Instrument pod LED lighting
 

So I've been playing around with brightening up my dash lights from the original dim 194 bulbs. Here's a set that's 400 lumen, I think they're bright enough without painting the inside of the pod white, but it is an option, it's currently blue (attached pic). Thoughts?
Pic 1. Instrument pod
Pic 2. Lights on
Pic 3. Lights off

One of the better modifications I did was putting LED's in the gauge pod. I don't have the ability to dim the lights, but that's fine on my end as I usually have my instruments on full bright anyhow.

I was tempted to try out red LED's but didn't want to pull the backing to repaint over the eggshell blue, which would have created a purple hue. I like it and I would run with what you have if I was making the decision.

I believe you're right, I think they're 1000% better than they were, without doing anything more. Thanks...

The only thing I would mention here is that I would put a new traditional 194 light for your GEN dummy light. While an LED there won't cause any engine run-on or other mechanical/electrical issues, the LED doesn't provide enough resistance to function properly itself. Mine no longer illuminates on key-on or when in acc mode or car off with lights on.

Just something to think about.

Does using an LED in the GEN spot make it inoperable if the alternator quits charging?

The one I put in from Super Bright LED'S do.

I don't know, but considering how it acts in a car off ignition on setting, it's quite possible.

So now you tell me ... I was wondering why it doesn't come on at start anymore. Going to be tough to reach up in there and change it now :)

Yeah. I saw the bahavior a little while after I put the interior back together.

All I could do was sit in the driver's seat, admire the view, take a deep breath and think to myself...





...****.

Do the LED 194s install one way only to work? Polarity sensitive?

No polarity, install either direction. They're dimmable too, but they'll only dim about 50% not completely like the originals.

Some LED's are polarity sensitive. Not all are dimmable. The cheaper ones you can get through amazon etc typically won't have the ability to dimm and are likely polarity sensitive.

If you purchase LED's that are polarity sensitive, having the cluster out to where you can see the printed circuit and it's ground paths is almost essential. If you're trying to do this with the cluster in the car, buy the higher dollar LED's that don't care.

JL, the ones I purchased were off of Amazon, they're not polarity sensitive (a big plus), and they dim down to about 50% of their brightness. They were around $16 for a pack of 10, more than enough to do my gauges, are 400 lumens, and the best ones I've found. I hope they hold up good, and I have no reason to believe they won't from their reviews. I wanted to be able to see my dash lights at night, these will definitely allow that now!

I have my dash out so it made it much easier doing comparisons, and testing out different ones. All I had to do was plug in the instrument pod, ground it, and turn on my headlight switch. I had previously tried some that were 135 lumen but found out pretty quick that they weren't bright enough.

This is the fourth time I've had my dash out for various reasons since 2014, I don't plan on there being a 5th, it's not a fun task!

I have LED's in my car, and painted the back area fluorescent red as well. I also use dimmable LED's and love it. brighter, less power required, less heat to dry out the plastic, all a win win imo.

Mine are polarity sensitive and don't dim. Dimming ... not concerned, polarity though is a pain to keep straight ... and if you have to reach up there and change one .. not fun to have to do it twice because you got the polarity wrong.

Tuskegee, that looks really good. I agree, a win win.

Data way, I hope I never have to screw with this ever again in my lifetime, but that's probably too much to wish for, lol.

This thread has now added to my to-do list ... going to have to remove the left side AC duct and see if I can get in there and change the Alt light back to conventional ... luckily it's down low and sticks out some in the back.

Dataway, get a young lad (son, grandson, neighbors kid, lol) with small hands and see if he can reach it. Just a thought.

Do you have a link for the ones you bought?

Here you go. Just a side note, if you test these outside of the pod do not look directly at them, they are BRIGHT!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07PX...ws_feature_div

thank you

Do they work with the dimmer?

Amcmike, they seem to dim down to about 50% of their total brightness. That's not a problem for me, I don't run with them off after dark.

You have to get dimmable LED's and then yes, they will. Non dimmable ones (it only takes one) will fry the fuse the moment you twist the dial.

Hey, spent most of the day putting in my new (used/ OEM/uncut) dash bezel, and I wanted to correct a previous post, the LED's I put in it do dim completely, not 50% as I previously posted. Once I got the dash in I gave them a test run, I would say they worked great since I was able to see them in the daylight.

Mine are not dimmable and work just fine after twisting the dimmer. All they do is just go out when the dimmer is turned all the way down and come back on when you turn it up.

Dataway, I'm just glad I'll finally be able to see them after dark. I absolutely hated having to remove that bezel again, what a chore! I wish there was an easier way to installthe headlight switch, that's the worse part.

Mine have the same behavior. No issues with blowing fuses, if I try to dim them, they just turn off. They come right back on if you twist the dimmer back up to full brightness.

I wasn't so lucky. Mine would pop fuses the moment I twisted the dial (not my Firebird, but another car I put some LED's in)

Tuske, that sucks! I hate electrical issues! When I first putt mine together my brake lights wouldn't work, it took three days of troubleshooting to find a courtesy light bulb in the passenger side had the contact wire cockeyed and was grounding it out. All I had to do was remove the bulb, allow the spring loaded wire to reseat itself, and reinsert the bulb, #**#*@! Everything worked after that.

My electrical offender was a set of strrip LED's I had inside the interior to provide a soft glow of light at night with the lights on. I simply removed them from the gauge wiring circuit and connected them to the running lights (a constant 12v) and problem solved.