Instrument Cluster Light Swap

[withac]

Okay, I didn't figure this out by myself, someone at that “other site” posted up and I followed the directions. Since I haven’t seen it here I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post up. I’ve got a 2000. I don’t know models well enough to know what years this will work on but I’m sure somebody does.

You can change the color of the lights in your display cheap and easy without having to replace the whole cluster.

Requirements.
- Flat Head Screw Driver.
- 7MM Socket.
- 6 Bulbs.
- 6 Light Bulb Housings.

What To Order.
- Order 6 WLED-x4 LED bulb
12VDC 4-LED Wedge Base Bulb (194/168 type)
Select LED Color.

(They are about ¾ of the way down the page.)

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR&keywords=&cart_id=8054561.29175&next=0


- Order 6 Light Bulb Housings. Lampholder Twistlock for T3-1/4 Wedgebase lamps (555,etc) 24-8767 this is the black plastic twistlock plastic piece that twists into a circuit board and the lamp fits into

http://bayareaamusements.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=LB-T3T&Category_Code=LB&Product_Count=23


1) Tilt your steering wheel all the way down.
2) Turn on your truck and put your gear all the way down to first gear. Then turn truck off.
3) Use your fingers and wedge out the dash trim, it should just come out.
4) Use a socket and remove all 4 bolts holding on the gauge cluster.
5) Unplug the wire attachment that you will see on the backside of the cluster.
6) Remove the black covering of the gauge cluster that's on the backside, use a flat head screw driver. (see pic of black tabs on side)
7) You will see 6 gray light bulbs, twist to remove them and replace them with the new ones. (I can only see 5 large ones in the pic, I think I might have clipped the 6th.)
8) Reinstall the whole cluster as you removed it, then your done!


I can't find my after pics but they look lighter in the pics. They display fairly dark but I like it.

Here are some pictures with a before from my 'Ho and some afters from whoever I got the write up from after he installed blue LED's as well as some red LED's (not mine)

[czargee]

That's pretty tight. I think I might have to try that!

[joeyjamin]

that looks nice man im goin to order sum rite now....by the way what about the ac what type of bulbs they use because i want the ac the same way

[BOSS]

Great writeup, thanks!! Who was the orig poster?


BOSS

[withac]

I don't remember who posted it originally. I got it over at Tahoeforum a long time ago. I tried to take some pics of mine but the pics looked lighter than the actual lights. I used red and they are a pretty dark almost blood red. They aren't stand out bright like the blue so it just depends on what you like.

As far as the AC lights I have no idea. These have no wires, just contacts on the twist mount that when you twist them into the circuit board make contact. Unless someone has some input I guess you could always try to take the AC display apart and see what was back there.

[withac]

Here are a couple more pics from the other post. Like I said, remember the red us much darker than the pic.

I wonder what it would look like if you put a blue in the speedo light then used red for the tach and guages? Maybe a little too messy?

[PETEY]

Excellent information! Thanks!

[Anthony]

Here are a couple more pics from the other post. Like I said, remember the red us much darker than the pic.

I wonder what it would look like if you put a blue in the speedo light then used red for the tach and guages? Maybe a little too messy?

Here I photoshopped what it would look like: Took 2 mins. os its not perfect, just to get an idea.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9826/dash.jpg
:)

[JKmotorsports]

As far as the AC lights I have no idea. These have no wires, just contacts on the twist mount that when you twist them into the circuit board make contact. Unless someone has some input I guess you could always try to take the AC display apart and see what was back there.

New bulbs/LEDs have to be soldered into place of the stock ones. They don't use the twist lock type bulbs like the IP. I used single LEDs with a 5K ohm resistor on each:
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd269/jkmotorsports/DSC_2080.jpg

[Yuke2K]

Here I photoshopped what it would look like: Took 2 mins. os its not perfect, just to get an idea.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9826/dash.jpg
:)

You'd get alot of color mixing/spill over if you did this, I think...the edges of where the colors meet would probably look purple lol.

[withac]

Here I photoshopped what it would look like: Took 2 mins. os its not perfect, just to get an idea.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/9826/dash.jpg
:)

Doesn't look as cool as I thought it might

---------- Post added at 09:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------

New bulbs/LEDs have to be soldered into place of the stock ones. They don't use the twist lock type bulbs like the IP. I used single LEDs with a 5K ohm resistor on each:
http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd269/jkmotorsports/DSC_2080.jpg

Sweeeeeeet

[zach2011]

Awesome! I ordered blue ones last night, but I found out that the superbrightleds.com site also sells the twist locks for the bulbs so I didn't have to make a separate order and pay extra shipping. :)

Thought that might be helpful for anyone wanting to try this. And I'll gladly post my pics once they're installed.

[MASS-HOE'Z71]

From what I've read so far (there's a huge thread on this over on gmfs)from '00-'03 uses the 194 bulbs then '03+ uses the #74 bulbs but are the twist locks the same for them, the pics on the bulb sites don't really show the bottom of the bulb too well... Looks like I might have to borrow some resistors from work, blue dash nd green a/c isn't gunna look right

[withac]

Awesome! I ordered blue ones last night, but I found out that the superbrightleds.com site also sells the twist locks for the bulbs so I didn't have to make a separate order and pay extra shipping. :)

Thought that might be helpful for anyone wanting to try this. And I'll gladly post my pics once they're installed.


Makes sense if they sell the led bulbs that they'd carry the twist locks for them. Wish I'd thought to look when I bought mine.

[cnatalie]

This is the coolest forum ever!

[yukonjacks]

Okay, I didn't figure this out by myself, someone at that “other site” posted up and I followed the directions. Since I haven’t seen it here I figured it wouldn’t hurt to post up. I’ve got a 2000. I don’t know models well enough to know what years this will work on but I’m sure somebody does.

You can change the color of the lights in your display cheap and easy without having to replace the whole cluster.

Requirements.
- Flat Head Screw Driver.
- 7MM Socket.
- 6 Bulbs.
- 6 Light Bulb Housings.

What To Order.
- Order 6 WLED-x4 LED bulb
12VDC 4-LED Wedge Base Bulb (194/168 type)
Select LED Color.

(They are about ¾ of the way down the page.)

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=CAR&keywords=&cart_id=8054561.29175&next=0


- Order 6 Light Bulb Housings. Lampholder Twistlock for T3-1/4 Wedgebase lamps (555,etc) 24-8767 this is the black plastic twistlock plastic piece that twists into a circuit board and the lamp fits into

http://bayareaamusements.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=LB-T3T&Category_Code=LB&Product_Count=23


1) Tilt your steering wheel all the way down.
2) Turn on your truck and put your gear all the way down to first gear. Then turn truck off.
3) Use your fingers and wedge out the dash trim, it should just come out.
4) Use a socket and remove all 4 bolts holding on the gauge cluster.
5) Unplug the wire attachment that you will see on the backside of the cluster.
6) Remove the black covering of the gauge cluster that's on the backside, use a flat head screw driver. (see pic of black tabs on side)
7) You will see 6 gray light bulbs, twist to remove them and replace them with the new ones. (I can only see 5 large ones in the pic, I think I might have clipped the 6th.)
8) Reinstall the whole cluster as you removed it, then your done!


I can't find my after pics but they look lighter in the pics. They display fairly dark but I like it.

Here are some pictures with a before from my 'Ho and some afters from whoever I got the write up from after he installed blue LED's as well as some red LED's (not mine)

There are a couple different ones there, what viewing angle is needed

[withac]

There are a couple different ones there, what viewing angle is needed


You mean for the LED's? I didn't see different viewing angles, I just found exactly what is listed in the instructions, it's on there.

[yukonjacks]

Got my blue bulbs and my white led's for the puddle lights and interior on Saturday, and put them in Sunday, had to modify my back cover on the housing to match my twist locks, I will take some pics tonight

[bwilly20]

? for you fools, if i get the 194's that don't need resistors, can i plug'n'play em behind the dash too??

[yukonjacks]

here is a quick vid from my iphone with the blue instrument cluster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcMKI7VihI

[Mr45]

You mean for the LED's? I didn't see different viewing angles, I just found exactly what is listed in the instructions, it's on there.

I was wondering the same thing.

http://i31.tinypic.com/23vhik7.jpg

[hoygs740]

Hi,

Great forum everyone! Thanks so much for the info.

I have a 2003 Tahoe Z71 and would love to do the same to my cluster and ac. Does anyone know what the specific bulbs are used in the 03's?

Thanks for any help!

[vobarex]

Cant you just use the housing that they already have? Im not seeing why you need the adapter.

[ScottyBoy]

This bulb swap will only work on 2002 and older clusters. 2003 and newer you have to completely take apart the cluster and unsolder the bulbs and solder LED's in their place.

[withac]

Thanks Scott, I always wondered about different years, looks like you're out of luck Chris. As for our older models you need the housing because the existing housing is part of the light so you remove the light you have no housing. The led's plug right into the new housing and then it just twists in. As far as viewing angle, I seriously think there wasn't a choice back when I did mine, I really don't remember two options, because if there was I would have had the same question. I just found my invoice as well as the little bag they came in, there is no indication of viewing angle so I'm pretty sure at the time they only offered one led bulb so I wouldn't know what was best.

[vobarex]

Oh, thats lame. I did the cluster mod to my 2001 Buick Regal, removed the tabs, put the LED in, and twisted them back in, no problems.....the housing must not have been part of the bulb....o well, I AM NOT taking this thing apart just to solder in some LED's....i can live without it, its just kinda annoying that they did this, what if you had a normal bulb burn out? Then you would pay someone to solder it in right? that cost a lot of $$$, lame. On a side note, all other lights in the truck are the same, and I put LED lights in everything now...looks pretty tight.

---------- Post added at 08:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:02 AM ----------

Scotty - where did you order your HIDS from? sorry for post hijacking!

---------- Post added at 08:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:03 AM ----------

Oh also, you want the 90 degree bulbs....sorry.

[YUKISM]

This Forum/Thread is The BOMB!!!
I just did the cluster on my 02' Yuk today,I had my computer in the passenger seat with this thread open,and no problems at all,Super simple.
THANKS ALOT!!!

[99Tahoe]

Great mod! Look forward to doing this on my 2001 tahoe when i get it next summer

[chip]

subscribed

[dwmmatt23]

Man cant believe I havent seen this yet, guess there is a perk to having an 01 cluster. Looks like im ordering LEDs

[rockyc82]

Sorry for my lack of LED knolege but is it still dimmable after the LED conversion? I do a lot of driving to my cabin at night and like to dim the interior for better visibility.

[bkboatnsleds]

everything I see is yes - you can dim them