gauge lights Options

[95CelicaST]

I don't think you understand how much space you have to work with in the back of the gauge cluster. Those won't fit because they're too tall. Go pull one of the bulbs and measure the whole length, and then the bulb length. This will tell you how much you have to work with.

[Raves44]

haha funny thing was is that i just looked at that last night after i wrote this

[Random_Stranger]

I don't think you understand how much space you have to work with in the back of the gauge cluster. Those won't fit because they're too tall. Go pull one of the bulbs and measure the whole length, and then the bulb length. This will tell you how much you have to work with.

Really? Those leds be too long?

[95CelicaST]

Pull one of the bulbs. They're very small. The SMT LED's are pretty big (relatively speaking).


My wedge matrix bulbs got here today and fit perfect. It's too bright/hot for me to just sit out in the car, but I'll take a couple pictures this evening once it gets dark and cools down (108 degrees in the PNW is unheard of)

[95CelicaST]

Here is a shot from a couple minutes ago.


And these are the lights that I bought

[solidxsnake]

That looks great!

I think I'll just grab around 15-20 bright-white LEDs at several pennies a piece and make my own little cluster 194 bulb. I've always been wary of using LEDs to backlight, but seeing the formation of those bulbs and the outcome, my mind has been changed

Cheap LEDs at www.mouser.com or www.digi-key.com

[Random_Stranger]

Here is a shot from a couple minutes ago.


And these are the lights that I bought

That's exactly what my 194 Autozone red guage light bulbs do that I got two packs of for less than 4 or 5 bucks! Even dims at the same spot as yours on the 80. Those are just regular bulbs, correct? I am trying to see if LEDs are going to show brighter, because I know there has to be a way, and also to fill in everything 100%.

See, I bought wedge LEDs off a member on here, and those sucked. They didn't fill anywhere as near as my bulbs do, (because LEDs typically project light, vs bulbs that spread it better, trust me, try leds vs bulbs on your rear license plate and you will see what I mean). But I see that your LEDs do spread the light well, but honestly they show just as bright as bulbs would, unless blue is a harder color than red, which now that I think about it, might be. They look good though, if you are happy with that, I mean our cars are old and only 3 lights support the gauge? Yeah I would say that's pretty good, but I want Bigger! Brighter! Practically I want red light glowing from my face when I drive....... yes I do.

This post has been edited by Random_Stranger: Jul 31, 2009 - 8:22 AM

[95CelicaST]

They're much brighter in person, and that picture was taken mid-day (I draped my hoodie over the dash and wheel and shoved my camera in) so it doesn't really have the full effect.


If you want light illuminating everything you'll probably need to solder some bulbs in the back. I am happy with the way it turned out for sure.

This post has been edited by 95CelicaST: Jul 31, 2009 - 8:33 AM

[Random_Stranger]

They're much brighter in person, and that picture was taken mid-day (I draped my hoodie over the dash and wheel and shoved my camera in) so it doesn't really have the full effect.


If you want light illuminating everything you'll probably need to solder some bulbs in the back. I am happy with the way it turned out for sure.

That was MID DAY? Dang! Then yeah, I guess they are pretty bright. I am just saying, I know pictures can't always capture what the eyes see, but from the pics, they almost appear as the bulbs do. So in all honesty, you don't even get the slightest amount of dim at the 80 on the mph gauge cluster? Because with my bulbs, I am much happier than the 4 wedge I had, but that is because they just didn't light well and they were not double stacked like yours are. It is just that slight dim at the 80 that bothers me, and if any way to have them brighter would be a major plus. But like I said, for only 3 bulbs... can't really argue with that.


Oh, solder the bulbs in the back, I didn't think about that. I am kind of scared to do that, that won't mess up anything?

[Raves44]

so 95CelicaST all you did was buy those 3 bulbs and it looks that good? well if thats the case im about to order them right now haha

[95CelicaST]

That's all I did. Bought them, installed them, snapped a picture.