Author Topic: Anyone modified the gauges??? (Read 3608 times)

Rifart · « **on:** October 21, 2008, 10:01:16 PM »

Standart illumination on the freshly changed bulbe gauge is also really poor....right side brighter or vice versa.... :roll:
Thinking of modifying them with the leds but how?

??
Need some advices....

Gordan · « **Reply #1 on:** October 22, 2008, 05:49:37 AM »

Im thinking of just replacing old green bulbs with white ones... could that be possible?

phreak97 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 24, 2008, 02:30:53 PM »

the bulbs themselves arent green, theres coloured clear plastic inside the instrument cluster. led mods can be difficult because leds are directional, you can put brighter leds in and just end up with brightly lit spots.

you pretty much have to upen the cluster up and strategically position all your leds, and youll also need resistors on the leds so they dont blow up.

alternatively, just remembering, you can get led units which are a straight swap for 12v wedge bulbs like the general illumination bulbs in your dash. the warning lights are small bulbs, you probably wont find led versions.

you could try the led conversion bulbs.

Gordan · « **Reply #3 on:** October 24, 2008, 03:41:19 PM »

Quote from: "phreak97"

the bulbs themselves arent green, theres coloured clear plastic inside the instrument cluster.

could it be replaced?

phreak97 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2008, 03:56:46 AM »

i cant remember, in my old mitsubishi they could be removed once you opened the cluster up, but i cant remember what's inside a 126 instrument cluster.. ill run out and grab one in a sec and have a look.
edit:
yes, if you take the 5 screws out of the back (two are under square security blobs which youll have to dig through) the two green general illumination bulb covers can unclip from the back half of the cluster casing. then you should have a brighter whiter panel.

ps. have you tried adjusting the massive round knob on the right end of the panel? it's a dimmer for the panel lights.

another thing to do would be to clean all of the contacts there the connectors plug onto the instrument cluster, and also where the bulb sockets connect, also make sure the bulbs are making good contact inside the sockets. i had one which was perfect (touched wires to it) until i put it in then the way the contacts pressed made it disconnect. im pretty sure both the gi bulbs are on the same traces, which means the only way one would be dimmer than the other is if one was making bad contact.

Gordan · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2008, 06:38:17 AM »

THanx mate... you sure know your electronics....

:wink:

phreak97 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 26, 2008, 03:47:11 PM »

no worries

Gordan · « **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2008, 02:27:16 PM »

i took it apart yesterday and replaced the bulbs, shines better now, the bulbs seem to fade over time.... thing is i didnt manage to find the dimmer you described? how about a picture? (i have to remove it again today cos my speedo for some reason isnt working? :roll: )

bis13 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 27, 2008, 03:42:17 PM »

its possible that you both have different binnacles to eachover as the aircooled is not the same until the late models, i dont know how well / ill equiped the aus 126s were .

GTMaster · « **Reply #9 on:** October 27, 2008, 06:35:34 PM »

The old dashboard 'cluster' ( a speedo) was a lot easier to access through the boot. If you look under where the windscreen wiper motor is , then you can see that all the bulbs are easily accessible.
What i have noticed with the older speedos, is that the plexi tends to go dull, and yellowish. When new, it's as if there's nothing there. Cleaning that might help too.

Gordan · « **Reply #10 on:** October 27, 2008, 08:56:04 PM »

Quote from: "bis13"

its possible that you both have different binnacles to eachover as the aircooled is not the same until the late models, i dont know how well / ill equiped the aus 126s were .

the aus nikis -as far as i know- got the same panels as the bis, the only difference i can see is that the air cooled didn't have the water temp gauge?

oh, yeah, and its impossible to go white on my instr. panel, cos the plastic with the numbers is painted transparent green from the other side, so remving the green bulb covers wouldn't do much... :roll:

phreak97 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 29, 2008, 09:58:14 AM »

removing the bulb covers would make it brighter though.. even if not white.
ill grab some photos of my instruments then post back. it could be something that australia decided was necesary. i think the niki pretty much got every option possible whether you liked it or not, with the exception of a sunroof, which was actually an option here.

edit:

i took a bunch of other photos of things that may or may not be the same as uk models, i'm going to post them under 126 chat if anyone is interested:)

dajwid · « **Reply #12 on:** October 29, 2008, 03:23:20 PM »

The early, round speedo plastic is very easy to change. Never tried the newer type though.

Pawel83 · « **Reply #13 on:** October 30, 2008, 07:07:12 AM »

I haven't tried it, but there is a possibility to use leds. You just have to treat them with sandpaper