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-   -   Gauge Mod!! (https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/gauge-mod-719337/)

hardbodeez 01-10-08 12:38 AM


Originally Posted by ObliqueFD (Post 7720547)
In aviation white light at night is a bad combination. White light is too bright and can screw up your night vision and ability to focus. I personally wouldn't do this mod, but to each his own. I don't feel it would be safe. Night visibility in our 7's is already poor enough with the stock head lights and with the height of the 7 allowing other cars light beam to be distracting.

Of course where talking about cars here; you're not flying through the air at 250 mph. Lighting is also used more in aviation for identifying objects, but I still feel this could possibly reduce your ability to see a cat or dog running across the road. In my opinion replacing the lights with red LEDs would be better.

I had the Autometer C2 gauges initially. They glow bright blue, very bright blue. I hooked up a dimmer to dim them.

Now, I had 5 gauges in the cluster, the boost in front of them, and 2 where the center speaker is. A total of 8 blinding gauges, and they were not at all that bad to drive around with. You can EASILY see a dog in front of you, and that was with 8 gauges. The year before I had the factory cluster with a white face overlay, and just (2) C2 gauges. Was easier to see.

Those are about 20x brighter than what I have here. This is lit up nicely, and it looks just right. People make it sound like there is a flashlight shining in your face.

It's not bad at all and I think people are getting carried away with how bright they think it is, especially when they haven't seen it in person. And to top it off, the factory dimmer switch tones them right down if you really want.

hardbodeez 01-10-08 12:44 AM

For the record, my DD is an 02 Acura RSX. Anyone who has seen these cars knows they light up red...the whole cluster.

I don't like that look at all, and it is sometimes hard to distinguish between gauges as it all looks like one big red glare.

I have a complete red light cluster in my Acura.
I've had the factory amber lights in the RX7.
I've had a white face gauge lighting blue, green, red in the RX7.
I've had a complete setup of Autometer C2 lighting blue in the RX7.

I think I speak from personal experience when I say this setup now is by far the nicest look. Anyone who has seen it has agreed. People who have done it have agreed.

johnnymase 01-10-08 12:49 AM

Hey, i applaud the effort, and i think they gauges look tight. Keep up the good work:icon_tup:

hardbodeez 01-10-08 01:05 AM

2 Attachment(s)
Ok, so I figured I would take more pics since ppl want to see. This is with the key in the "on" position not with the car started. I even turned the high beams on to show the difference.

The high beam has the size 74 bright white LED in it. The odometer has the size 74 bright red in it. The first pic is full bright, the second is dim. Don't forget, I had to zoom in to get a clear pic at the gauges.

The speckles you see on the gauges are spots and scratches inside the clear plastic facing from the guy here I bought it off of. I have recently ordered a brand new one.

The gauges are showing up alot brighter in the pics than in person.

GEO147 01-10-08 08:36 AM

That looks super fella...a very nice touch if i may say so. Would say it looks awsome whn sat in the car.

Nice job:icon_tup:

7_rocket 01-10-08 09:09 AM

Nice mod. Too bad I have Defi D link gauges that light up amber

Str8Down 01-10-08 09:16 AM

Doesn't look too bright at all. In fact, looks like the odometer is brighter than the gauges.

muibubbles 09-13-08 09:37 PM

damn that looks good, reminds me of my rx8....

whats with the cruise control light again?

SLOASFK 09-14-08 12:47 AM


Originally Posted by muibubbles (Post 8551771)
damn that looks good, reminds me of my rx8....

whats with the cruise control light again?

the lights he used were too bright, causing light to show through the cruise film, even though the actual cruise control light is on. If you look at his first set of pictures, center of the tach, below the needle, you'll see a greenish/bluish word written. It says "Cruise" and is only supposed to be lit when the cruise is engaged.

muibubbles 09-14-08 10:48 AM

so what lights are the ideal lights to use since this make it look like the cruise controls on? anyway to make a boarder so the light doesnt pass through?

Monkman33 09-14-08 05:25 PM

Umm... why not just put a tube around the cruise section, glued onto the back of the faces. Then it would be isolated from bleed-through of the white light.

Azcamel 09-15-08 02:27 AM

sick, wanna do mine?

TURSTY 09-15-08 06:09 PM

I might give this a go and write up a how to if I can find the LEDs

Azcamel 09-16-08 08:08 AM

just did mine, going to try green bulbs to match my greddy guage then white to see what i like better, will post pics when i can.

anderdick88 09-17-08 04:46 AM

Nice

Toyotarx7 09-17-08 08:57 PM

OMG!!!!! can you do that for my set up? i'll pay you

anderdick88 09-18-08 02:48 AM

ME to

KaiFD3S 09-18-08 03:35 AM

can we get a write up for this, my new HKS gauges look exactly like that...

AHarada 09-18-08 04:33 AM

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/write-up-hyperite-gauge-mod-white-backlighting-473379/

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/hello-lovers-my-new-gauges-%2Apics-gaaalore-%2A-420936/

Azcamel 09-23-08 01:29 AM

Here is mine, not that hard and if you move the needle to full right and mark it then when you reinstall the needle it will be right on. My Greddy boost gauge was acting up so i put an autometer peak/warn electric on in and put the same white led behind it, looks good, now i just gotta get a autometer EGT to match.

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7038/dscn0188pk6.jpg

nero1106 10-20-08 10:09 AM

Has any one done this in green yet?

SLOASFK 10-20-08 10:12 AM

1 Attachment(s)

Originally Posted by nero1106 (Post 8652229)
Has any one done this in green yet?

OEM green FTW
https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1224515553

RiceFx306 11-10-08 08:48 AM


Originally Posted by SLOASFK (Post 8652236)

Is that on the brightest setting? I've been looking at this for a while and wanted something to match the Defis. Thanks for being the first green I've come across. :icon_tup:

93rx74lyfe 11-10-08 11:16 AM

So are the rest of the lights in the dash still orange? If so that would look like crap.

phinsn98 11-10-08 12:42 PM

nice, it would be nice to figure out a way to change the color of the Power FC commander. If you want to maintain the amber color but make it brighter with LEDs do you have to get red or amber leds or white?

RiceFx306 11-10-08 02:36 PM

I don't think it would matter. I would go with white just to maintain color but be brighter.

Azcamel 12-10-08 03:55 AM

if anyone want my guage setup im willing to sell the bulb to you, or you can send me your cluster, i'll change the bulb and modify the pannel for you so you have white led.. im thinking about going blue to back to red. PM me if your intrested, remember the bulbs are about 50 bucks plus labor, it wont be to much but dont lowball me.

DMoneyRX-7 12-10-08 04:13 AM

if I was to want a red lighted cluster, would it be better to keep the amber film or remove it? i was thinking that the red LED's would be bright enough to show up as red if the film was on it still. But what way would look and work better, film or no film with Red LEDs?

silverTRD 12-10-08 12:41 PM

you should definately get rid of the film if you want red gauges. you wouldn't get the color you want with the film on. its not to bad removing the film.

jacobcartmill 12-10-08 02:42 PM


Originally Posted by Azcamel (Post 8577020)
Here is mine, not that hard and if you move the needle to full right and mark it then when you reinstall the needle it will be right on. My Greddy boost gauge was acting up so i put an autometer peak/warn electric on in and put the same white led behind it, looks good, now i just gotta get a autometer EGT to match.

http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/7038/dscn0188pk6.jpg



Azcamel, do you have any more pictures of it illuminated at night? yours seems to be the "ice blue" color. I was wanting to do either the darker blue like the newer VWs, or green like the greddy gauges.

did you use the inverted cone LEDs? How is the light disbursement?

rx7rcer09 12-10-08 03:52 PM

that looks really good.

Azcamel 12-10-08 04:01 PM

i use the circuit board look 360 led, cool white

RLaoFD 12-10-08 05:08 PM

mine:

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...download-2.jpg

jacobcartmill 12-10-08 05:17 PM


Originally Posted by Azcamel (Post 8788761)
i use the circuit board look 360 led, cool white


do you have another pic of the gauges that shows them better? I'm wondering if there are any hot spots if you use the circuit board style LEDs

RLaoFD 12-10-08 05:18 PM

just look at mine. i used the circuit board style.

Supernaut 12-10-08 05:36 PM

Excellent Lao. Thats exactly what I wanted to do as well. I love white.

Hey did you ever sell that SMIC!

RLaoFD 12-10-08 05:41 PM


Originally Posted by Supernaut (Post 8789037)
Excellent Lao. Thats exactly what I wanted to do as well. I love white.

Hey did you ever sell that SMIC!

Yeah, I did. Sorry bro.

I tried converting my ac panel too, but completely botched it. :icon_no2: Now I'm thinking if I should get a new one or just pulling everything out and trying to fix it myself. Really disappointing though.

Azcamel 12-10-08 06:30 PM

even though the LED spread the light it still has minor hot spot, its due to the placement of the bulb or lack of bulbs. if you look at the coolant guage you will notice that it is slightly brighter at the top then the bottom, same for the fuel gauge. The tach and speedo is more equaly because fo the large light scatter plate in the back, its still varies a bit but not as bad.

jacobcartmill 12-10-08 06:40 PM

has anyone checked out these gauges?

http://www.importintelligence.com/FM...dex.html&-Edit

jacobcartmill 12-10-08 07:34 PM

they also have needle lighting upgrades:
http://www.importintelligence.com/FM...dex.html&-Edit

khoveraki 12-28-08 03:13 AM

Hey this might sound obvious but I've never removed the cluster. I'm planning to do this to my '93, but I want to get rid of all the red in the tach, like from 7.5k to 9k. Possible to make the whole tach white?

DMoneyRX-7 12-28-08 03:24 AM

yes its possible. Idk why you would want to get rid of this but ya. All you have to do is remove the red film behind that area much like how their is an amber film behind the other areas that he removed.

khoveraki 12-29-08 03:59 PM

I have my cluster just about out, all of the connections disconnected cleanly. But how do I remove the cigarette lighter part? I can't figure it out. There's no clip and you can't just remove the whole part.

DMoneyRX-7 12-29-08 04:50 PM

Their should be a black plastic connector that goes into the back of the cigarette lighter. Just wiggle it out. If thats not the solution. Their are two screws holding it in and you can just remove it like that.

khoveraki 12-29-08 05:11 PM


Originally Posted by DMoneyRX-7 (Post 8832704)
Their should be a black plastic connector that goes into the back of the cigarette lighter. Just wiggle it out. If thats not the solution. Their are two screws holding it in and you can just remove it like that.

Thanks! I just gave the plastic part a more deliberate pull and it came right off.

DMoneyRX-7 12-29-08 05:19 PM

yep. it is kinda tuff. it has probably been there for a long ass time.

khoveraki 12-30-08 12:02 AM

I have the gauge cluster out and I took off the fuel gauge face. The back of it has no orange, only green with white dots. The other gauges appear the same way. What orange am I supposed to scratch off?

http://steveleo.com:8383/temp/123008...1230080057.jpg

http://steveleo.com:8383/temp/123008...1230080100.jpg

sorry about the bad cameraphone pics, my G9 is broke =\

Azcamel 12-30-08 01:34 AM

shine a flash light through the face you will see the silver thing is red film.. sand it off.

khoveraki 12-30-08 02:19 AM

Oh man, I held an LED up to the backing and found all of it was orange. Sorry for sounding so stupid, I guess I should have taken off any gauge but the fuel one first.

thanks! maybe now I can finish this damn mod. haha

I need 7 of the chip-looking LEDs?

DMoneyRX-7 12-30-08 03:19 AM

hahaha. omg will people please just read.

you need 4x WLED-HP6 and 1x 73-xHP3 from superbrightleds.com to do the gauge faces.


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