LED dash conversion

[Steve Bakken]

Time to get rid of those dingy 194's. Couple questions for those who've done it:

1. How many bulbs do I need. Not doing dome, footwells, etc., just dash. Gauges, hvac controller, etc.

2. Where did you get them from? Not looking to change colors, I'd like to keep it stock looking, just brighter.

TIA

 

[Bengler455]

I just got mine from O'reillys. Do not remember how many there are tho.

 

[86LK]

Monte Carlo SS Dash Light Upgrade

One of the more common complaints from 4th Generation Monte Carlo SS owners is the dim gauge cluster. If you're like me, you have to squint to see your fuel level or other gauge readings at night.

The problem is the result of a combination of a few different factors. The lamps used to illuminate the gauges are not the brightest to begin with. The stock lamps (8 type 168 bulbs) are rated at 3 candlepower. In addition the gauges are not directly lit by the lamps. They are illuminated by reflected light from the back of the gauge cluster faceplate. The rear of the faceplate is a bluish color that darkens with age. Both these factors, combined with a few burnt out lamps make the gauges very dim at night.

There are a few things that can be done to alleviate the problems stated above. Correcting the dim gauge problem is quick, easy and cheap. This write-up details the following upgrades:

• Replacing low brightness and or burnt out lamps with new, high brightness lamps.
• Cleaning of the lamp connectors to ensure they are not resistive.
• Improving the reflection factor of the gauge cluster face plate.

 

[Ribbedroof]

I put LEDs in my coupe just the cluster. They're not dimmable, but with the old switch, they're marginally dimmer with some careful fine tuning. The glare around the edges doesn't really appear in person, the camera picked it all up

 

[mclellan83]

I would suggest superbrightled.com for LED's, you are able to choose different options for brightness vs cost in the bulbs