LED dash bulb question

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Old May 14, 2018 | 08:08 AM
  #1  
jonjonbear's Avatar
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From: Bastrop, Texas (near Austin)
LED dash bulb question

Hello all,
My new Starfire has green turn signal indicators in the speedo, and has the green "cold" light in the fuel gauge. All three of them have faded to an ugly yellow-ish color. I first was thinking about taking them apart and trying to replace the green diffusers (but have no idea where you would get them) but then I had a grand idea..What about just getting green LED buibs? I am guessing most likely these are 194 bulbs which they make readily in LED . Oddly the red lenses are fine, just the green ones faded. Yes this is a me being fussy thing, but the dashboard is otherwise pristine and would be nice for the lights to be correct.

Thanks!

John
Old May 14, 2018 | 08:32 AM
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Yes, they are 194, and you can find replacements on eBay. Be sure to get them from a US vendor if you need them right away. I just received some and they are very bright!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-Green-8-...72.m2749.l2649
Old May 15, 2018 | 08:11 AM
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Originally Posted by RandyS
Yes, they are 194, and you can find replacements on eBay. Be sure to get them from a US vendor if you need them right away. I just received some and they are very bright!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-Green-8-...72.m2749.l2649
Hi Randy,
So these flat ones with the LED's across the top light up okay? I was looking at ones with a diffuser on them (looks more like a bulb) but they're quite a bit more expensive. Thought about since I'm getting green ones for the turn signals/cold light, I might as well get red ones for the other lights since there is some fade to the red lenses too, would make them redder. Then clear ones for general illumination. I saw a post where someone put the real white ones in his Olds and with the black background and white lettering, it really looked nice.

Thanks,
John
Old May 15, 2018 | 11:13 AM
  #4  
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Oh yes, they are very bright. I put the red ones in my idiot lights and they are much brighter than the standard 194's. Here are links to clear ones for the dash, and red ones for the idiot lights:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pc-White-S...sAAOSwvApaAfax

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2pc-White-S...sAAOSwvApaAfax
Old May 15, 2018 | 01:35 PM
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I tried them and they look weird.

The brightness is not evenly distributed.

I went back to the original type bulbs.
Old May 15, 2018 | 04:01 PM
  #6  
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It all depends on the style of LED bulb. The clear ones need to be the style I linked to so the light diffuses out to the sides as well as the front. The Red & Green ones can point only to the front as they are just lighting a small area directly in front of them. I have them in both of my cars and I really like the brighter light at night. I even converted my Sidewinder Tach's to LED's. One caveat is that the LED's don't dim much with your mechanical dimmer, as they will just go out after you turn the **** past about half way. LED's require an electronic dimmer to truly dim like an incandescent bulb.
Old May 16, 2018 | 04:25 AM
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Originally Posted by RandyS
It all depends on the style of LED bulb. The clear ones need to be the style I linked to so the light diffuses out to the sides as well as the front. The Red & Green ones can point only to the front as they are just lighting a small area directly in front of them. I have them in both of my cars and I really like the brighter light at night. I even converted my Sidewinder Tach's to LED's. One caveat is that the LED's don't dim much with your mechanical dimmer, as they will just go out after you turn the **** past about half way. LED's require an electronic dimmer to truly dim like an incandescent bulb.
Thanks Randy,
That makes sense as to the different kind. The one thing I was worried about with the flat ones with the LED's across the surface was being able to see them through the diffuser lens. You have no problem with that?

Cheers, John
Old May 16, 2018 | 06:33 AM
  #8  
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Originally Posted by RandyS
It all depends on the style of LED bulb. The clear ones need to be the style I linked to so the light diffuses out to the sides as well as the front. The Red & Green ones can point only to the front as they are just lighting a small area directly in front of them. I have them in both of my cars and I really like the brighter light at night. I even converted my Sidewinder Tach's to LED's. One caveat is that the LED's don't dim much with your mechanical dimmer, as they will just go out after you turn the **** past about half way. LED's require an electronic dimmer to truly dim like an incandescent bulb.
I have tried them all...they do not look "right" to me.

There are bright standard bulbs that work well.
Old May 16, 2018 | 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by jonjonbear
Thanks Randy,
That makes sense as to the different kind. The one thing I was worried about with the flat ones with the LED's across the surface was being able to see them through the diffuser lens. You have no problem with that?

Cheers, John
No, when they are on, they appear to be a solid beam of light across the surface of the bulb.
Old May 17, 2018 | 12:59 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by RandyS
It all depends on the style of LED bulb. The clear ones need to be the style I linked to so the light diffuses out to the sides as well as the front. The Red & Green ones can point only to the front as they are just lighting a small area directly in front of them. I have them in both of my cars and I really like the brighter light at night. I even converted my Sidewinder Tach's to LED's. One caveat is that the LED's don't dim much with your mechanical dimmer, as they will just go out after you turn the **** past about half way. LED's require an electronic dimmer to truly dim like an incandescent bulb.

I bought
these these
and they actually dim very well in my 70 Cutlass, but I have had some in other cars that did not dim at all.


Randy, I see you're in the Springs! I was beginning to think I was the only person in town with an Olds..
Old May 17, 2018 | 06:39 AM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by stampsicle
I bought these and they actually dim very well in my 70 Cutlass, but I have had some in other cars that did not dim at all.


Randy, I see you're in the Springs! I was beginning to think I was the only person in town with an Olds..
Glad you found some that dim, mine don't.........lol
Yeah, we moved here in December from Boise, waiting for a new home to be built. Where do you live?
Old Aug 30, 2022 | 09:57 PM
  #12  
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?LED dash light suggestions update

Can anyone provide updated input on LED bulbs worth considering for the dash in the 70, 98 ambulance I am redoing? Thanks in advance.
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