Dash light ???

[GA.VIPER]

I have a 96 RT/10 and wanting to replace the instrument lights with a brighter light (possibly LED if available) that would illuminated the dash more than stock lights.

Are there any choices out there besides stock lights??

 

[dave6666]

You might contact GTSjbud. He is doing custom instrument faces for his gauges which means he has disassembled all of them. Guessing they are sealed with the light inside, that sounds like a chore.

 

[Compensating]

DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!!

I did this about a year ago to every gauge on my 97 GTS....

tried white.. and amber..

and the LED's were actually DIMMER than the stock bulbs

just my .02 but I feel I wasted my $$$


Now I did do the taillights and turnsignals.. and they look awesome!!

 

[BOTTLEFED]

LEDs do not put out more light
the light they give off is more intense thus apearing to be brighter

for example, notice how many of those LEDs they have to put into flashlights to put out as much light as those tiny bulbs that used to come in flashlights
the light from the LEDs are whiter, sharper light but not brighter - unless they add many, many LEDs

I'm trying to get some custom gauge faces made with updated lighting but it seems to be taking awhile
I'll keep you guys updated...

I'll also change out all the other lights in the switches/buttons in the car - not sure what color, but I'm leaning toward blue or red depending on the gauge color

 

[AJT]

DONT DO IT!!!!!!!!!

Now I did do the taillights and turnsignals.. and they look awesome!!

Where did you get the taillights & turn signals?

 

[BOTTLEFED]

Where did you get the taillights & turn signals?

Pepboys by APC

 

[Ratical2]

Don't want to hijack this thread but I want to respond to Bottlefed's comment:

LEDs do not put out more light
the light they give off is more intense thus apearing to be brighter

for example, notice how many of those LEDs they have to put into flashlights to put out as much light as those tiny bulbs that used to come in flashlights
the light from the LEDs are whiter, sharper light but not brighter - unless they add many, many LEDs

It depends on the LED and what bulb you are trying to replace. Bulbs are a lambertian light source meaning light goes in all directions. LEDs are more direct. LEDs at best have a 120 degree radiation pattern. What this means is LEDs will never work in an application designed for bulbs unless you have some specially designed secondary optics to fill the bulbs reflector. Most of the ones that you buy as bulb replacements are a bunch of 5mm lamps that are cobbled together to fit a bulb application. You will never be satisfied with this.

However if the right LED is designed in at the beginning. it is very impressive. For example,the dash of the Mustang GT is lit with red green and blue leds so that the driver can tune the dash illumination to what ever color he or she wants.

By now everyone has seen leds for tailights, but Leds can be found as DRL's on many vehicles and this year even the Low beam for the Lexus 600H. Wait until you see next years automotive forward lighting.

About the flashlights and 5 mm leds. 5 mm Leds were designed as indicators, not illuminators. They have gotten brighter over the years and there are many cheap flashlights with multiple LEDs. But the good flashlights have single LEDs made by Nichia, Osram or Lumileds. A single maglight bulb will produce on average 6-10lumens, in the best conditions up to 30 lumens.(This would be a 4d cell "flashlight/nightstick"} Lumileds Luxeon K2 produces around 120 lumens with the same power.

For reference:
Incandescent bulbs produce 6-15 lumens per watt- lower voltage= less efficient
Halogen bulbs produce 20 -25 Lumens per watt.
Good Quality White LEDs produce 35-50 Lumens per watt.
Some Amber LEDs under the right conditions produce 100 lumens per watt.
Florescent tubes are 60-70 lumens per watt.

Hope this helps!