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Instrument cluster bulb alternatives

pietrzj

Well-known member
Joined
19 Mar 2014
Messages
309
If Porsche can sell a bulb smaller than my finger nail for nearly £7, there must be alternatives out there. I have broken the bulb down into its component bits and could probably solder in a glass unit if I could find a source, or maybe there are some other run of the mill cars out there that use the same bulb?

Anybody got an answer to help a Skinflint?
 
I replaced all my dial and heater control lamps with LED's.


 
Those LED's look superb Citori. Is it an easy job?

Pietrzj. Is the pictured bulb the one to which you refer? If so, I bought 10 Osram 2721 from Amazon for a total of £6.61.
 

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madge said:
Those LED's look superb Citori. Is it an easy job?

Very easy once you get the dials out of the dash. The dials just push out from behind. First one can be a bit of a bee-itch but others are then easy, The only one that will give you trouble is the Tach. It can be done with the steering wheel in place, but it's a bit of a squeeze, especially if you have an OBD tach.
LED's were £20 for a full set inc post. Enough to do all the dials, heater controls and a couple of spares.
 
How easy to get dials out of dash please? I have a lamp gone on the tacho
 
ChrisT70 said:
How easy to get dials out of dash please? I have a lamp gone on the tacho

Tacho is the hardest to get out IF you have an OBD as i understand the dial is much deeper.
This is how I done it:

first buy some nylon bicycle tyre levers from eBay. mine cost £2 for 3 and they are just about the most useful thing I have spent £2 on.

Gently lever out the clock by working your way around it with the tyre lever. Don't lever it against the dash or you may mark it, but sort of "hook" the tyre lever under the edge of the dial and try and lift it. I also squirted a tiny bit GT85 under there to help. Once you get the clock out you can then push out the speedo from behind and then the tacho.
If they have been in there a while they may not just pop out so be patient and take your time.
I use GT85 because I think it doesn't stink like WD40.
 
Thanks Citori

This sounds like a job that I need to do. Do you recall which type of bulb we should look for?
 
I had a bulb out in the Tach. Removal of the steering wheel is not essential but does make the job easier. The bigger Tach with the OBC is a tight squeeze past the wheel one the column surround. I have done this with and without the wheel being removed and found the wheel off routine less stressful.

Interestingly if a warning light bulb goes, there are what are effectively spares in the clock. There are a number of warning lights in the clock that, depending on which car you have, are not being used. For example there is a cabriolet roof warning light.
 
Hopefully Citori still has some of the LED bulbs available, if not I have a spare set.
 
Citori, yours look like a "cool white" in the picture, whereas OE lighting looks a little warmer. Are there different options available ?
 
There is a whole post about this on Rennlist
http://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...g-n-play-led-solution-for-964-993-gauges.html
Quite a good read with regards to people trying different types of bulbs and the results achieved. I've seen Steves for real at night and it does look great but like mine which I did same bulbs as Steves you do get minor dull patches as led bulbs are far more directional. The RL guys seem to have found some more bulbs that may resolve that minor foible.
If one of my bulbs go I might go the RL route but happy at the moment
 
Madge,

the bulbs do look like the one in you photo but the wire "legs" would have to be able to be bent out and up as they need to be soldered to little shaped tin pads that pinch the PCB when they are twisted in the clock.

I might try this on an old one I have in the garage.

Many thanks.
 
have ordered the nylon tyre things, now just need to order some bulbs.

Anyone else on the verge of going down this path ? Happy to combine the order or compare notes if helpful!
 

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