Hi, dashboard speedo etc... Bulbs are so dim, wondered if anyone had changed to led? If so what bulbs, how many, and are they any better? Think they are 12v 1.2v capless? Thanks for any help on this.
All except indicator blinker (if you have an electronic flasher unit) can be replaced with LED bulbs. Get bright ones and pay a reasonable amount. The cheapest ones that look like traditional LEDs tend to be dim, the next cheapest using square surface mount packages are brighter but noticeably different colours. Obviously the LEDs only work one way round as they are diodes rather than hot wires glowing ... and if you twist the top the wires inside can twist and short out.
Google Better Car Lighting and Dynamo And Alternator Conversions. These people sell good quality LED replacements. I've used them on my MG.
Also don't replace the alternator warning light bulb with an LED one. Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
Thanks for your help, if anyone knows any particular ones I should look at, could they let me know. I've been looking on net and so many available, can't work out what to get for the best. Think there are only two in total for the speedo and fuel gauge?
Have you altered the dimmer on the dash lights, rotate the light switch to the left. Personally i find them bright enough
Hi, yes have the dimmer right up, unless the bulbs in there at the moment are no good. I will have a check.
New filament bulbs beat old blackened ones. Another thing with low current LEDs is the dimmer is less effective as it does not drop as much voltage with lower current.
I put led's in mine and they are certainly brighter than the old filaments, however the dimmer is now either 'on' or 'off', no adjustment at all. Not that I mind as I hardly ever drive the van in the dark!
I was always reasonably happy with the brightness of the original filament bulbs, until I added one of the repro clocks to the empty third binnacle. It's so bright I swear it can probably be seen from space. I wondered if the answer is to just put LED bulbs in the other two gauges and then dim them all - but if the dimmer won't work with LEDs what's the answer? Can any form of resistor be added to take the level down? One for the electronic wizardry brain of @mikedjames me thinks
It is worth changing them, IMO. I put in white strip LEDs for the back illumination, but single white LEDs would likely do fine. A blue LED in the high-beam light works particularly well. You need 5mm wire-ended "bulbs". The flasher should be fine. As above, don't swap the alternator light for an LED, but change the bulb anyway.
Take the bulb out and see if you can find one with a lower wattage. The dimmer should work fine with LEDs.
I was going to do this but could not find the post of people that had done it . lower wattage for a softer glow Thanks
I have one of those repro clocks and read they are bright so fitting leds to other clocks makes sense by the way I have had the clock for over a year still not fitted it yet!
They're bright .....A nice addition to the dash pods, but very bright! I need to get a lower wattage bulb for the clock, and then upgrade the other 2 gauges to match. Good thread, might keep reminding me to actually do it!
