88-94 LED install in Gauge Cluster

[Marcos A]

I have been searching on the Forums and I see that there has been a 95-99 GMT-400 LED gauge cluster install thread but has anyone installed LEDs in the earlier GMT-400s???

I am asking this because I have installed LED's in them (in my 90) twice actually - I went with RED LEDs. the first set didn't seem to be bright enough with LEDs only in the front part of the bulb - needles lit up pretty good but the numbers or other info did not light up at all unless the light off the needle illuminated onto it.

so I bought a different set of LEDs with LEDs in the front and all around the bulb for all around illumination - and besides the needles shining up brighter RED now - the numbers and other info still does not light up or shine thru.

So what gives?????
I made sure that the LEDs polarity were correct and tested them to make sure they worked before I reinstalled - they all do light up so I don't understand Why are the numbers not shining thru?

Thanks for the help.

 

[ima93chevyguy]

You can scrape off the green screen that's on the inside of the gauges to help, depends on if you really want to do that or not; I feel like you don't have bright enough LED's

I use cheap 360 deg Blue LED's from amazon

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[Marcos A]

You can scrape off the green screen that's on the inside of the gauges to help, depends on if you really want to do that or not; I feel like you don't have bright enough LED's

I use cheap 360 deg Blue LED's from amazon

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HOLY **** DUDE!!!!!!!!

That looks GREAT!!!!!!

Did you scrape the green screen off the inside of yours or is that just the LEDs?
Care to post which cheap 360 LEDs you used?

Like I said I bought what I thought were the brighter ones but in RED and they are nowhere near as bright as yours.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Marcos A]

Here's a pic of what mine looks like. Needles are bright as **** but the rest of the dash is dark.

also I have attached a pic of the 1st LEDs that I used and then the new ones with LEDs around 360 degrees.

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[ima93chevyguy]

https://www.amazon.com/Yorkim-Polar...=blue+194+led&qid=1555518449&s=gateway&sr=8-6

These aren't the "exact" ones that I used but they're basically all the same. Just look up blue 194 LED on amazon.

Here are the RED version of the same thing. They didn't have a lumen rating but Superbrightleds advertise their same style as having 36 lumens for Red. so these should be pretty close. Of course feel free to look at different brands or whatever but this is the style.

https://www.amazon.com/Yorkim-Polar...=blue+194+led&qid=1555518449&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I looked up a lumen chart for those style of LED's and it showed red being almost 3x as many lumens as blue so they "should" be bright enough.

 

[Marcos A]

https://www.amazon.com/Yorkim-Polar...=blue+194+led&qid=1555518449&s=gateway&sr=8-6

These aren't the "exact" ones that I used but they're basically all the same. Just look up blue 194 LED on amazon.

Here are the RED version of the same thing. They didn't have a lumen rating but Superbrightleds advertise their same style as having 36 lumens for Red. so these should be pretty close. Of course feel free to look at different brands or whatever but this is the style.

https://www.amazon.com/Yorkim-Polar...=blue+194+led&qid=1555518449&s=gateway&sr=8-6

I looked up a lumen chart for those style of LED's and it showed red being almost 3x as many lumens as blue so they "should" be bright enough.

WOW!!!! I appreciate the help - I am ordering another set of those LEDs (in RED of course) - once I get a chance to install them I will repost my findings here.

Thanks again!

 

[studigggs]

When you do this LED swap does the gauge cluster still dim with the wheel?

 

[Marcos A]

When you do this LED swap does the gauge cluster still dim with the wheel?

I believe so but don't know for sure as I have not driven the truck at night since I have installed the LEDs. I will drive it into work tomorrow so I will be able to let you know then.

 

[Marcos A]

As promised: I drove the truck this morning to work and there is no dimming feature- they are either On (dim on Bright) or Off (Dim on Low).

 

[ima93chevyguy]

When you do this LED swap does the gauge cluster still dim with the wheel?

You can buy dimmable LED's that do retain the factory function, these particular kind do not offer that.