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Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!


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Old 06-11-2007, 10:53 AM   #251
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Just so everyone can know, you can get 194 sockets out of about any newer Ford car and the bulbs pull right out of them, then you just plug in your new 194 base LEDs and twist back into your cluster. I pulled mine from a escorts and contours. Just thought I'd share this useful info.
Old 06-11-2007, 05:12 PM   #252
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by mayham-13
Just so everyone can know, you can get 194 sockets out of about any newer Ford car and the bulbs pull right out of them, then you just plug in your new 194 base LEDs and twist back into your cluster. I pulled mine from a escorts and contours. Just thought I'd share this useful info.
Ok, why bother doing that when you can just reuse the ones you pulled out?
Old 06-12-2007, 08:56 PM   #253
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by rlith
Ok, why bother doing that when you can just reuse the ones you pulled out?
The Ford ones the bulb is just a pull out, push in swap. Instead of having to mess with those little tabs that ours have.
Old 06-12-2007, 10:14 PM   #254
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

can someone just post a link to the parts needed here? i understand how to do this, but im lost as to what exactly i need here.
Old 06-12-2007, 10:18 PM   #255
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

i am so ****in lost here... everyones saying t1 this and t1 that. then other people are saying t1.5? what the ****. i cant find anything described here anywhere on that site. someone just direct me to the part number for a bulb that will fit in the cluster and a part number for a bulb that will fit in the hvac panel. ill figure out the colors for myself.
Old 06-12-2007, 10:27 PM   #256
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by Baggd
i am so ****in lost here... everyones saying t1 this and t1 that. then other people are saying t1.5? what the ****. i cant find anything described here anywhere on that site. someone just direct me to the part number for a bulb that will fit in the cluster and a part number for a bulb that will fit in the hvac panel. ill figure out the colors for myself.
Read the very 1st post, lists all what you need
Old 06-19-2007, 02:52 PM   #257
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

What about the needles, how can you change them and where can I get replacements?
Old 06-19-2007, 11:37 PM   #258
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by Kenny Pollock
What about the needles, how can you change them and where can I get replacements?
You can pull them off and try needles from other clusters... But why do you want to change the needles?
Old 06-20-2007, 04:05 AM   #259
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Well, I'll change the lights first.

Someone just confirm, I have 6 "twist and pull" lights on the gauge cluster of my 02 Blazer. So six of these will work: WLED 5-LED Wide Angle LED bulbs?
Old 08-29-2007, 05:43 PM   #260
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

so, I just tried changing my bulbs out and apparently I've done something wrong and now have no lighting at all. Anyone know of someone that might sell these already in the little gauge pieces, because clearly i suck at life right now.
Old 08-29-2007, 10:55 PM   #261
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

ok ok....so i've only seen one post on 1st gen s10s....i have a 93 model....possible to change over to leds? and i'm going with green..show up good?
Old 08-30-2007, 09:08 AM   #262
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

heres my red ones on my 1st gen...

Old 09-01-2007, 02:24 AM   #263
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by monkeydude3602000
heres my red ones on my 1st gen...


i like that ...except mine would be green.....was it hard? or do the same steps that apply to the 2nd gens...also apply to the 1st gens?
Old 09-19-2007, 02:23 PM   #264
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Im doing mine with the 5 led that looks like a star.My truck is a 99 without tach and im using 6 of the 5 led star bulbs. I went with cool white but it kind of looks blueish. Question for orangesonoma what kind of bulb did you use on your white blazer and was it cool white or warm white?
Old 09-23-2007, 05:50 PM   #265
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Has anyone done this with the uv leds? If so can you post pics? Think it would look nice probably hard to read though.
Old 09-24-2007, 02:31 AM   #266
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by DroppedDime<--
Has anyone done this with the uv leds? If so can you post pics? Think it would look nice probably hard to read though.

I have, no pictures though. They are really damn dim.
Old 09-25-2007, 12:09 AM   #267
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Does anyone else have a problem with their LED's burning out?
Old 09-27-2007, 12:09 AM   #268
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by greenflameS10
Does anyone else have a problem with their LED's burning out?
You shouldn't have any problems with the LED's burning out. They're good for about 100,000 hours of use. The only way to really kill an LED is to send too much juice through it.
Old 09-27-2007, 12:15 AM   #269
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by DroppedDime<--
Has anyone done this with the uv leds? If so can you post pics? Think it would look nice probably hard to read though.
I have single UV's sitting above my seat belts in my cab. I also have a blue LED under each seat. The UV's are a little dim, so I'm going to put 2 more back there.. probably somewhere around the dome lamp. (I have a 95 dime BTW). No pics to show right now though (I'm at work). I would imagine that UV's in the dash would look pretty sweet. My needles glow when I have them on, and the dash lights are out.
Old 10-05-2007, 01:40 AM   #270
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

I've spent about an hour reading this, and I'm either over looking something or I'm just not seeing what I'm looking for, I'm driving a 2003 sonoma and my cluster has the tach in it. To change the bulbs in the back of the panel do I need to remove my needles to do this? Also I need to know if I need 5 or 6 bulbs for the gauges and what size I'll need them to be 194 wedge or T1.5's? Also I'd like to change my turn signals and brights as well, what size are those? I'll post some pics and maybe someone could shed some light on this for me.

First shot is the back of a panel identical to mine. It looks like theres 6 bulbs or am I missing something here.. Are these are whats needed to be removed and have LED's put in place of them? I see 6 sockets.. everyones been saying 5 bulbs.. I'm lost also what bulbs will I need for that part, that's what the blue circles are for. Does anyone know what bulbs are in the red circle for the turn and brights?

Second shot is for the HVAC panel.. im sure someone can get this right off.. is there only 4 bulbs in this thing? And if so what size LED or bulb goes in this thing?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg backofgauges.jpg (64.5 KB, 97 views)
File Type: jpg hvac.jpg (50.2 KB, 108 views)
Old 10-05-2007, 08:01 AM   #271
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by YellowZRX
I've spent about an hour reading this, and I'm either over looking something or I'm just not seeing what I'm looking for, I'm driving a 2003 sonoma and my cluster has the tach in it. To change the bulbs in the back of the panel do I need to remove my needles to do this? Also I need to know if I need 5 or 6 bulbs for the gauges and what size I'll need them to be 194 wedge or T1.5's? Also I'd like to change my turn signals and brights as well, what size are those? I'll post some pics and maybe someone could shed some light on this for me.

First shot is the back of a panel identical to mine. It looks like theres 6 bulbs or am I missing something here.. Are these are whats needed to be removed and have LED's put in place of them? I see 6 sockets.. everyones been saying 5 bulbs.. I'm lost also what bulbs will I need for that part, that's what the blue circles are for. Does anyone know what bulbs are in the red circle for the turn and brights?

Second shot is for the HVAC panel.. im sure someone can get this right off.. is there only 4 bulbs in this thing? And if so what size LED or bulb goes in this thing?

For the Blue circles order 6 of the wled-x5 led wedge base bulbs.
For the HVAC panel order 4 of the t1.5 instrument led bulb.

I think the red circles are also t1.5, so what you need to do is take an hvac light and try to put it into the red circle. If it fits than you need 3 more of the t1.5 instrument led bulbs.
Old 10-05-2007, 11:24 AM   #272
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by pmpmstrb
For the Blue circles order 6 of the wled-x5 led wedge base bulbs.
These need to be 194 LED's correct and do they need to be a 5 LED wedge or a 6 LED wedge?
Old 10-05-2007, 05:21 PM   #273
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by YellowZRX
These need to be 194 LED's correct and do they need to be a 5 LED wedge or a 6 LED wedge?
The product code that I gave you are the 194's. I went with the 5 led wide, which is the product code that I gave you. I am happy with the gauge cluster using the 5led, but disappointed with the hvac controls using their lights.
Old 10-05-2007, 06:44 PM   #274
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

So the HVAC lights are the 74's which are the same as the T1.5's but without the seat.
Old 10-05-2007, 10:27 PM   #275
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Quote: Originally Posted by YellowZRX
So the HVAC lights are the 74's which are the same as the T1.5's but without the seat.
Correct. The 74 is a 74 and the t1.5 is a 74 with a socket. The t1.5's are direct replacements.
Old 10-06-2007, 07:18 PM   #276
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

O.K, I've never done any lighting mods before and I'm thinking about doing the A/C Panel and such. (What does HVAC stand for? High Velocity Air Conditioning?) I want to possibly put green LED's in there and I have a '98 LS S-10. I see in the first post that it is for earlier years. What do I need for mine and how hard is it to replace? Just swap out? Any soldering? Please let me know, thanks!

-Ty
Old 10-10-2007, 07:13 PM   #277
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

To change the bulbs in the back of my instrument cluster do I need to do anything other than remove it from the dash? Or do I need to take it apart?
Old 10-10-2007, 08:06 PM   #278
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

remove from dash and look at the back, the bulbs will be there
Old 10-14-2007, 05:15 PM   #279
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Just my 2 cents this is a great mod and this has helped so much. However im in the process of changing over my hatch release headlight controls and power window and mirror lights over and its a Bit** and a half. I have to solder 3mm blue lights in and the resisters are so damn hugh that i can barely make it fit back in the hole and have it not be too tall. So far I can't make one of em work and out of 4 that i spent soldering last night only 1 worked. Now im redoing it all and try again. Has anyone else attempted to switch everything over?
Old 10-14-2007, 06:05 PM   #280
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

I've got the stuff to do it, but just haven't had the time. Hopefully I can get started sometime in the next week. What size resistors did you end up going with?
Old 10-14-2007, 06:41 PM   #281
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Re: Convert Your Cluster & Control lights to LED's How-to!

Ok i just literally finished rewiring them all and now everything is blue. I even had some extra t1.5's and replaced my turn signals with em. The size i used is just some that i had lying around from some red leds that i ordered from ozium.com you can order em there and they will tell you what resistors you need for that and sell em like 15 cents each. The led calculator i used said i needed a 1/2 watt or 470ohm resistor for the blue. I used one close to that and they seem to be working just fine. I tell you it was a hugh pain in my ass to wire them. The 3mm and resistors are hugh compared to the factory little bulbs they have. Make sure you have some patience and I'll post some pics of it all tonight when it gets dark. GoOD Luck and enjoy the hard work when you decide to do it!