Dashboard LED's? Good Idea?

[UrbanBurban]

I just upgraded the interior lights in my Suburban. The map, dome, doors, underdash, and glovebox lights. I'm considering doing the dashboard next. Dashboard as in spedometer, gas guage, etc.

What kind of bulbs are they, and how easy is it to install? Does it require modifications? And is it worth it?

I already had to modify the map and door panel lights by using a dremel to make the bulbs fit.

Please and thank you!

 

[great white]

With the replacements, you loose the dimming function in the cluster. LED's don't dim by reducing voltage, they dim by feeding them a PWM signal. I incorporated one in my LED conversion because blue LED backlighting on full bright is overpowering at night. Changing them to something besides white will also "color shift" the red areas on your cluster.

If all that's important to ya that is...

Here's mine, but it's not your standard "pop in the bulbs" conversion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAUoQNdq_90

That was on a variable resistor pot and it fried it after a few seconds. I think if you listen closely you can hear the electricity frying the pot as I turn it up and down.That's why it's not smooth. It's on a PWM dimmer now. There's also separate orange LED's behind the needles since the mains are blue. Still have to run more orange LED's for the other needles and the range markings. I don't like "fushia" in the cluster.

Here's what's going on inside:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T16Tic789dQ

I'm probably going to make a "diffuser" over the LED's to smooth out a few harsh spots here and there. Fancy name for a semitransparent piece of lexan between the led's and the gauge face.

Here's just the gauges on the PWM:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWxZnm0d48

 

[gmcyukondriver]

Everything you will ever need to know:

http://www.gmt400.com/forum/showthread.php?116-LED-Gauge-Install

Assuming you have a 95-99.

 

[Half Assed]

Search bro. There is a sticky in the interior subforum for this...

 

[UrbanBurban]

I never realized what it looked like on the inside. , but yea thats alot of bulbs. Thanks man!

 

[UrbanBurban]

That answered all my questions, thanks alot!