LED question.

**Defiant[YD]** · 12-11-2002, 06:49 PM

ok, i bought some high intensity blue led's from radioshack.

how do i make it so that the LED's replace the stock bulbs on the gauge cluster???

like i want the gauges to to lit up blue when i turn my headlights on.

**Defiant[YD]** · 12-11-2002, 08:55 PM

please help me!

**88 Accord DX** · 12-12-2002, 06:27 AM

yeah i wanted to do this too but this is what i found:

the lights are just white lights with colored plastic. on the top there is a plastic piece with lights. if u can take that plastic off and replace the lights with the LEDs then you might get it to look blue instead of the stock green.

**Defiant[YD]** · 12-12-2002, 09:57 PM

i knew that already. but thx anyways.

i wanted to know if i can just rip the bulb from the brown casings out and put a LED in. anyone???? please help cuz i wanna get this done before it really starts snowing.

**hondadna** · 12-15-2002, 01:00 PM

to start do you have the LED with two or 3 wires? if you got the 2 wire your good and are they 12v because most are 3-4v and if they are 3-4 v they will work but not long they burn out or melt ok but you know that ...right!?! so if they are 12v two wired LEDs you can just cut the green light out and soder the LEDs in there place I found it to be not so easy to do but I got some LEDs from my speed shop..Audio Wizards.. sory had to give a shoot out but.. they came with 3 foot long wires so I had some play room mine are made to replace the LED in the alarm so they are 12v LEDs with 2 wires so they work nice your light on the heater and all that other stuff mite not light up but you know whats there..ie ash tray, heater contorls, and if you got an auto the light on the consoul.

**Bobs89LXi** · 12-15-2002, 02:12 PM

Most standard LEDs run on anywhere from 3 to 12 volts. They also run on very low amperage. You cannot connect them directly to the car's electrical system without them burning out. You will need to wire a resistor in series with them, much in the same way they do with the LED brake lights in spoilers. I can't remember what the exact resistance is but I believe it is somewhere between 100 and 500 ohms. You'll have to do some experimentation.

**Defiant[YD]** · 12-15-2002, 11:01 PM

so i need a resistor for each bulb? oh boy... damn...
anybody know how to teach Circuits 101??? hehe cuz i have no idea where i would start then.

**redricer89** · 12-16-2002, 06:14 PM

i am confused

**Brents88Accord** · 12-18-2002, 06:34 AM

To make the LED work in the normal socket you need to add a resistor to one of the leads on the LED. I recommend trying a 33ohm resistor. If thats not bright enough for you, try a 27ohm resistor. (they are very cheap to buy, somthing like $0.05 at the most. The other thing you have to remember is that LED's have a positive and negative side. If you wire it up one way, it won't turn on....but it won't wreck it. Just turn it around.

I've done this with my ashtray light, and it looks good and is really bright.

P.S. Were the Blue LED's from radio shack and IR LED? Cause thats the only ones I know that Radio shack sell.... And those will not show any light when hooked up... its Infrared light.

Hope this helps

Brent

**89AccordNate** · 12-18-2002, 05:05 PM

You buy white faced gauges from procarparts.com, that glow blue or green, and call it a day. Heck with all of that confusing unreliable LED stuff

Nate.

**Defiant[YD]** · 12-19-2002, 07:24 PM

yah, i got the LEDs from radioshack. but they're not the infrared ones. they're the blue ones. clear bulb case, that emits a blue light.

omg.... i gotta get some resistors now then. what do they look like at radioshack.

**Project-LXi** · 12-19-2002, 09:46 PM

Yeah I second the ProCarParts.com idea. Just get the reverse indiglos in silver or white. Should save you a lot of time and headaches. Its only $63

I just ordered mine, they should arrive tommorow!

**Brents88Accord** · 12-20-2002, 07:01 PM

i don't think radio shack as small enough resistors for that.... look for an electronic supply store (like www.digikey.com). and they will sell you some.

Its not going to be an easy task, but I admire your determination.

I'm just going to purchase the reverse indiglo ones

Good luck

**Defiant[YD]** · 12-20-2002, 11:15 PM

well, i would love to get ready made gauges, but i don't like the way it lights up. i want the whole face to light up ya know. like, back light. these high intensity leds, i figure, should light the whole face up, next best thing to pasting homemade gauges on clear plastic, then cutting the plastic to fit onto the cluster.

i dunno, if it's gonna be that complicated, i'll have to think further on it....