Dim dashboard indicator lights.
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Senior Member
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From: Central Portugal, Alvaiazere
Dim dashboard indicator lights.
I find the left and right arrows for the turn indicators very dim, and on more than one occasion have left them on when not meaning to do so. In bright sunlight it is even worse. Pretty naff and irritating for other road users!
The lamps are standard and work as they should (or at least, when I get my new IC back this should be the case) and I would like to see if I can do something to improve the situation. I believe the options may be:
I really don't want to risk doing anything nasty to the IC. Has anyone done anything like this, or have any comments on the above?
The lamps are standard and work as they should (or at least, when I get my new IC back this should be the case) and I would like to see if I can do something to improve the situation. I believe the options may be:
- Replace them with bright LEDs. Trouble is I don't know the polarity of the connectors on the board. What I do know is which of the connectors on each socket is common to both. Can I safely assume that this is the negative connector, and solder in bright LEDs accordingly? Would it matter - other than destroying the LEDs themselves- if they were reverse wired?
- Find a brighter lamp for the same fitting. WhiteXKR, in a different post, noted that they are E73 wedge base bulbs. Any idea of the standard wattage of those, and whether higher power ones are available?
- 'Slave' a second similar bulb to each socket side, placing those new bulbs somewhere more visible - this seems pretty safe to me, though of course it would mean a higher current passing to the dashboard displays
I really don't want to risk doing anything nasty to the IC. Has anyone done anything like this, or have any comments on the above?
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From: Northern Virginia
Not sure if there are soldered sub LED bulbs on the Cluster, but here is a post with the results and parts used for a standard LED swap out. I have been told these LEDs do dim and switch off instantly like a normal bulb:
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0/#post1700038
https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0/#post1700038
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From: Los Angeles
Diddion
I did the swap myself, the most time consuming part is taking off the cluster surround. be very careful not to drop any screws!
No soldered bulbs, just the ones I mention in my post (thanks DSD for that)
They DO dim if you want via the turn knob on the steering wheel stalk. And no error warnings with the Sylvania bulbs.
Do not be tempted to cheap it out with Ebay bulbs, I tried, and they burned out within a few days.
I did the swap myself, the most time consuming part is taking off the cluster surround. be very careful not to drop any screws!
No soldered bulbs, just the ones I mention in my post (thanks DSD for that)
They DO dim if you want via the turn knob on the steering wheel stalk. And no error warnings with the Sylvania bulbs.
Do not be tempted to cheap it out with Ebay bulbs, I tried, and they burned out within a few days.
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From: Central Portugal, Alvaiazere
Thanks, prettybluefin and dsd. I'm fine about having the cluster out, but I'm not sure if your useful ideas are quite right for me. It is the turn indicators only which concern me, and I'm looking to increase their brightness, or somehow make them more obvious; I don't think that replacing the original bulbs for similar ones will do the job - and dimming is not an issue, here.
What I have now discovered is 12v Leds which are bidirectional - they'll work connected either way round, which satisfies my concerns about polarity. My thought is to take wires from the original sockets and fix the leds somewhere easily visible, perhaps through the plastic cowl to the speedo, or even into the instrument panel dial face, somewhere.
I have ordered some to try (from a model railway shop!). They come with series resistors so, if the car's 14v kills them, all I will have to do is put a higher resistance in place.
What I have now discovered is 12v Leds which are bidirectional - they'll work connected either way round, which satisfies my concerns about polarity. My thought is to take wires from the original sockets and fix the leds somewhere easily visible, perhaps through the plastic cowl to the speedo, or even into the instrument panel dial face, somewhere.
I have ordered some to try (from a model railway shop!). They come with series resistors so, if the car's 14v kills them, all I will have to do is put a higher resistance in place.
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From: Jersey, Channel Islands
You're unlikely to cause a problem by reversing LEDs:- they just won't illuminate.
Most of the ones I've encountered produce a bluish light, which might not work well through a green filter, so your idea of a separate location could be on track. I tried them briefly as side repeaters (albeit that's orange) but - er, no.
I've had very good results with some cheap as chips ones I bought off Amazon at about 20p each. I've put them in four of the 'fleet' as sidelamps and had only one failure over a couple of years.
Beware if space is tight as they tend to be longer than the proper lamps.
Does your audible click not cut the mustard? Mine's quite distinctive.
Most of the ones I've encountered produce a bluish light, which might not work well through a green filter, so your idea of a separate location could be on track. I tried them briefly as side repeaters (albeit that's orange) but - er, no.
I've had very good results with some cheap as chips ones I bought off Amazon at about 20p each. I've put them in four of the 'fleet' as sidelamps and had only one failure over a couple of years.
Beware if space is tight as they tend to be longer than the proper lamps.
Does your audible click not cut the mustard? Mine's quite distinctive.
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Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Central Portugal, Alvaiazere
You're unlikely to cause a problem by reversing LEDs:- they just won't illuminate.
Most of the ones I've encountered produce a bluish light, which might not work well through a green filter, so your idea of a separate location could be on track. I tried them briefly as side repeaters (albeit that's orange) but - er, no.
I've had very good results with some cheap as chips ones I bought off Amazon at about 20p each. I've put them in four of the 'fleet' as sidelamps and had only one failure over a couple of years.
Beware if space is tight as they tend to be longer than the proper lamps.
Does your audible click not cut the mustard? Mine's quite distinctive.
Most of the ones I've encountered produce a bluish light, which might not work well through a green filter, so your idea of a separate location could be on track. I tried them briefly as side repeaters (albeit that's orange) but - er, no.
I've had very good results with some cheap as chips ones I bought off Amazon at about 20p each. I've put them in four of the 'fleet' as sidelamps and had only one failure over a couple of years.
Beware if space is tight as they tend to be longer than the proper lamps.
Does your audible click not cut the mustard? Mine's quite distinctive.
I'm leaning towards green led repeaters, fitted into the speedo dial, within its radius but below the markings, so as not to impinge on the pointer - there is good space behind at those places. It will be a matter of carefully drilling 3mm holes in the right places (after plenty of practise on some spare stuff) and connecting each side to the relevant indicators.
I am, as you may appreciate, PARTICULARLY TWITCHY at the potential dangers of destroying another IC!!! Anything else you think I should be alert to?