LED (blue) dash conversion... work in progress
I recenlty recieved my white gauges. The set didn't fit. I would have to modify the RPM gauge for the gear select light. I didn't want to do that, so I'm returning the gauges tomorrow. I am going to replace all lights with SUPER BRIGHT blue LEDS. This is the site I am buying my bulbs from www.superbrightleds.com. Seems to be a bit cheaper that the other sites. Will post picks when done.........
Originally Posted by Mp3
This is how mine turned out, and I did the soldering. It matches my head unit.






Sorry to throw 3 ?'s at once..
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
Which of the bulbs fit in the instrument panel cluster again? What is it called in that http://autolumination.com/74.htm website?
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
EDIT: Acutally, what does the whole instrumetal panel (including clock and climate controls) look like in the daytime?
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
The V-led link doesnt work.
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
Are the Odometer bulbs the same as the gauge cluster bulbs?
Originally Posted by subtledreamer
The bulbs for these are of 74 type...
You would want 6 of those 74-type bulbs (in addition to odo/signals)... be a pioneer and give it a shot.
You would want 6 of those 74-type bulbs (in addition to odo/signals)... be a pioneer and give it a shot.

looks good.
i did this mod then changed it back.
the radio proved to be very difficult and i also didn't like the different shades of blue that it ends up with.
and i also didn't like losing the red needles.
nice work.
i did this mod then changed it back.
the radio proved to be very difficult and i also didn't like the different shades of blue that it ends up with.
and i also didn't like losing the red needles.
nice work.
Originally Posted by 69tl
so all this led don't require soldering? it just plug and play?
unless you do the ledautomotive service.
they'll do it for you.
ifyou do it yourself..you need patience.
Originally Posted by joseph_99tl
looks good.
i did this mod then changed it back.
the radio proved to be very difficult and i also didn't like the different shades of blue that it ends up with.
and i also didn't like losing the red needles.
nice work.
i did this mod then changed it back.
the radio proved to be very difficult and i also didn't like the different shades of blue that it ends up with.
and i also didn't like losing the red needles.
nice work.
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
Nice! You did the speedometer as well! No soldiering for that part right? Are those LEd brighter than the stock bulbs? Your picture looks like it has been brightened or contrasted to make the cluster look clear.
if you look at those pics. the tips of the needles are almost completely unlit.
compared to OEM.
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
hmmm, anyway to fix that then? maybe not changing the bulb for the needles?
the needles get their illimunation from clear plastic "runners" behind the gauge faces that carry the light from the bulbs in the gauge pod.
and you also end up with different hues of blue between the climate control, clock and gauges.
there are filters in the clock and climate control pods that you take out...and double up on the led bulbs..
i just wasn't happy with the differnt shades of blue.
Just an FYI, this was posted on the CL board, just more options, and for those who want their stock HU done, contact this guy, looks like there was a clean install here aswell.
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...2&page=1&pp=25
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...2&page=1&pp=25
Originally Posted by KahRupt-CL-S03
Just an FYI, this was posted on the CL board, just more options, and for those who want their stock HU done, contact this guy, looks like there was a clean install here aswell.
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...2&page=1&pp=25
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...2&page=1&pp=25
that guy did a tremendous job.
it is a mix of hyper white and blue leds.
For my car, the needles kept sticking no matter how thin tape I used. I tried to re-tape so the reverse face can be on center but that didn't work out either. I was thinking it would be better without the ring, and also the needles would not get stuck if there is no center ring so I just trimmed out the center ring..--;; I used knife first time but I found out myself that using scissors would be a lot easier so used scissors after one face. Here is the picture.


Originally Posted by mezzerTL-S
Here are some shots of my dash, I havn't quite finished yet but heres what I've got done








Looks amazing! Reminds me of the 3rd gen tl dash. As KahRupt-CL-S03 said, are they PnP?
Originally Posted by KahRupt-CL-S03
That looks very clean
how long did it take you to do the install? Were the LED's plug and play or did you have to modify anything?
Originally Posted by mezzerTL-S
the part that takes the longest is taking the dash apart, I would say maybe about 2 hours total. every thing is plug and play except the red light in the defogger button, I had to send the climate control unit to LEDautomotive to have it soldered together. as far as the VSA, cruise and sunroof the I sent the OEM bulb housings to LEDautomotive to have the LED's wired with the resitors cause I'm useless when it comes to soldering miniscule objects, then its just plug and play from there
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
did you remove the blue filter behind the gauges and odometer as well? And did you get the white or blue LEDs from LEDautomotive.com?
overexposure i think .. i have ledautomotive for my cluster too (installed them yesterday).. look really good, something between those 2 pictures.. where is the trip meter you can barely notice hot spot at the end but no that much .. and the needle is not as bright as this guy pics but a bit brighter than ledautomotive pictures.. i think that cluster is dimmer on 99tl (like mine) ive read it somewhere.. i canot remember !
Just wanted to shrow a pointer out to everyone out here doing or thinking of doing this conversion. I did this conversion on my eclipse, but figured out a way to install the resistors without soldering. All you have to do is spice the resistor on the illumination wire going to each switch. And there should be one for the whole guage cluster alone. I think its either red or reb/black on our cars. Just throwing in my
Nice! Thanks for posting the pics and attending my questions!
I'm prolly gonna do the whole speedometer + clock, climate controls + climate display, I'm leaving everything else tho.
I'm prolly gonna do the whole speedometer + clock, climate controls + climate display, I'm leaving everything else tho.
Originally Posted by mezzerTL-S
no I left the blue filter in and as far as the blue filter goes unfortunately you can't just remove as its a pigment in the gauge face, I think another member on this board has rubbed the pigment off with rubbing alcohol and a Q-tip (big PITA) I bought the blue LEDs
Did you get the hyperwhite bulbs?
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
Hold on..the LEDautomotive.com site says " (Hyper White LEDs are used but the gauge cluster will light up blue - See picture)"
Did you get the hyperwhite bulbs?
Did you get the hyperwhite bulbs?
I've started full dash conversion from stock to blue on my 02 Tl type S...
I bought the LED automotive climate control system just to get a feel for what I was doing. My buddy is good at sodering so he took on the sodering, taking the dash apart was a job, but after we did it once, putting it back together and taking it off now takes 5 minutes tops.
The sodering was tedious but it was all done great. I am now trying to decide whether to go reverse glow guages or change the leds, any suggestions? I wanna try to keep a stock look, and am not sure if I wanna sacrifice that look for the guages or not. In the next 2 months or so, anything that lights up will be blue. Window switches, seat memory, seat heaters, gears...and dome light/map light will be hyper white...
All this started because at night, my clock bulb died, so I looked for a replacement. I bought a double din screen which has blue buttons on the side...one thing led to another and what do ya know...
If you know what your doing you can buy the led's in bulk (3mm or 5mm) in bulk off ebay or stores guys have listed above. You can get aprox 100 3mm diffused blues for 15 bucks or so. Resistors aren't that expensive either so its not to bad. I found a site where a guy tells you which leds (3mm or 5mm) go where: http://n4te.com/images/acura/leds/guide/ If your interested in doing this and you have questions..give me an e-mail or something...I'll definately be asking more questions in the future....
(pics comin soon)
I bought the LED automotive climate control system just to get a feel for what I was doing. My buddy is good at sodering so he took on the sodering, taking the dash apart was a job, but after we did it once, putting it back together and taking it off now takes 5 minutes tops.
The sodering was tedious but it was all done great. I am now trying to decide whether to go reverse glow guages or change the leds, any suggestions? I wanna try to keep a stock look, and am not sure if I wanna sacrifice that look for the guages or not. In the next 2 months or so, anything that lights up will be blue. Window switches, seat memory, seat heaters, gears...and dome light/map light will be hyper white...
All this started because at night, my clock bulb died, so I looked for a replacement. I bought a double din screen which has blue buttons on the side...one thing led to another and what do ya know...
If you know what your doing you can buy the led's in bulk (3mm or 5mm) in bulk off ebay or stores guys have listed above. You can get aprox 100 3mm diffused blues for 15 bucks or so. Resistors aren't that expensive either so its not to bad. I found a site where a guy tells you which leds (3mm or 5mm) go where: http://n4te.com/images/acura/leds/guide/ If your interested in doing this and you have questions..give me an e-mail or something...I'll definately be asking more questions in the future....
(pics comin soon)
Originally Posted by twighunter00
I've started full dash conversion from stock to blue on my 02 Tl type S...
I bought the LED automotive climate control system just to get a feel for what I was doing. My buddy is good at sodering so he took on the sodering, taking the dash apart was a job, but after we did it once, putting it back together and taking it off now takes 5 minutes tops.
The sodering was tedious but it was all done great. I am now trying to decide whether to go reverse glow guages or change the leds, any suggestions? I wanna try to keep a stock look, and am not sure if I wanna sacrifice that look for the guages or not. In the next 2 months or so, anything that lights up will be blue. Window switches, seat memory, seat heaters, gears...and dome light/map light will be hyper white...
All this started because at night, my clock bulb died, so I looked for a replacement. I bought a double din screen which has blue buttons on the side...one thing led to another and what do ya know...
If you know what your doing you can buy the led's in bulk (3mm or 5mm) in bulk off ebay or stores guys have listed above. You can get aprox 100 3mm diffused blues for 15 bucks or so. Resistors aren't that expensive either so its not to bad. I found a site where a guy tells you which leds (3mm or 5mm) go where: http://n4te.com/images/acura/leds/guide/ If your interested in doing this and you have questions..give me an e-mail or something...I'll definately be asking more questions in the future....
(pics comin soon)
I bought the LED automotive climate control system just to get a feel for what I was doing. My buddy is good at sodering so he took on the sodering, taking the dash apart was a job, but after we did it once, putting it back together and taking it off now takes 5 minutes tops.
The sodering was tedious but it was all done great. I am now trying to decide whether to go reverse glow guages or change the leds, any suggestions? I wanna try to keep a stock look, and am not sure if I wanna sacrifice that look for the guages or not. In the next 2 months or so, anything that lights up will be blue. Window switches, seat memory, seat heaters, gears...and dome light/map light will be hyper white...
All this started because at night, my clock bulb died, so I looked for a replacement. I bought a double din screen which has blue buttons on the side...one thing led to another and what do ya know...
If you know what your doing you can buy the led's in bulk (3mm or 5mm) in bulk off ebay or stores guys have listed above. You can get aprox 100 3mm diffused blues for 15 bucks or so. Resistors aren't that expensive either so its not to bad. I found a site where a guy tells you which leds (3mm or 5mm) go where: http://n4te.com/images/acura/leds/guide/ If your interested in doing this and you have questions..give me an e-mail or something...I'll definately be asking more questions in the future....
(pics comin soon)
Originally Posted by VoLLy_1llusioNz
Same, thats why I want to replace all my dash bulbs to LEDs, however I am leaving the radio stock, looks too hard to do.
tells you how to do it all, not sure if theres sodering involved, haven't done it, but he's got a nifty DIY...I don't think its specific bulbs for each button on stock head unit, should be like 9 or 10 leds that shine the whole thing...take a look, If your gonna take the time to do the ac unit, and rest of your dash, definately finish it up...
Originally Posted by twighunter00
Like I said before this guy: http://n4te.com/images/acura/leds/guide/
tells you how to do it all, not sure if theres sodering involved, haven't done it, but he's got a nifty DIY...I don't think its specific bulbs for each button on stock head unit, should be like 9 or 10 leds that shine the whole thing...take a look, If your gonna take the time to do the ac unit, and rest of your dash, definately finish it up...
tells you how to do it all, not sure if theres sodering involved, haven't done it, but he's got a nifty DIY...I don't think its specific bulbs for each button on stock head unit, should be like 9 or 10 leds that shine the whole thing...take a look, If your gonna take the time to do the ac unit, and rest of your dash, definately finish it up...
I would have gone green, for same reason as VoLLy_1llusioNz, thats alot of work... But I bought an aftermarket double din screen so those were already blue...plus you can do alot with blueguages, under-dash, under-car (if I decide that), plus I my buddy who owns a passat is helping me with all this nonsense...he's got an idea to put led's deep in the ac unit and have those on a dimmer...he's into all that electrical engineering...
If I decide to do that I'll definately post a DIY with pics...but I wanna see his first and how he wires it..
If I decide to do that I'll definately post a DIY with pics...but I wanna see his first and how he wires it..

