so how does one access those lights? I don't want to "pull" on something and break it....does the facia just come off with a tug, for I see no screws to undo to allow access to changing one/two bulbs.
Thanks,
Brendan
Simple question/answer I hope. One, maybe two lights are burned out on my dash panel; the one between the fuel gauge and speedo. Unusual, I know, but annoying at night.
...so how does one access those lights? I don't want to "pull" on something and break it....does the facia just come off with a tug, for I see no screws to undo to allow access to changing one/two bulbs.
Thanks,
Brendan