Dash light color change question:
12-13-2002
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Dash light color change question:
ok heres the deal.. the read everthing i can on how to change the dash lights (a/c controls etc.) i took apart everything in my car too.. just to get a look at what im dealing with... i used the bulb condoms that i got from my best friends 240sx.. well color looks green now thanks to NISSAN.. lol but i have reverse indiglo gauges so green isnt GOOD... well after carefull THINKING lol.. i was wondering if i could just go buy a binder from walgreens .. one of those seee through plastic ones and just cut them and lay them in there instead of the gel things which i cant seem to find anywhere side from online. But let me know if you think this is a good idea.. i mean the binders come in purple, yellow, blue, red , green.. and they're all see thro for $1 each..MY QUESTION IS will the plastic heat up too much if i do this?
12-13-2002
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Rep Power: 0 I tried the binder thing, and it worked a little bit, but they weren't nearly as blue(or bright) as I wanted them. They might start to melt of you leave your lights on for long periods of time. When I took em out they showed now signs of melting or anthing.....but they were only in there for a few days, and I only drive with my lights on at night. After that I soldered in some blut Varad LEDs and a 500ohm resistor. Now they match my reverse indiglo guages perfect. If you knwo how to solder, it's not that hard to change the lights. You just gotta be patient and take your time.
500 ohm is right size?
12-13-2002
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Rep Power: 0 It depends. I used Varad LEDs that came connected to a circuit board that made them blink. There was about 500ohms of resistance through that circuit board because the LEDs would burn out with straight 12v current. Radio Shack might have 12v LEDs that won't burn. If you want, you can try them out with a 500ohm resistor....if they aren't bright enough, bump the resistance down a bit. If you have the extra money, it's always good to buy an extra LED to test out first.
12-13-2002
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Rep Power: 0 If you read theDIY on how to change the dashlight color it says
Posted by AlpineCivic on Monday October 08, 2001 9:10:09 AM
Posted by AlpineCivic on Monday October 08, 2001 9:10:09 AM
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[hr]The LED indicators can b replaced with Radio Shack Blue or any other color LED I did not test current on the led my best guess would be 2-3 volts but to be safe add a 880 ohm reststor to the posistive side of the led if it don't light up remove the resistor.[hr]
[hr]The LED indicators can b replaced with Radio Shack Blue or any other color LED I did not test current on the led my best guess would be 2-3 volts but to be safe add a 880 ohm reststor to the posistive side of the led if it don't light up remove the resistor.[hr]
12-13-2002
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Rep Power: 0 Either one of those looks good. I'm pretty sure mine are 5mm.
As for the resistance.....I'm sure there's some formula that will tell you, but I just messed around with it until I found the right brightness without the LED burning. (I went through 2 or 3 LEDs) Talk to the guy at Radio Shack....he might be able to tell you. I'd get the LEDs on the first link, and maybe start out with a 300ohm (or something around that number) resistor. Also, make sure you solder the wires, resistors, and LEDs to make sure all your connections are good. Here's a pic of mine when everything was finished....
As for the resistance.....I'm sure there's some formula that will tell you, but I just messed around with it until I found the right brightness without the LED burning. (I went through 2 or 3 LEDs) Talk to the guy at Radio Shack....he might be able to tell you. I'd get the LEDs on the first link, and maybe start out with a 300ohm (or something around that number) resistor. Also, make sure you solder the wires, resistors, and LEDs to make sure all your connections are good. Here's a pic of mine when everything was finished....
12-13-2002
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Rep Power: 0 Depending on what kind you buy, they may be marked. If they aren't just grab a 12v battery, hold a resistor on the positive terminal, then touch one lead from the LED on the negative terminal of the battery, and touch the other lead to the other end of the resistor. You can only hook them up one way, so if it lights up, note which lead was touched to the resistor because that's the positive lead. If it doesn't light up, then swap the leads around and it should work.
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