DIY: Change Your Dashlight Color

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Oct 31, 2001
  #1  
This is the method i used to change my dashlights
this only explains the heating and AC controls but you
you should be able to figure it out from there.

Dashlight DIY

Happy Modding!!!

If you have any questions post them here or email me a bubbasc@hotmail.com


[IMG]i/expressions/moon.gif[/IMG]
Oct 31, 2001
  #2  
Kool nice DIY

1 question, where can i get some of that gel paper or whatever?

thx
mike,
Oct 31, 2001
  #3  
very nice...how do you find the brightness compared to stock??
Oct 31, 2001
  #4  
Ok I just realized that I didnt have that in here. The &quot;gel&quot; is a colored plastic film that is used in stage lighting to make the lights different colors. you can get sheets of gels at a local music store that deals with lighting or a website is <a target=_blank href="http://www.fullcompass.com">Full Compass.com</a> if you call them and ask them for a sample for colors they should send it free.

Brightness would depend on the color... like if you do a blue like i did it wont show like stock till its darker but it mainly is about the same as stock. You will find that the aftermarket gel is thinner than stock
Oct 31, 2001
  #5  
nice work dude. [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]
Oct 31, 2001
  #6  
no no its all you man
Oct 31, 2001
  #7  
Good DIY, but are they brighter than that. If not, I'll stick to the stock orange.
Oct 31, 2001
  #8  
damm that looks easy + plus it looks nice too
Oct 31, 2001
  #9  
where did u buy ur blue gel. part#/price???
Oct 31, 2001
  #10  
the picture i took is a bad picture so dont go by that it is just as bright as the orange at night
i got my gels from a local music store and it was like $6 for a 20&quot;x24&quot; sheet... thats enough to do like 10 cars if you go to a music store tell them you need a full sheet of whatever color gel
on the website i posted just search for gels
Oct 31, 2001
  #11  
Do you have reverse indiglos? if you do does that color you got match them? If you dont i guess im SOL and gots to go seach for the right color.[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/IMG]
Oct 31, 2001
  #12  
nope dont have them but i would say turquois
Oct 31, 2001
  #13  
You did only two of the three. Why didnt you do the third one. Was there a problem
Oct 31, 2001
  #14  
I'm confused... i thought someone else posted that to change the color you had to change each and every LED in the dash?

-Wolf
Nov 1, 2001
  #15  
They did, Wolf... but the problem is that I took apart my dash and you can't fit blue bulb covering's over them without doing major work. The gels are just easier... and this is an easier DIY to do all together IMO.
Nov 1, 2001
  #16  
the reason i did not do the center one is because the stock gel is red and blue so i personally opted not to do the center one to keep the red and blue for heat and AC you can do it if you choose... nothing differernt then the other two
Nov 1, 2001
  #17  
So this gel thing works for everything that uses filters. So the climate controls. What about the Cruise Control, moonroof and mirror buttons? And the AC ON/OFF button and the rear window defrog button?

Most important of all, the odometer and the tachometer, is there an orange filter behind it? if go, I guess we can use gel for that too? Is there a DIY for how to take the odometer / tachometer out? is it hard to do? I would assume one would have to be very careful with that and make sure the needles are not messed with. Am I right?

Sorry for all the questions.

I want that sweet VW look in my EL.
Nov 1, 2001
  #18  
to answer those last bunch of questions[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG] the gels will work for anything that is not a colored bulb... such as the drivers side window switch (had to get that replaced today...) i am currently not sure about the cruise moonroof and power mirrors yet.. i have to take that apart as with the three buttons for A/C defrost and that other one... i know that it would not work for the lights that come on when when you push the buttons but might for the orange... it will work for the guages... but i am not ready to tear mine out yet... lettin someone do if first and see how hard it is[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG][IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/IMG] not sure if there is a DIY to take those out might want to search for that one i hope this answers your questions
Nov 1, 2001
  #19  
ya man, good idea, wait till someone puts some sorta DIY for the gauges. I'm going to look for the gels soon from a local store then I'll do the controls.
Nov 1, 2001
  #20  
they gauges are simple but expensive. I was thinking of this. the 2 doors have red gauges while 4 have white... correct? ok so if you take your gauges out you have this like box that they are housed in. the same box for the coupe and sedan. well there is no film to peel off the gauges on the coupe they are painted like red on the back. so you would have to buy the sedan gauges and change them and install those. *resets your miles too* ok if you look at the pic you see that little white circle where it says &quot;remove these screws?&quot; well look and you shoule see it. if you remove that with a flat head screwdriver. turn and it comes out. thats the bulb. if i am correct and the sedan has white lights you can just bulb cover those and blue gauges. there are like 5 or 6 on back of gauges tho. and a bunch for like seatbelt cruise, air bag, etc etc. or you could cut the gel to fit behind the gauges and that would work too. that woudl be easier. just take the cover off and put the gel behind and badda bing badda bang blue.
Nov 1, 2001
  #21  
the 2k1 sedan doesn't have white gauge does it? actually mine is not even red, mine is orange colour... black background... I hope the bulbs are white so that I can just use gel.

Has anyone changed the colour of their gauges?
Nov 2, 2001
  #22  
i know D and someone else changed all the LEDs an im pretty sure that when they did the guages that they said it was an orange film behind it... i dont know i will look though.. theres a thread here about it
Nov 2, 2001
  #23  
man i dunno. i took my coupe gauges out b4 and looked behind em without takin needles off cuzi did the other dash light color change. anyways so im lookin behind the gauges and its orange/red. i pick at it but its like painted on there not a removeable film. everytime i see someone say they peeled off this mysterious film i ask how and get no response. has anyone else looked at this b4 and knows what im talkin about? cuz if you can somehow peel that film off that would be the shizzle. causeyou could make it look reverse indiglo hella easy.
Nov 2, 2001
  #24  
yeah dude im pretty sure it will peel off... if its what im picturing... if someone could get a pic of it i could tell you or not... cause i dont feel like tearing my guages out
Nov 5, 2001
  #25  
bulbs in the gauges are clear i took one out to see what it would look like with my reverses
Nov 5, 2001
  #26  
so the guages are either painted or geled... ill look
Nov 5, 2001
  #27  
yeah dude they are painted i think. i really dont think they are jelled. or geled. or gelled. or whatever. cuz the pattern on the back of it is like dots and stuff. lemme know what you think. its not hard to get to em but it sure dont look like gell.
Nov 7, 2001
  #28  
i did it, it looks good too. i used some blue plastic folder from a office supply store. the stock colour just peels off, they are not painted on, then i just cut them out and put them in place of the stock ones. pretty easy. cost me like 99 cents for the blue folder. its way easy and looks good too.[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/IMG]

i have a 2k1 sedan
Nov 8, 2001
  #29  
was that for the guages?!
Nov 9, 2001
  #30  
[IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-frown.gif[/IMG]
okay i am really confused -
can someone who has actually taken off their gauges (the ones with the rpm and speed etc.) tell us if the back had a gel or if there was orange paint. when you describe &quot;peeled off&quot; - are you talking about the a/c controls or the gauges?