AllMotoRex

I just ordered my bulbs today.. i chose the amber color tri led #74. cant wait to get them and put them in.

grog

i was looking through this post and I just noticed the cover for the toplight is different from 88-89 to 90-91. it looks like the 88 is almost all red transparent, and the 91 has a little transparent grove. I played around with this peice, I tried to scrape off the coating to let more light through. I thought I had improved it until I put a stock peice back in. the groove mostly illuminates the needles and not the rest of the cluster. I messed with it and the light scattered.
I noticed the toplight combines with the blue leds at the top of the tach and speedo and it fades. I'am goint to add 4 more lights behind the top of the gauges to improve this. I tried to add some #194 leds but they are 3 times brighter than
the #74 leds, making a bright spot, I ended up facing it the other way. I wonder about the 88 clusters cause it has 194's and 74's, is the #194 led brighter than the rest

so I would assume a 88-89 cluster might be better off with a 90-91 toplight cover

I'am thinking a blue toplight would be best, so it doesnt conflict with the backlight

AllMotoRex

what kind of lights do the top lighting have? i should of asked before ordering.. i just ordered the 5 # 74 tri's . but didnt think about messing with the top lighting for the needles because i didnt want to whole cluster lit up.
maybe i should of just put in the gsr cluster i've had for a year now.lol

grog

You know thats a good question. the bulb is the smallest bulb used in the cluster. the check engine light and all other indicators use this bulb. I tried to find out what its called but couldnt, but i did find some at the auto parts store.
I cant find any leds to replace it, but i was able to put a #74 bulb in after drilling the clip out to accept a larger bulb.

come to think about it, it may be the size of a #74 base but the bulb is just a skinny as the base of it, unlike the 74 witch gets lager (like most lightbulbs)

to check this find the bulb above the ashtray, its the same

I am still using the stock toplight, its better than leds imo. incandesent bulbs spread the light better for this application

grog

i compared the smaller bulbs(toplight bulbs) and the #74 bulb and the bases are different. the 74 is like a sixtenth of an inch bigger, so you can cram a 74 in the smaller slots. i driller the top of the plastic connector out so the #74 bulb would slide in all the way. if you try this be carefull not to drill into the copper contacts, the will get bent up

omgwtfbbqcrx

if anyone is selling their 88-89 orange lens that they took out to put in the light strips, pm or email artmo123@yahoo.com ill buy it anyways, does anyone have pics. of amber backlight?

EFHATCHMAN

Damn i cant wait to do this to my car! Anybody got a 90-91 Si gauge cluster for sale or trade for an 88-89 Si cluster??? IM me if interested!
Thanks!

90crxdriver

I used a 6" flexible led light from autozone for the top light.

CRX 2.0V-T

Look closer to the gauge




Not just only the gauge


If you like driving at night, this gonna make you happy

grog

crx 2.0v-t, what kind of bulbs did you put in the climate control?
dam that cluster looks like it might blind sombody. What did you do for the toplight? and the clock what did you do for that? i use blue plexiglass on my clock, its kinda dim.

and check out my cluster on page 2, it has stock top light, I really recomend it I even tried brighter colored leds. In my opinion this light was only meant to illuminate the needles, but go ahead and drown out everything. can you guys see the gauge needles at night?

seriosly just try it.


Modified by grog at 9:38 PM 3/4/2007

Smokinsax

Jonknee

i like the climate control alot, i think u went overboard with the cluster top light though. its way bright man.

CRX 2.0V-T

The top light is a very simple plug and play LED, but the LED i have to mod in order to be plug and play. The top light LED is the same with climate control. If you pull the climate control out, you'll see what kind of bulb that im using.

Newark Built

sub.

grog

thanks, and what did you do to your clock by the way? mine is so dim in the day i cant read it, It dimms after turning the lights on.

and for the climate controll, regardless of what # bulb you used, was it colored incandesent bulbs, or LEDs?

1999mrsi

leds look HAWTNESS W/WHITE GAUGE FACE ITS MADD JDM YO

I HAVE SOME FOR THOSE INTERESTED CHECK SIG!

TehMoonRulz

Grog, your gauges are sick. Blue LEDS in the the back, but how did you get the red needles?

CRV, Im loving the climate control

If I get bored saving for the D15b I'll splurge and buy some bulbs

PINKS

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

I dont know what year cluster I have, but I have 4 194 bulbs

I also have 3 bulbs which I dont know what size they are, one is closer to the top, one is at the bottom near the middle and left, and the other is in the middle on the right


Can anyone tell me what number these bulbs are?

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

The look Im going for is LED White numbers and a tach with no real cluster lighting from the top so Im gonna leave that stock. Id just like the numbers to be illuminated from the back nicely and evenly.

Are LEDS the best thing to buy?

PINKS

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

I dont know what year cluster I have, but I have 4 194 bulbs

I also have 3 bulbs which I dont know what size they are, one is closer to the top, one is at the bottom near the middle and left, and the other is in the middle on the right


Can anyone tell me what number these bulbs are?

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

The look Im going for is LED White numbers and a tach with no real cluster lighting from the top so Im gonna leave that stock. Id just like the numbers to be illuminated from the back nicely and evenly.

Are LEDS the best thing to buy?</TD></TR></TABLE>

PINKS

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

I dont know what year cluster I have, but I have 4 194 bulbs

I also have 3 bulbs which I dont know what size they are, one is closer to the top, one is at the bottom near the middle and left, and the other is in the middle on the right


Can anyone tell me what number these bulbs are?

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

The look Im going for is LED White numbers and a tach with no real cluster lighting from the top so Im gonna leave that stock. Id just like the numbers to be illuminated from the back nicely and evenly.

Are LEDS the best thing to buy?</TD></TR></TABLE>

grog

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TehMoonRulz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">, but how did you get the red needles?

CRV, Im loving the climate control

If I get bored saving for the D15b I'll splurge and buy some bulbs </TD></TR></TABLE>

its stock, i think ive posted that alot. i even messed with some other methods but stock functions the best imo.

and about the climate controll those need #74 bulbs 2 in the civic, crx needs 3.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

I dont know what year cluster I have, but I have 4 194 bulbs

I also have 3 bulbs which I dont know what size they are, one is closer to the top, one is at the bottom near the middle and left, and the other is in the middle on the right


Can anyone tell me what number these bulbs are?

QUESTION QUESTION QUESTION

The look Im going for is LED White numbers and a tach with no real cluster lighting from the top so Im gonna leave that stock. Id just like the numbers to be illuminated from the back nicely and evenly.

Are LEDS the best thing to buy?</TD></TR></TABLE>


what year is your car? sounds like 88-89, the other bulbs should be #74 (should be the same as check engine bulb)

as for what is the best for white, probley leds but they can be patchy. regular bulbs disperce light best. i added extra bulbs to my cluster to fill the dim spots.

djcharlee

DId mine the other night, if you have been thinking about doing this and think its a pain I used a phillips head and 20min later. BAM... blue sexy Cluster!! Anyone find out ehat the smaller bulbs where? I could not even get the things off the base...

GREAT WRITE UP!!

grog

For the life of me i cant find what these bulbs are called. but if you want regular OE bulbs or similar, bring the bulbs to an auto parts store and they can get them or may have them. If you want a different color you could try what I tried (I Liked white oe bulbs best in the end) use #74 bulbs with the original socket, but use a drill bit to open the socket up to fit the larger #74 bulb. be carefull not to catch the copper contacts when drilling, they will get f$#ked up. then cram the bulb in, its pretty tight btw.

and for getting the stuck bulbs out use a similar sized peice of rubber tubing, slip it over the bulb and use it to grip the bulb.

TehMoonRulz

I'm going to take off my cluster to see what I need on friday Definitely have to do the climate control swap two (3 blue leds)

TehMoonRulz

Note on the climate control
Im ordering Neo - Wedge LED Instrument Panel Bulbs Type A & B bulbs from the autolumination site as the normal #74s look way to deep and you cannot remove with bulbs from the sockets. I ordered one type a, 2 type b, and two type b incandescents to see what looks best