Blue Lights in Dash!!

[IrishPhoenix]

Spent a few hours in the back of beyond with maud yesterday (no puns please! lol) installing the blue LED's into the dash and centre console. Driving home and then into work this moring I was well happy with the results. It totally modernises the interior of the car and looks really good. Will try and upload some photos as well.

The only thing bugging me is there is a slight halo effect from the two LED's in the air conditioning. Are there any work arounds for this?

Just found an answer on the U.K forum from V6 WUF: (Lights for A/C)

2 + 2 bulb holders in AC unit - remove bulb holders & bend wires into a straight line & then pull old bulbs out.

Purchase half a dozen small wedge LED's from Ultraleds (6 in case you damage some) - link - http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/product_info ... 5d3d844209

Place in oven (one at a time) on 75 degrees for 5 mins - remove & pull plastic covering off.

Thread through existing bulb holder.

Attatch Maplin diffuser (listed as cover) to each one - link - http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?cri ... Y&doy=29m1

[Muad_dib77]

My pictures came out cr@p so I'll try and take some more this evening

It was definately a sunday well spent.. totally worthwhile... even with the light spotting going on in the LCD. I think the maplin diffusers may be what's needed to sort that stuff.. Temporarily I've covered the tip of the leds with a gray "Games Workshop" paint I had lying around.

Oh and thanks to IP for helping me out starting my car...

[Dave]

any pics yet?

[Muad_dib77]

Here's IP Dash..

Sadly the pictures I took of mine came out pretty bad - so I'll have to get my act together and take some new ones...

I'm not entirely sure but I think the above is taken with a phone..

[IrishPhoenix]

Yeah. With a phone. Dark so image is a bit blurry. Will have to do a proper job.

[Muad_dib77]

Well mate you did a WAY better job with your phone than I did with my camera...

Shaking hands are no good for taking pics of bright stuff... Had all funny lines and stuff...

[Muad_dib77]

Got some more pics...





Apologies for fuzzyness - and not wearing seatbelt

[Dave]

look good....

[kevinod]

Time to hit the petrol pumps!

Do you find they're plenty bright enough to read when you're driving? Do the needles pick the light up ok?

[Muad_dib77]

Aye., .made it to work on fumes.,

fingers crossed I'll make it back as well


They're actually not all that bright., . ,I don't find the blue light distracting the same way the dash in the new golfs are distracting.

The Needles have this odd color., difficult to describe., . it's like a mix of orange and blue... doesn't look bad - just looks odd...

They are alot brighter than the standard leds though..

Generally v.happy with the result - much much better than what I had b4. Especially considering I had no light at all in my clock.

Now I've got to pick up a set of cheap white dials somewhere...



..uhh... this is my post number 666.... post of the beast??

[CJ]

Now I've got to pick up a set of cheap white dials somewhere...

Blue lights won't suit the white background all that much, especially when you consider that the dial markings are mosy likely gonna be blue anyway.

CJ

[Colin C]

Blue lights won't suit the white background all that much, especially when you consider that the dial markings are mosy likely gonna be blue anyway.

I've got white dials with black markings & LEDs which can be adjusted from blue to green and every shade in between. I have to say I've got them set on blue and they're fantastic with the white dials. However looking at the pics on this forum mine are a completly different shade of blue. Much brighter. I'll see if I can get some pics together.

[Muad_dib77]

I've got white dials with black markings & LEDs which can be adjusted from blue to green and every shade in between. I have to say I've got them set on blue and they're fantastic with the white dials. However looking at the pics on this forum mine are a completly different shade of blue. Much brighter. I'll see if I can get some pics together.

Nice 1... How do you go about adjusting the LEDs? Is there a voltage regulator on a seperate circuit - or??

Sounds pretty nifty...although...do you use it? (As in do you change the color everysooften?)

Now I've got to pick up a set of cheap white dials somewhere...

Blue lights won't suit the white background all that much, especially when you consider that the dial markings are mosy likely gonna be blue anyway.

CJ

Ah well - if it looks cack it's fairly easy & cheap to get white leds... to stick behind the dials.... wouldn't be a deal-breaker imo...

[Colin C]

Got some pics of my dials. The different shades of light didn't turn out great on the pics. I had each colour on max intensity for the pics. With some of them this can be a bit overpowering when driving but most are ok.

My White dials........


Deep Blue........


Greenyish!!


And some more different shades of blue/green.............



The only problom I have with them is the crap stickers for KPH etc. It's not noticable with the lights off but when they're on it bugs me.[/img]

[Colin C]

Sorry the pics are so big ........ I'll learn for the next time.

[kevinod]

Looks good!

[CJ]

Ah right, they're indiglo dials, the plastic dial face is made thin so as light can shine thru, this isn't the case with the standard white dials which are a negative of indiglos, the background is unlit while the dial readings are illuminated.

CJ

[Muad_dib77]

Uhh that looks nice!