While I'm waiting on some new relays to ressurect my windshield wiper switch, I decided that I also wanted to convert my backlighting to red with LED lamps.

But, I had a few questions like, how would it affect the orange markings? Would it be bright enough? Would I have to change my labels?

Well, I found out (a little too late after ruining the markings on my cruise control switch), is that when you shine a red light through orange, it comes out red, so if you still want to run with orange during the day, it'll be red at night. Before that, I was working on a way to print labels onto a transparency and stick them on, but getting the scale right is a problem with the equipment and software I'm using.

In regard to whether it would be bright enough (day light viewable), the latest LEDs are quite bright, and even one particular model has a warning not to look directly into it!

Second, given that the LEDs must be installed with the correct polarity, I have to determine ground and lead.

First, however, I'm going to fix the wiper switch. Then once it's working, I'm going to do the conversion.

While I'm at it, I'm thinking of using Green for the CRUISE indicator, and Amber or Orange for the MAIN indicator in the cruise switch.

 

Ok, I'm finally going to put my money where my mouth is. I've ordered some LEDs and resistors (one dozen of two different values) and install them in the wiper switch and cruise control switch. I've also ordered amber, green and blue to replace the turn signal and high beam indicators.

The red LEDs are Agilent Technologies HLMP-ED31-SV000, 0.43 each from Newark Electronics. The selection is part research, and part "shot in the dark" becuase I'm not sure how bright they really are until I hook them up and test them. Same with the two different value resistors, 390Ohm and 550 OHM; one could make them not bright enough, the other could shorten their life or blow them.

Even then, how well one of them will work in place of a conventional bulb is not known either. Their effectiveness may depend on how they're positioned in the switch.

Anyway, when the parts arrive, I'll post an update.

 

The MAIN and CRUISE indicator lights on my cruise control switch were very dim so I pulled them out to see why. Both had little orange caps over the bulbs. I pulled the caps off and reinstalled the lights, and they were much brighter and no longer orange. They're still not really bright enough though, so I'd be interested to hear exactly how you mount LED's into that location.

 

I think I can be some help and I'm in michigan, search the 1st gen section for my name and gauges

 

here are a couple shots of the gauges I used to make.

, cant get the image hosting to work, here is a link to the image page http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrow...elected=309638

 

I may end up dismantling the cruise control switch so that I can position the LEDs inside the housing. If they're bright enough that at a 90 degree angle to the labels that they're visible, then I can mount them like the original bulbs.

 

theres 2 problems with useing LED's for stuff like that.

1. their effictive range of brightness is like a 70 degree sweep, meaning you if you face it forward youll barley be able to see it lit from 90+degrees. whereas stock bulbs you can see them light up almost 320ish degrees.

2. they put out a lot of like in one direction. meaning, theres not ganna be any sort of fadeing, if you put them on the gauges, theres ganna be a circle of light on the gauge.

hint. if you put them to illuminate your gauges. i would put some sort of semi transparent film over it so it diffuses the light, so there wont be a direct circle of light. and i dont think you need to worry about useing resistors. the bulbs in the dash usually dont get a full 12 volts to begin with cause there so small, they usually only get like 4-5 volts from factory i might be wrong about 7 though, i know all my volkswagons were plug and play.

Daniel

 

I checked one of the sockets on the cruise control with a voltage meter. It put out nearly 12 volts.

In regard to the LED's brightness and viewing angle-yes I have considered it, which is why I've only ordered a few LEDs. The green and blue ones I ordered may not be bright enough, (and there's a brighter version available), so I may have to get different ones.

I should point out that this is an experiment, not a solution. I won't know the results until I get the parts, install them, and try it out in the car. If it doesn't work, it's back to the drawing board.

I do know that if you don't use a resistor in line with the LED, you'll ruin them. Though the 7 puts out 12 Volts, don't forget it usually puts out 14.4 when running.

 

I've thought about this before, but never got around to doing it because i could not get a bright enough blue LED
Keep us informed!!!

 

Here's a link to the literature for the red and amber LEDs. I've gone back through the datasheet and though the viewing angle is limited, it's still a bright LED. Of course, numbers are one thing, real world use is quite another.

http://www.semiconductor.agilent.com...LMP-ED31-SV000

 

Ok, it seems that the server does not like me today.

I got the LEDs, and used the 390 Ohm resistors. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves because I'm frelling tired of retyping this entry. I will need to order more RED LEDs, and some brighter green and blue ones. Plus, the instrument cluster needs some larger LEDs, but my experiment worked.

 

Ok, here's a pic of the turn signal and light switches

 

What's the bad news?

Well, besides needing to order more LEDs and resistors, the blue and green LEDs I bought aren't bright enough to serve as high-beam and turn signal indicators.

Because of the viewing angle, as bejbis had pointed out, the LEDs will need to be positioned inside the switches to make the most of their light. But, I'm satisfied overall.

Unfortunately, I will have to go to another supplier for the bigger RED LEDs and the brighter blue and green ones. So, off to Hosfelt electronics.

 

ummm what voltage LED's did you get? i know ive got some 5.x volt LED's and they are SUPERBRIGHT, they cost like 3$ for a pack of 2 at radioshack. they are called like superbright LED's blue, 5.7 volts i think. man they could blind you if you look straight at them.

Daniel

 

The ones I ordered are made by Toshiba, 2.5 max voltage. As far as Radioshack components, I'd rather go with Toshiba or Agilent (owned by HP) because they're known for quality, and the LEDs in question are really bright.

 

Ok, another tip that I just tried out. In the left cluster switch, the light switch, the upper bulb lights two labels. Unfortunately, when I tried lighting them with a single LED, the light didn't get to the labels. The label itself is easily removable, and I find that inside it's black; nothing to reflect light. So, I cut a few small strips of white paper and slide them inside the area.

With a spare amber LED (different color but same manufacturer and brightness as the red version), the labels were now lit evenly.

Remember, black absorbes light, while white reflects it.

 

Ok, as of today, everything but the instrument cluster and some other lamps in the interior have been converted to red LEDs. The instrument cluster does prove a bit of a problem.

I'm also working on a write-up, with pictures, which I will post by the end of the weekend. Until then, here's how it looks without the instrument cluster in place.



I also changed out the bulbs in the warning lamp cluster with LEDs. It works pretty well, but there's a glitch with the parking brake lamp-it won't go off when I release the brake!

 

Radio Shack is a retailer, they don't really "make" anything. I have some of their blue LED's and the ones with the lower voltage (2.5 I think) are pretty damn bright. As for diffusion I thought of either dremeling the tip a little bit, of gluing on a chunk of plastic from a flourescent bulb cover $2.00 for a giant peice from Home Depot. I plan on trying to do ALL the lights in my car blue even turn indicators, I don't need green to tell me i'm turning. So far I have the blue reverse gauges with the aluminum bezel, and it looks sharp. But I am so involved with my custom body work right now that all my other projects are on the back burner.

P.S. I now have molded in a fiberglass copy of a TII hood scoop on my aluminum hood. A guy on e-Bay sells them for like $75, it sure beats looking for a real TII hood, and looks better IMO since my scoop is centered.

 

i believe there is a place that actually sells little led replacements for bulbs that you can plugin to sockets and stuff and they make them for interior type lights/bulbs. someone mentioned it to me but i dont know what or who makes them or where to find them. anyone heard of something like that?

 

im not experienced at all with what you are doing so i will throw out(what seems to be) a solution to the leds not directing the light correctly...you cut out small white paper and placed it...what would happen if you used something reflective...like aluminum foil..something that acts more like a mirror. if you could get the foil in there without wrinkles..would that reflect the leds light better? or would this only be effective if you somehow were able to miraculously angle it to reflect at the point of view? i only say this because reading up on hid lighting there is always some sort of reflecting mirror like housing used.

flame me if im way out of what will work but i just thought maybe.....it sounds good in theory..and in my mind you know whats going on and probly already thought of this and know its not effective...just throwing out what is in my little imaginitive mind..and i hope it actually is something that will make it work.


good project..i have a vert and the lighting on the roof inside is dim..im hoping to be able to put some ultra bright leds in there to make it brighter..will that work? white of coarse!!

 

Ihave a vert too, if you mean the dome light for the interior it probably has a bad connection, mine does not even work at all....... yet.

John

 

When i first bought my vert the interior didn't work either. But i just regrounded the switch for when the doors opens . The is a little scrumgy looking thing on the bottom.

 

Ok, I'm wrong about Radio Shack. But what I meant by that was where the components come from. Who actually makes them, that's all. I've got nothing against them, and I even worked for a retailer a few years back.

In regard to reflective material. I suppose aluminum foil could work, provided you're careful not to cause a short. It doesn't matter if the material is wrinkled, you just want the light of the LED to be reflected toward the label.

The pictures I've taken aren't the best, nor do they show how well the switches turned out, but they show it does work.

 

Better yet, here's a picture of the lit sunroof buttons I did. It should give you some idea of how well this is working, and how the reflective material helps diffuse the light.

 

Looks nice. Are the sunroof buttons lit otherwise?