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Thread: LED Bulbs for the dash cluster

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2021
    Location
    Bloomfield, New Jersey
    Posts
    215

    Default LED Bulbs for the dash cluster

    Hi,
    Been reading a lot of posts here on LED Bulbs. Has anyone installed LED Bulbs for the gauges and lower dash. Just hooked mine gauges up last night, not very bright. Have a new headlight switch set to full brightness, still pretty dim. Good idea to go LED? Is white the way to go? Maybe blue for the gauges?

    Thanks
    John Mush
    C56A1836

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2018
    Location
    Dunedin, New Zealand
    Posts
    296

    Default

    I change mine to 6w , have not used LED yet for dash, but the 6w made huge improvement.
    Graham Rollo,
    C56D2663 1956 Continental Mark II
    1957 Imperial Southhampton coupe
    1956 Buick Riveria special coupe
    1939 Chev tudor
    1931 Ford Model A coupe
    1987 Harley Davidson
    . 1940 Ford deluxe coupe

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Farmington Hills, MI
    Posts
    4,715

    Default

    You just need brighter lamps. There's a ton of junk out there. I would use a warm lamp as that's the color of incandescent lamps. 2700-3000?K,
    Barry Wolk
    Farmington Hills, MI

    C5681126

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Switzerland
    Posts
    2,240

    Default

    Different car, same problem: the dash illumination from my '72 Coupe de Ville was marginal at best. Stronger bulbs? They generate too much heat, not good for the plastic support. Finally, I bought LED bulbs by superbrightleds.com. They are made in China to my dismay, but now I see at which speed I'm driving. The models 194-NWHP5 in natural white and 194-WWHP5 in warm white I bought have the advantage to be dimmable. For a Mark II, you will need other models as the socket will be different.
    Roger

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    El Paso, Texas
    Posts
    170

    Default

    When I have changed to brighter bulbs on a dash they usually end up being different intensities which throws off the uniformity of the illumination. I have found that just changing them all at the same time with what was intended works best for me. I also clean the harnesses, sockets and grounds. There are places where the components can't get a proper ground on some dash boards. Also, cleaning dust off the insides of the cluster that are intended to reflect light need to be cleaned. On my Mark II, a previous "restorer" has a wire running from the cluster to a screw otherwise the dash lights do not work. I haven't been able to get in and see why and correct the issue.
    Knick Gomez

    1956 Mark II C56C2306
    1958 Edsel Villager 9 passenger
    1959 Thunderbird
    1959 Cadillac Series 62
    1952 Cadillac Series 62
    1949 GMC 250 tow truck
    1951 Bentley Mk VI
    2004, 2006 Scion xB

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Yellow Springs, OH
    Posts
    2,800

    Default

    That wire is most probably a ground wire. So if the cluster and pod are properly grounded, you most probably won't need the wire.
    Best regards,
    John
    John Snoddy

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    El Paso, Texas
    Posts
    170

    Default

    Just what I was thinking John!
    Knick Gomez

    1956 Mark II C56C2306
    1958 Edsel Villager 9 passenger
    1959 Thunderbird
    1959 Cadillac Series 62
    1952 Cadillac Series 62
    1949 GMC 250 tow truck
    1951 Bentley Mk VI
    2004, 2006 Scion xB

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Farmington Hills, MI
    Posts
    4,715

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Knickoliss Iv View Post
    When I have changed to brighter bulbs on a dash they usually end up being different intensities which throws off the uniformity of the illumination. I have found that just changing them all at the same time with what was intended works best for me. I also clean the harnesses, sockets and grounds. There are places where the components can't get a proper ground on some dash boards. Also, cleaning dust off the insides of the cluster that are intended to reflect light need to be cleaned. On my Mark II, a previous "restorer" has a wire running from the cluster to a screw otherwise the dash lights do not work. I haven't been able to get in and see why and correct the issue.
    The dash pod was never meant to be grounded to the dash as the mounting screws have to go through leather and padding and should never be isolated that way. There's absolutely nothing wrong with an auxiliary ground as the ground method used is poor, at best. Almost every single ground wire is attached to one of the bolts that holds the wiring connectors. It has a thin brass tube that connects the ground wire to the body that is totally dependent on the steel threads to carry current if the bolt loosens, which they all do.

    Screen_Shot_2022-09-25_at_9.12.29_AM.jpg
    Barry Wolk
    Farmington Hills, MI

    C5681126

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    Lake Zurich, Illinois
    Posts
    451

    Default

    SUPERBRIGHTLEDS.COM has everything needed for our cars.

    They have a nice defused bulb that works well with the gauges. (Plug and play bayonet base).

    I also changed my ceiling bulb that gets hot enough to actually blister your fingers if you touch it when it's on.

    The new led bulb is much brighter and totally cool.

    My under dash lenses were actually a little brown from the hot light bulbs and I have also changed them to LEDS.

    I have bought the bulbs for the tail lights (red) and turn signals (yellow) but haven't installed them yet.

    Interesting note. White LEDS behind red lenses (tail lights) do not work well. They make a round spot instead of a nice defused red tail light. Purchas red LED replacements for the tail lights and the entire lens will light up nice and red. Some technical reason I don't totally understand.
    Last edited by Jack Bowser; 09-30-2022 at 12:27 PM.
    Jack Bowser
    C56B2198
    Past Ownership 1991, 3206, and 1763
    2006 Ford GT
    2006 Cadillac XLR-V
    427 Cobra
    2012 Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster
    1924 Dodge Brothers Rat Rod
    Lots of Bowser gas Pumps

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