Blue Gauges LEDs problem
Blue Gauges LEDs problem I just put in some superbrightleds.com blue LEDs (the 5 gauge lights) into my cluster. The cluster lights up blue and looks great, but my red needles don't light at all. What have I done wrong or what can I do to fix this? Anyone have any ideas? I used WLED-BHP6.
I've done the same thing with some ebay LED's and have the same problem. I don't think there's much we can do about it though. The LED's put out light in a very specific and direct pattern where as a regular bulb emits light in all directions; lighting up the needle.
However if you or someone else finds an answer I'm very interested to hear it.
However if you or someone else finds an answer I'm very interested to hear it.
The other issue is the LEDs put out just 1 color - blue. The needle is red, so it pretty much filters out almost everything from the blue LED.
That's one reason why I haven't gotten green LEDs for my dash, I don't want my needles disappearing on me.
I wonder if there is a way to have dedicated LEDs for the needles, somehow.
That's one reason why I haven't gotten green LEDs for my dash, I don't want my needles disappearing on me.
I wonder if there is a way to have dedicated LEDs for the needles, somehow.
The other issue is the LEDs put out just 1 color - blue. The needle is red, so it pretty much filters out almost everything from the blue LED.
That's one reason why I haven't gotten green LEDs for my dash, I don't want my needles disappearing on me.
I wonder if there is a way to have dedicated LEDs for the needles, somehow.
That's one reason why I haven't gotten green LEDs for my dash, I don't want my needles disappearing on me.
I wonder if there is a way to have dedicated LEDs for the needles, somehow.
However your dedicated LED idea is very good. I might just look into that this weekend. I'm sure I could squeeze a white 3mm LED in there somehow.
The needles gather light from the same "pocket" as the gauges so there should be no reason that they aren't lighting up. Here is a pic of my cluster with the overlay removed to show the leds I just installed.
I used a wedge bulb with 5 smd leds (4 radially shining and 1 forward shining) like these:
Here is a night shot and a few low light shots of mine with the 6LE checkered gauges:
I used a wedge bulb with 5 smd leds (4 radially shining and 1 forward shining) like these:
Here is a night shot and a few low light shots of mine with the 6LE checkered gauges:
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I have heard of other people using the same style as you but haven't seen any in person. The pics were with a crappy camera and don't do the lighting justice, the needles are much clearer in person. I wouldn't think a forward shining led would make much difference though. The gauges line up with the 4 prongs in the "+" shapes so the needle should be centered on the "+" shapes so it shouldn't shine anywhere near the needle.
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Verdad Gallardo I have heard of other people using the same style as you but haven't seen any in person. The pics were with a crappy camera and don't do the lighting justice, the needles are much clearer in person. I wouldn't think a forward shining led would make much difference though. The gauges line up with the 4 prongs in the "+" shapes so the needle should be centered on the "+" shapes so it shouldn't shine anywhere near the needle.
I'd put a red LED for the red needles. Closer the match of the color, the better.
Wow, those aren't very bright. If you search for "Intelli glow needle Camaro" there are a few kits that come up that fit under the needle and light them up. They look really bright but they are WAY expensive. I have never seen these in person but that is a lot of change to fork up to test them out. Here is a description from there listing:
There is a new and innovative way of creating the ultimate custom look for any set of gauges. The kits use a low profile carbon fiber powered light ring that sits underneath the stock needles. Indiglo can catch the eye very well but a piece of the gauge cluster that is not only brighter but also moving can really attract much needed attention. If you are tired of the Indiglo look then these are for you. New technology has made all this possible without major modification to the cluster.
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see i ordered the leds in that pic that look like a pc chip and they did the same thing.
the problem is that they dont shine foward just to the sides and thats why the needles dont light up.
i have had some leds for a few years and 1 x'ed out so i went and ordered those and ended up sending them back.
my old ones where front lighting only and worked perfect bright gauges and bright needles.
get the front lighting ones.
the problem is that they dont shine foward just to the sides and thats why the needles dont light up.
i have had some leds for a few years and 1 x'ed out so i went and ordered those and ended up sending them back.
my old ones where front lighting only and worked perfect bright gauges and bright needles.
get the front lighting ones.
If so I ordered some for my 6LE gauges and they didn't light too well so I pulled them and ordered others, they might work ok with the stock gauges though. I have them sitting around and will probably not use them.
I think you are right, they need to shine forward as well as all directions. I hooked one of the leds up to my battery charger in both polarities and they are bright as ****, but still only on the outside...no led facing forward. I'll send them back and get different ones.
I forget the exact reason, but I think it has to do with red & blue having different wavelengths of the spectrum. Blue will not light up red and vice versa. I used white leds in my cluster. The white leds light up both the blue and the red needles. The picture sucks. They are more blue in person.
I remember when I had a celica and I did the led conversion, you could use some finger nail polish and remove that color off the needle. Not so sure if it's the same for the Camaro needles. I might give it a go when I order some of those bulbs.
Edit: dumb question but are those WLED the same ones I could use in a 94 firebird cluster?
Edit: dumb question but are those WLED the same ones I could use in a 94 firebird cluster?
Last edited by Vulcan2422; Oct 10, 2009 at 10:08 AM.
The needles gather light from the same "pocket" as the gauges so there should be no reason that they aren't lighting up. Here is a pic of my cluster with the overlay removed to show the leds I just installed.
I used a wedge bulb with 5 smd leds (4 radially shining and 1 forward shining) like these:
Here is a night shot and a few low light shots of mine with the 6LE checkered gauges:
I used a wedge bulb with 5 smd leds (4 radially shining and 1 forward shining) like these:
Here is a night shot and a few low light shots of mine with the 6LE checkered gauges:
Depends on the year of your car. Mine is a 98 so it just had a red light diffuser behind the odometer and a 168 bulb behind it on the cluster circuit board. I replaced the bulb with one of my blue 5 smd leds and removed the red diffuser and cut my own clear diffuser to the same size and replaced it. On the newer clusters there is an led soldered to the actual odometer circuit board that you have to desolder and replace with a blue led. Mine was a white 5 smd led in the first pics but replaced it later with blue. Let me know if you need anymore info and I'll get some more pics.
I remember when I had a celica and I did the led conversion, you could use some finger nail polish and remove that color off the needle. Not so sure if it's the same for the Camaro needles. I might give it a go when I order some of those bulbs.
Edit: dumb question but are those WLED the same ones I could use in a 94 firebird cluster?
Edit: dumb question but are those WLED the same ones I could use in a 94 firebird cluster?