The quest for better interior lighting revisited (inst. for Direct Replacement LEDs)
05-09-2004, 02:24 AM
#76
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 44
The #74 size you don't have any other lens choices, they only have the focused ones. Take sandpaper to the lens and take the dome off. Just sand it flat. You can go down to a bit under a millimeter from the actual diode (the metal thing you can see inside the lens). Lightly sand the sides as well for the best dispersion.
Get a few extra #74s, the HVAC unit and key illumination use the same size
IIRC there are 3 or 4 in the HVAC and one in the ignition switch bezel.
Get a few extra #74s, the HVAC unit and key illumination use the same size
IIRC there are 3 or 4 in the HVAC and one in the ignition switch bezel.
Last edited by wagon christ; 05-09-2004 at 02:28 AM. Reason: additional info
05-09-2004, 10:05 AM
#78
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Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 44
Hmm. The one in your photo looks flat, but way long. It's still described as a focused lens. Dome or flat, the closer the diode is to the end of the lens, the wider the dispersion will be. Sand it down.
*****, but the autoillumination site is butt ugly and hard to navigate
*****, but the autoillumination site is butt ugly and hard to navigate
05-09-2004, 04:46 PM
#79
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one of the worst sites out on the web, but it seems to be the only place with what i want. lol. i jsut now realized what you were talking about, the shaving down the plastic until it is closer to the actual metal piece inside the light. i shouldn't post/read at night, lol.
05-16-2004, 06:44 PM
#80
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I found that cutting the plastic flat as close to the diode as possible, and then sanding the sides to make it frosted all around helps a great deal with the hotspots and evens out the lighting on the dash.
i wonder, 3 of those bulbs i pulled out of the instrument cluster were larger than the regular 74s, are those the 194 size? would the dash be lit up better (speedo/tach) if i used 194s where the big bulbs used to be?
thanks
i wonder, 3 of those bulbs i pulled out of the instrument cluster were larger than the regular 74s, are those the 194 size? would the dash be lit up better (speedo/tach) if i used 194s where the big bulbs used to be?
thanks
05-16-2004, 07:35 PM
#81
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Join Date: Feb 2004
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Originally Posted by IntraWRX
I found that cutting the plastic flat as close to the diode as possible, and then sanding the sides to make it frosted all around helps a great deal with the hotspots and evens out the lighting on the dash.
i wonder, 3 of those bulbs i pulled out of the instrument cluster were larger than the regular 74s, are those the 194 size? would the dash be lit up better (speedo/tach) if i used 194s where the big bulbs used to be?
06-05-2004, 05:16 PM
#85
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Originally Posted by wonton2049
i used the led 74's but they arent too bright... would the in candescent bulbs work better???
Got your email wonton... I'm assuming your lighting doesn't work in the HVAC because you have to tinker with the +/- filaments on the LED bulbs.
So let's go by the numbers shall we?
1)Did you trim the end portion of the LED to fit the socket snug? Not too tight and not too loose?
2)Did you tinker with the +/- filaments on the bulb and try to get it to light after you played with it carefully in the socket?
3)When you trimmed the bulb end did you accidentally trim the workings and filament of the LED?
4)***this happened to me*** Did you break the socket that holds the bulb inside the H-VAC? You'll have to un-do a couple things and snake your hand behind and pull it out via a 90degree twist. Look inside the the socket and use a small needle to re-position the +/- connectors inside the socket to where they SHOULD be... where they were before doing this mod that is.
5)Did you blow a fuse? Look at the fuse diagram and see if ANY (especially lighting) have blown.
6)????
Goodluck!
06-09-2004, 10:32 PM
#86
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Originally Posted by wagon christ
Bingo. Exactly what I was trying to say.
Yes, two or three in the cluster were #194 size. I think this may even vary with model years. I could only obtain focused LEDs, so I cut them with side-clippers and then sanded them flat and almost to the diode. The US vendor has reverse lens items which are probably optimum.
Yes, two or three in the cluster were #194 size. I think this may even vary with model years. I could only obtain focused LEDs, so I cut them with side-clippers and then sanded them flat and almost to the diode. The US vendor has reverse lens items which are probably optimum.
Also, does anyone have a diagram of which bubls were 194's for an '02 cluster? I took mine out without ever having given it a second thought.. (oops).
06-10-2004, 08:10 AM
#87
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you can't fit the 194 led's from autolumination.com into the dash cluster...they're too big, even after dremelling them down (so that they can fit into the hvac sockets). anyway, i know pretty much for sure that the 3 194s in the dash are for the speedo and the tach. there's one far right for the tach alone, one between the speedo/tach, and then one at the top left of the speedo (between the temp gauge and speedo).
right now i have a 74 and a 194 in my hvac, and i can't tell any difference. the 74 is sanded down and the 194 is an inverted type. i have some frosted/opaque 194 that i might try later, but i'm too lazy lately to swap it out and test it.
right now i have a 74 and a 194 in my hvac, and i can't tell any difference. the 74 is sanded down and the 194 is an inverted type. i have some frosted/opaque 194 that i might try later, but i'm too lazy lately to swap it out and test it.
06-10-2004, 10:02 AM
#88
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I keep getting all these confussing remarks for some reason and have some questions for you guys...
1) Are the instructions helpful? I tried to make them as user friendly, straight forward and detailed as possible. I know the pictures on the hvac/keyring instructions crashed but it's pretty damn self explainitory. You'll need a phillips screwdriver and a little common sense to figue it out, right?
2) Are you happy with the results? I know it's not a STi cluster and damn the green film but this is the best i could come with. I'm actually quite pleased with my blue cluster and green hvac now.
1) Are the instructions helpful? I tried to make them as user friendly, straight forward and detailed as possible. I know the pictures on the hvac/keyring instructions crashed but it's pretty damn self explainitory. You'll need a phillips screwdriver and a little common sense to figue it out, right?
2) Are you happy with the results? I know it's not a STi cluster and damn the green film but this is the best i could come with. I'm actually quite pleased with my blue cluster and green hvac now.
Last edited by Salty; 06-10-2004 at 10:06 AM.
06-10-2004, 10:09 AM
#89
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In my opinion, awesome instructions, BUT not for my car 
which really sux (99 OBS) I tried this, and the lights where the wrong size and too dim, for the nums on the gauge they are barely enough when sanded, BUT cant see the needles at all.
It gave me ideas tho, and looked pretty awsome, so I still like it
Thnx
which really sux (99 OBS) I tried this, and the lights where the wrong size and too dim, for the nums on the gauge they are barely enough when sanded, BUT cant see the needles at all. It gave me ideas tho, and looked pretty awsome, so I still like it
Thnx
06-10-2004, 01:31 PM
#90
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Originally Posted by IntraWRX
you can't fit the 194 led's from autolumination.com into the dash cluster...they're too big, even after dremelling them down (so that they can fit into the hvac sockets). anyway, i know pretty much for sure that the 3 194s in the dash are for the speedo and the tach. there's one far right for the tach alone, one between the speedo/tach, and then one at the top left of the speedo (between the temp gauge and speedo).
right now i have a 74 and a 194 in my hvac, and i can't tell any difference. the 74 is sanded down and the 194 is an inverted type. i have some frosted/opaque 194 that i might try later, but i'm too lazy lately to swap it out and test it.
right now i have a 74 and a 194 in my hvac, and i can't tell any difference. the 74 is sanded down and the 194 is an inverted type. i have some frosted/opaque 194 that i might try later, but i'm too lazy lately to swap it out and test it.
Hmm, if the 74's & 194's are the same 'brightness', then you're right, it really won't matter. I was hoping that the reason my HVAC was brighter than my cluster was the LED size.. My fuel & temp gauges are perfect, however, my tach is very dim and the redline indicator is completely invisible at night.. My speedo is 'ok' but it could be brighter as well. If the green were scratched off the back and replaced with white (like the HVAC is), anyone think it'd be as bright? Or are there just too few LEDs to properly illuminate the cluster? Perhaps some of those multi-LED units might work better? I've seen size 194's with 4LED's instead of 1.. *shrug*