Instrument lights

[TeddyThom]

Basically I am wanting to make my clocks a little brighter.

I'm not going down the plasma dials route, as good as that looks, I have something different in mind.

Basically I need to know if there is anywhere I can tap some LEDs into the wiring, so when I turn my lights on, and the instrument panel lights up, the LEDs turn on as well. Now I have browsed my Haynes Manual and I can't seem to find anything of any actual use as the original bulbs are just push fit. There is no actual wiring for me to tap into. Can anyone point me in the right direction please??

+Rep for help

[MK999]

Trace the tracks on the clocks back to whatever pin on the dash plug they correspond too, that will be a 12v feed for the lights.

[mowgli]

its a printed circuit board on the dash. simply solder some wires onto the tracks, then drill & fix some LEDs into the dash body, then solder it all together. try a couple first, then keep adding them till its bright enough for you..

i assume you've checked for blown bulbs....

[TeddyThom]

Yeah obviously, but there is something I have been wanting to try.

I shall get some pictures once I am done, and it's not been done before, I just hope it works out alright.

Would it matter where on the tracks I postion the solder etc??

[MattBrown]

Yeah obviously, but there is something I have been wanting to try.

I shall get some pictures once I am done, and it's not been done before, I just hope it works out alright.

Would it matter where on the tracks I postion the solder etc??

Or just buy the LED lamps for like £2?

Its been done loads? Theyre on ebay, Ive just put white ones in a mk4 astra:thumb:

[TeddyThom]

Trust me when I say there is a reason for asking this, all will be revealed once I have found out where to attach said LEDs to :thumb:

[MK999]

Trust me when I say there is a reason for asking this, all will be revealed once I have found out where to attach said LEDs to :thumb:

http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr214/gt_coure/led_interior.jpg
? lol

[Jack]

Direct LED replacement bulbs never really work well on a Nova due to the way the dials light up. If you have a Mk2, replacing with a cav/calibra/astra dialset is pretty good, but needs a bit of chopping.

Illumination is grey/green on the multiplug anyway. On a Mk2 I think its pin 3 if my notes are right.

[MK999]

Illumination is grey/green on the multiplug anyway. On a Mk2 I think its pin 3 if my notes are right.
http://www.tripbase.com/c/trainspotting/images/trainspotter.jpg
lol

[TeddyThom]

http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr214/gt_coure/led_interior.jpg
? lol
Hahaha

Not quite MK. Little too much for now, however may get stuck in the 90's at some point in the future.


Direct LED replacement bulbs never really work well on a Nova due to the way the dials light up. If you have a Mk2, replacing with a cav/calibra/astra dialset is pretty good, but needs a bit of chopping.

Illumination is grey/green on the multiplug anyway. On a Mk2 I think its pin 3 if my notes are right.

My nova is Mark 1 matey, and I'm not doing direct replacement, I'm going a different route :thumb:

[mowgli]

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQah_oLhW8Me4FdoDlHh_wZKSfKp_8ke 3uwOSiNZND36wdWi-eO?

[Jack]

http://www.tripbase.com/c/trainspotting/images/trainspotter.jpg
lol
From when I swapped the dialset! I was bored one evening so a casual look in haynes turned into comparing the nova plug to the cav plug and figuring it all out on paper. That was a dull evening I can tell you lol

Still, made the job easier when it came to doing the work - pull out, cut, crimp, put back in, works :)

[TeddyThom]

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQah_oLhW8Me4FdoDlHh_wZKSfKp_8ke 3uwOSiNZND36wdWi-eO?

Flol.

No.

So can anyone tell me if it actually matters where I put the solder on the tracks then?

[mowgli]

just find somewhere with a big enough area of copper so you can get it to soldier without damaging it... its fairly obvious which is which when you trace them back to the connector & then refer to haynes

[Jack]

Would it not be easier to splice them into the grey/green wire on the plug? Rather than risk damaging/shorting the circuit track?

[TeddyThom]

Well that would seem the obvious Jack, I shall have a looksee tomorrow lol

Once I am finished I shall update everyone on what I have been doing as well :)

[Balley]

I have 26 bright white leds in my dash. a lot better but still ****!

[Southie]

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQah_oLhW8Me4FdoDlHh_wZKSfKp_8ke 3uwOSiNZND36wdWi-eO?
You taking the pee out of me again lol

[TeddyThom]

I have 26 bright white leds in my dash. a lot better but still ****!

Don't worry I aim to sort out said sh!t lighting problems with two or three LEDs and a bloody good idea!!

[mowgli]

if you connect the leds to the loom side of the plug, it will be a right git to undo if you need to repair anything.

[TeddyThom]

What can be soldered can be unsoldered :thumb:

[windfreek]

i got 30 white SMD LED's, took the cover of the front of the dials, removed the individual speedo/rev/fuel etc gauges from the white back plastic housing and individually glued the SMDs to the backpanel and traced one wire from the lot onto one of the original backlight bulb holders and soldered them together, then took another feed and with some IC's and some hocuspocus made the SMD's around the rev dial change colour based on engine speed, Idol-white 3k-blue 5k-orangey/red, and also the 3 smds aroung the fuel pod flash red when the low fuel light comes on, but..... it took 3 months to make and about £80 in bits! :)

[Jack]

Sounds good - any pics/vids of that in action?

[TeddyThom]

That sounds like a good plan ^^

[Steve0011]

how too article please :)