JoshEH

hmm .. im dumb. though in my defense never been in a civic sedan, they just arent as cool. lol. j/k
i'll look around for one, but still gonna try to do it myself. so will look for your expert advice this weekend.

AlienX

iTrader: (2)

i'm talking bout 03-04 clusters + the only reason urz came out alittle foggy because u used acetone. I used acetone on my last cluster and it foged up also. I used water down acetone ( nail polish remover ) and alhocol which came out perfect.

benya7thmix

if i shave anything i'll screw it up.....
2mm leds? is that right?

--BENYA

AlienX

iTrader: (2)

what is it that you want to shave ? the head of the LED ? if so, you can as long as you sand it flat without hitting the diode inside.

paradoxblue

iTrader: (1)

2mm.. leds come in 3mm and 5mm i havnt seen 2mm before :|

AlienX

iTrader: (2)

dont shave everything...
you will be able to see the leads inside the LED. dont go that far. If you want to put some risk in it and dont have sand paper, you can break the plastic with cutting tool (pliars, ect )

id post more pics, but they are all on the first page. and yes.. 3mm and 5mm... no 2mm.

ncirom2003

iTrader: (7)

...........im still trying to get my dash done for about 2 months now....... just no time, while ive got time to screw with does anyone know how to wire it so the dimmer works cus i dont like it realllllly bright

AlienX

iTrader: (2)

dimmer control doesn't make a big differance. You need to hook up your own pot, somewhere in the range of 0-1000000 ohms. that should be good enough =) but again it depends on your LEDs. You need to do ohms law to find out how much ohms it will take to have 0V under your LEDs operating conditions. Make sure to grab one that is linear also.

1of_many

http://ledautomotive.com/
This site is what I used and converted all of my lights over to blue LEDS and it worked great. They also include instructions for each kit or offer installation for those who dont want to do it and after doing it I can say it is a pain so it might be worth while.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

ya they're good if you're the lazy type. ook so long to diy it but i ran extra wires and stuff too.

2slow2run

the kit wit the resister i got from ledautomotive is 2 small..i seem to burn them out wit my big fingers..
well i just got the resister at radio shack
is 470 ohms not 470k ohms. it work fine. the 1/4 watt is kinda big so i got 1/2 watt
witch r smaller n been using it since..i guess it thats y mines is not as bright as gearbox so hopefully in the long run after they blow up.. is back to square 1
i forgot 1 of u guys gave me the link to the led.
www.lsdiodes.com all the leds there r 4000 mcd and up N start at $.45 cent a piece

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i only used 2600mcd leds and they're bright enough but still dim in some spots. Still visible at least. I got all radioshack stuff.

Big Rob

I guess that I have a few questions that I have been meaning to ask.

This question is more aimed at gearbox because I remember him mentioning something about it before. What is the main difference in terms of looks between led gauges and gauges wraped with el-wire?

I recently bought a Pioneer Deh-p8600mp and the buttons are a really dark blue. Is there any way to get the leds that same color so that everything is flush? Maybe a tint on the leds and then run more power to compensate for the loss in brightness?

If I want to adjust the brightness of my leds from time to time, is there a **** that I can install that will regulate power or will I have to change the resistors? It would be nice to have access to that type of control while driving. I never was a fan of the factory dimmer anyway.

Big Rob

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

el wire gives a much more even coverage (light looks like stock). With leds, it will be very hard to get this unless you have alot of leds everywhere. The el matches the pioneer el display. Buttons are harder, because the company uses its own leds (which could be any wavelength of blue). Mine are actually purple. And filtering leds is not good because they get really dim. Easiest way would be to wire through the factory dimmer. The wire for that is the power going to the auto shifter light if you have one. But mine are always a constant brightness. I want them at full brightness anyway.

Big Rob

So, if I read this right, then el wire is going to look better because it is more even? If that is the case, then why hasn't a diy been made? If I go that route, then I guess that I can make one.

Is this a pretty good deal for el wire?
http://www.xoxide.com/elwire.html

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

i paid alot for mine, got 4 packs $80 total 20ft is all you can fit and its plenty bright. There is a diy done by me in lighting forum sticky. Its called DIY: blue glow needles.

Whelan

I will be doing my HVAC center console controls, as well as the window controls and the roof/mirror/cruise control lights. I am making them all blue and putting a red light on the Cruise switch instead of the green.

I used 11,000 on my Angel eyes and that was pretty bright. I am not worried about the HU as it will be changed eventually. And my needles will be red.

But my concern is for the odometer on the dash. It will still be that orange color it is now unless someone knows how to change it out?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

nah its too hard. You can pull off the light diffuser and try to clear it, but mine broke. Try and scrape the paint off it so its clear instead of using solvents. Without it, you can basically see right through the lcd. If you clear that piece and put it back, then you could try and put leds behind it. I just left mine off. There's no real need to see at night anyway.

Whelan

What if I removed the plastic cover that has the orange on it ( I assume that is what it is) Then put a piece of colored film over it?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

won't work. you will still see whatever kind of lighting you put, like the shape of a bulb. This plastic piece diffuses the light. You have to use the plastic, so try scraping off the orange on it and replace the piece.

civicDave

A BIG THANK YOU TO:
MetalViper for providing the pictures to update this DIY article.
He will be receiving a CivicForums T-Shirt, you could too if you send me pictures to update a DIY article.

blake0844

hey alienX i have a 2002 honda civic EX coupe and the lights are orange but i wanna change them to blue its just da same process???
https://www.civicforums.com/forums/d...s/DSC00033.JPG
because in thiz picture it look like u just plug in the LEDS or do u have to more work on da white plastic to put da resistor ??
ill be waiting for ur answer thanks email : blake0844@hotmail.com

concepttheman

Wow its been 7 years. Im assuming we could just get plug and play from ledautomotive.com now. If this is the case please pm me. I wanna get my car allllll blue.
I dont wanna solder or anything. Its fjnny cause im taking nanotechnology, but didnt take circuits classes yet. Plz pm....thanks. links would be helpful...peace...god bless

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

ledautomotive has a plug and play option, but it doubles the price. I started off the the LEDautomotive kit, then realized I could buy all the components myself for cheaper and have much more extra on hand. I opted for SMD LEDs because the light spread was better and a bit brighter, although they are a bit harder to work with.

http://ledautomotive.com/product.php?id_product=79