How To: Blue (or other color) Gauge Cluster Lights AND AC controls

[mazdaspeeeeed]

subbing because i want to see the results. how do you plan on making the needles illuminate? blue LEDs will not illuminate the needles, you'll need either red or white hind them. same with the red/blue section of the temp know control. i put red led's behind my AC controller, and i had to add a white led behind the blue section because the red would not light it up. i can see the same thing happening with the red sections from running blue leds.

Yea and I believe I have a solution to this problem. going to be working on it this weekend. cross your fingers

s*** I wish I had either one of your shifts and still make decent pay... 7pm-7am here... so 9-5/7:30 isn't bad!

Im not complaining really i just wish i could work on my car all the time haha. This job rocks though Im on facebook and mazdaforums prety much all day

 

[808MP5]

Sub

 

[StealthWyvern]

thank you stealth that made me feel aliitle better... what is your weekly hours??

It really depends on the week that I work but last week it was 60ish.

Im not complaining really i just wish i could work on my car all the time haha. This job rocks though Im on facebook and mazdaforums prety much all day

yeah I hear you on that. Thats the main reason why i have so many damn post. always on this thing at work inbetween busy peroids.! lol

Edit: The bad part about working nights is the fact that you have to sleep during the day and nothing is open at nights hardly. SO if you need to get something done you have to go without sleep. Either way enough off topic for now.

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

taking it apart and taking pictures now!

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

i posted up some pictures.... Ive gotta wait until monday now on a part i need and then i can continue with it.

 

[christiansMSP]

awesome dude i cant wait to do this... so basically if you hold the gauge in your hand without touching the needles you wont break them? how'd you break the first ones?

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

awesome dude i cant wait to do this... so basically if you hold the gauge in your hand without touching the needles you wont break them? how'd you break the first ones?

i tried to take the needles off lol.
As long as you are careful and keep the pressure off of the needles you are good to go

 

[christiansMSP]

sweet man.. waiting for 7/24

 

[njaremka]

Yea and I believe I have a solution to this problem. going to be working on it this weekend. cross your fingers

the solution is to use two different color led's in there, like i already said. i've done it on mine. i just dont have any pictures of the inside to show how they are setup.

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

the solution is to use two different color led's in there, like i already said. i've done it on mine. i just dont have any pictures of the inside to show how they are setup.

that is one way... i am hoping that my way will work and if it does it will be easier/cheaper

 

[njaremka]

that is one way... i am hoping that my way will work and if it does it will be easier/cheaper

whats your way?

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

whats your way?

in time my friend..

 

[njaremka]

in time my friend..

ooooOOOk.

by the way, you need to update your first post- the 2001+ Pro5 and ES have red/orange gauges too, just like the MSP. the 2001+ DX/LX and all the 99-00 protege have the green gauges.

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

ooooOOOk.

by the way, you need to update your first post- the 2001+ Pro5 and ES have red/orange gauges too, just like the MSP. the 2001+ DX/LX and all the 99-00 protege have the green gauges.

oh sweet didnt know that. thanks.

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

worked on it for a few hours last night and my first plan of action didnt quite work out. I will be using LEDs now, I'll get some more pictures up later this week. overall price to do this mod so far even with LEDs is about $10 and a lot of love.

 

[njaremka]

worked on it for a few hours last night and my first plan of action didnt quite work out. I will be using LEDs now, I'll get some more pictures up later this week. overall price to do this mod so far even with LEDs is about $10 and a lot of love.

so, what was plan A?

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

so, what was plan A?

after i removed all the red film I cut out piece of a blue transparency and layered it several times. when i hold it up to the light it is blue and works perfectly but since the stock bulbs are kinda yellowish blue+yellow= green.. so when i plugged it in to test it out it was green. I bought some white LEDs and some blue LEDS and I am going to try to get them in there tonight. should work. this way the needles will be red and the numbers will be blue.

 

[njaremka]

after i removed all the red film I cut out piece of a blue transparency and layered it several times. when i hold it up to the light it is blue and works perfectly but since the stock bulbs are kinda yellowish blue+yellow= green.. so when i plugged it in to test it out it was green. I bought some white LEDs and some blue LEDS and I am going to try to get them in there tonight. should work. this way the needles will be red and the numbers will be blue.

i would get some red led's for the needles, and aim them right at the needle base. maybe create some type of shroud to help keep the light in there, too.

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

i would get some red led's for the needles, and aim them right at the needle base. maybe create some type of shroud to help keep the light in there, too.

that sounds like a really good idea. If the white LEDs dont do the trick then I'll try that out.

 

[mazdaspeeeeed]

I just put up a lot more for the gauges. I am almost done now I just need to wire it up and post pictures of the results!