Interior mod with white LED is almost complete.

[DrLove]

For few months now I started to changed my interior bulbs to white LEDs.

I've got some problem because it has a narrow beam so it can make "spot".
After few attempts and try different LED, I have complete a little mod that I like, way better than the green condom bulb!

Also the LED I use are very powerfull, I need to "dim" them with the dimmer of the car, or it too bright at night, the HVAC is amazing in real! so bright in the night, the key ring also and the gauges are bright. The pictures don't do justice to the result.

This is what I use for the gauges and shifter (194 white 1 watt LED)

For the HVAC, it's a custom white LED SMT strip.
For the key ring, this is what I use (74 white LED SMT)


For the orange clock, I use a red plastic that I bought at an art market.
With the stock green clock, it do orange, so It fit perfectly my radio!
I still need to put white LED for the "AC" and "DEFROST".

****UPDATE 2008/03/01****
I've post some pics on this tread, just scroll down the first page to watch them.

[woa_its_j3ff]

you got the wrong style 194 bulbs for the instrument panel lights.
go to superbrightleds.com
and order the 5 wedge light that will give you even light dispersement.

[DrLove]

We need 5 for gauges, one for shifter.
on superbrightled.com I dont see anything better than mine.
The only better are on autolumination.com and they cost $8,99 each plus shipping.


My 1 watt LED is supose to give a wide beam and it does, try on the wall and it's about 180 degree. But on the gauges, the speed gauge is a bit darker on the top,because it would need another LED there, and because some LED are too close of the gauge to do it nice beam. The only solution is to light on every angle with little led, like the one on autolumination.com. But Im not rich as paying about $75 for 6 LED. I paid about $20 for 6. I already had the LED strip. The 74 LED was like $2.

Im sad that the pics show a poor result, with spots, because in real that's nice and everybody love it. The "dark" spot are just a bit darker in real and it's not a problem.

I will try to use another cam, mine is broken for a year now, so I need to ask somebody else for a good cam.

[woa_its_j3ff]

I have the 5 wedge led lights. from superbrightleds.com.
http://superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.html
and they are a hell of a lot better than what you have. even light dispersement. so I dont know what you are talking about man,

"WLED-x5 LED Wedge Base Bulbs <- that is what you need to look for.

5-LED super wide angle 194/168 wedge base
4 radially mounted 3mm LEDs emit most of the light from the sides of the bulbs
1 High Flux LED emits from the end of the bulbs
These bulbs are non-polarized
Available in all of our standard LED colors and Warm White
Click to see difference in Warm and Cool White LEDs"

[DrLove]

Oops sorry I didn't see these one.
They are $4 each plus shipping.

I need to use another cam, in real there is no spot on the HVAC,
and it's just a bit darker on the top of the speed gauge, but all is uniform on the RPM, fuel, temp, etc... and they are more powerfull and less "blue-white" then the one you show me.

But if I knew that mine would do a little darker spot,I would buy something less powerfull but who has LED in all direction,to spred light inside the casing and make it egal everywhere.

[YESCA]

you got the wrong style 194 bulbs for the instrument panel lights.
go to superbrightleds.com
and order the 5 wedge light that will give you even light dispersement.

I have those on my Gen 4 Camry, and you still will get the hot spots. I fixed that by putting a reflective tape on the back of the cluster so the light would be even all around. Sounds kind of janky but no one sees it and it is bright as hell. Sort of makes it look like the Nissan or Lexus dash lights. Foil will work just as well.

[DrLove]

I was thinking also about doing that,to help light to spread everywhere. I dont know if I can open the gauges from behind? I dotn want to remove the needles or something to mess the needles positions.

I will search about it to find out, but it doesn't worth spend hours on it,
it's already beautiful. The HVAC looks amazing in dark,the key ring looks like an hallo BMW lol.

[SleeperSolara]

Looks good man.

[hskrsolara]

you got the wrong style 194 bulbs for the instrument panel lights.
go to superbrightleds.com
and order the 5 wedge light that will give you even light dispersement.

I have those on my Gen 4 Camry, and you still will get the hot spots. I fixed that by putting a reflective tape on the back of the cluster so the light would be even all around. Sounds kind of janky but no one sees it and it is bright as hell. Sort of makes it look like the Nissan or Lexus dash lights. Foil will work just as well.

so did you cover the whole back side of the gauges with the reflective tape? Or, just the edges?

[pwizzle]

Just out of curiosity, where do you get the reflective tape from?

[DrLove]

I took new pics at lunch with my sister's cam.
Im at work and the PC doesn't has a memory card slot and it miss the USB cable, so I can't show you for now the difference. I will tonight.

[DrLove]

Ok there is he pics I took today. Sorry for the bad pics of yesterday.

[woa_its_j3ff]

yeah you really need the bulbs I told ya to get.
and that reflective tape.

[DrLove]

Lol woa_its_j3ff, you never stop!

look at the first pic,

it's exactly like how it looks in real when you are in the seat and look at it. I will not spend 2x more $$$ to get the 5 LED. And I prefer the lower kelvin of my LED (4500K) to the superflux (6000,7000,8000K). My "eurolite" 194 LED were 7000K and it was too much blue for my taste.Now I only use SMT LED.

I will maybe try the reflective tape to help, but the result is way better than before when I had my 2 LED 194 bulb. It's 1 watt, it disturb me at night if I don't dim it. I have 3 74 SMT white LED left and 2 sockets, I could drill an hole behind the gauge and put another one there and it would be awsome.

Maybe post some pics of your 5 LED, I would like to see the gauges.
Oh and, why do you use reflective tape if you have 5 LED who are supose to spread light in every angles?

[woa_its_j3ff]

hotspots
not a big deal to me really. but I got my reflective tape at this hardware store not far from my house.
I'm thinking of just going back to ordinary bulbs though.