Prior to the fast and the Furious I purchased some green neons (just for INSIDE the car) and yes, I know this is "rice". Lately, I have been thinking how nice and unique it would be to have a matching gauge cluster. Well... Instead of SPRAY PAINTING some bulbs, I thought it'd be nice to have some SUPERBRIGHT, incredibly CRISP GREEN LEDs. Well... Much to my dismay, these are not plug and play. However, I have found a set up that can be INCREDIBLY brighter than the stock lights and LEDs are relatively cheap. In a lot of cases, cheaper than the regular bulbs and much brighter. Just to give you an idea, the typical green LED is about 650 - 800 mcds (micro candels). I have found some that will be 16000 mcds.

Here is where Honda-tech's input is necessary. I've figured out how to do it and what exactly is needed (and yes, there is some math involved) and I want to know, WHO WANTS TO READ ABOUT IT? I can put up links, how to solder the things together, how you can choose the right LED and the right transistor and a myriad of other information. But WHO CARES? Do you guys want me to post some pics and a thread on how to do this switch, start to finish?

If you want to see this/read about it, leave a comment, or give me a bump!!!

 

To the top!

 

It's only been 4 minutes and you post was only a few down. No need to bump.

 

I'm curently working on a similer project for my del sol cluster, so yes I would like to see how someone else is doing the same thing.

The proplems I've encountered so far are:

1) Theres currently a site that offers a replacement LED that replaces the stock bulb. You just use them instead of bulbs.

2) Above mentioned product dosent fit in most Honda guages.

3) Leds dont put out light in the same way as bulbs. Aka they have a narrow angle in which there usefull.

My solutions so far have been:
1) My solution was to wire three of them up in series and aim them roughly 45 degrea's off the back of the cluster in a clover pattern.

2) Hard wire some into the cluster and glue them to the back of the housing aimed up at certain points to give the best lighting. They would all be wired so that the main power wires would use One bulb holder to power them up.

I can take some pictures of what I'm talking about if you want me to clarify something for you on how I'm doing something. I've put the project on hold to complete my paint project, and do my tranny swap project.

Hit me up tho this could be a good project to have anther person help me with and vise versa to get some better ideas going.

 

If you want the led to illuminate more spread out try clear silicon glue to hold it.
Try this out on cardboard with different amount of glue to see if you like it.
This will lower the brightness alittle but will diffuse the light around.
I think you can make a line of glue then it will illuminate kind of like a blurry fiber optic strand.

 

I've done this ---> http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/i....html with a few clusters.

 

If you would like the light of an LED to disperse a bit wider, Try using squared led's or shave the glass a tad so the tip is more of a square than a rounded lens.

 

forget everything you've heard in this thread about diodes in this thread and take a look at GelCore

A joint venture of GE Lighting and EMCORE Corporation dedicated to advancing the world of LED technology.

I've done lots of computer work for these guys and they have the diodes to kill all other diodes, they are soo bright they have to tone them down before they sell them or people would blind themselves. They are weather tested for the hottest conditions in space, to the coldest temperatures on earth. The failure rate of these is microscopic. I get free strings of LEDs from them all the time and have used them in a variety of capacities, however, I never had the will to wire them into my car.....use these instead of some other el-cheapo brand....

did I mention you can get them in any color with up to 140 degree view angle and they can be seen for miles?

 

The more how to's the better I say. I'm sure some people will use it.

I've already converted my whole dash to blue and red LED's *ala VW*. I found a how to for the climate cotrol, but there wasn't anything for the gauges, so I just had to do it myself following the same priciples and applying them to the climate controls. If I had a digital camera at the time, I would have made my own how to for it.

 

go to this forum, and search through it, there is a walkthrough on doing LED's

https://honda-tech.com/zero...age=1

 

page 15

 

Don't know much about the leds for bulbs, but I always loved the glowing needle look!!

Importintelligence.com sells a kit to make your needles glow.

I installed a set on a GSR cluster and found some chrome rings to go around each gauge on the cluster, so the bling from the needle also shined off the chrome rings.

The Picture sucks but here's a photo of mine. You can't see the temp/gas cause there are other gauges in the way.

 

Hey i'd like to hear how to do this. I've been wanting to do it for sometime.

 

As soon as I am done traveling, I will do the swap and post it on H-T. Also, since my needles are illuminated from the front (97 honda civic) I am probably going to change those bulbs to blacklights as to really bring out the white of the stock needles.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by notamemberanymore &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">page 15 </TD></TR></TABLE>


Thanks for clarifying... Didn't feel like going through the whole thing. Either way. I will post the thread ASAP

 

Funny you ask...

I JUST started my own LED backlit gauges. Heres what I have so far:



Notice how there isnt much light on the 'unleaded fuel only' type. I plan on using more LEDs to light that part up also. What you see in that pic is illuminated by 6 LEDs (5mm LEDs).

I mounted them on an arc of lexan I made:


Notice how I left two holes on there without LEDs in them, I plan on using circuit board standoffs to keep that secured behind the gauges.

If you do a little searching, I think you may find surface mount LEDs to be a better choice.

Here are some examples of surface mount LEDs, but you have to use soooooo many!




Taken from this thread on hidplanet:
http://hidplanet.com/forums/vi...art=0

Also, check this out...



Here is what the back of his gauges look like:




To give you an idea of how many LEDs he used:
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by geo1317 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
25 blue 10mm
4 blue 5mm (coving a few dark spots)
10 red super flux (redline)
8 red 8mm (needles)
12 red 1.8mm (needles)
</TD></TR></TABLE>

The above was taken from this post:
http://hidplanet.com/forums/vi...84120

Hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions. When I return home from my internship I will be working a lot more on this!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18EG6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Funny you ask...

I JUST started my own LED backlit gauges. Heres what I have so far:

</TD></TR></TABLE>

GOOD GOD thats awesome.........

I wonder if i put WHITE LED bulbs in ym stock cluster would it be brighter?

Anyone tried this?


Modified by Hatch It at 11:00 PM 7/17/2005

 

GOOD GOD did you need to quote all of that

If you just throw LEDs in where the stock incandescent bulbs go it will look like poop. The LEDs I used (the 5mm) have a relatively small viewing angle, only 30*. If you dont mount them far enough away from the gauge face, there will be hot spots and shaded areas.

I dont know if that guy made that clear plastic arc or if that came with the maxima. I asked in the forum but have yet to see a reply.

 

holy **** that looks bad ***!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B18EG6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">GOOD GOD did you need to quote all of that

If you just throw LEDs in where the stock incandescent bulbs go it will look like poop. The LEDs I used (the 5mm) have a relatively small viewing angle, only 30*. If you dont mount them far enough away from the gauge face, there will be hot spots and shaded areas.

I dont know if that guy made that clear plastic arc or if that came with the maxima. I asked in the forum but have yet to see a reply.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Aright good info...And i edited my quoting ha

 

I believe that the comment says he made it himself. My biggest concern is diffusing the light. That is going to be my main concern. I will try many things and post the results. In the meantime, back on travel...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AlpineInstaller &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I believe that the comment says he made it himself. My biggest concern is diffusing the light. That is going to be my main concern. I will try many things and post the results. In the meantime, back on travel...</TD></TR></TABLE>

how did he make it you think? whenever I cut lexan I always get one clouded side.

Any ideas on how he accomplished that?

 

That is pure Awesomeness, I know who's Idea Im copying in my own set

 

I suppose I'll post mine too:

 

You can buy colored bulbs, instead of spray painting my bulbs to get my amber cluster.. I just bought amber ones, much nice IMO.