For those wanting White Back-lighting

mr2boost · 10-21-2008, 05:19 PM

I have been noticing a lot of folks wanting true white back-lighting for their MR2 Instrument Clusters here lately. There has been some cool write-ups & NICE pics of it all lately too.

So, I wanted to post this info up. I just noticed today that superbrightleds.com has a NEW color to the 5WLED bulbs that they sell, which are the common choice for folks to use to replace the IC lighting (I have them in Cool White).

The new color is NATURAL WHITE!
Seen here... WLED Car Bulb specs (3rd bulb seen on that page).

I have tried Cool White (in my IC now) & Warm White. But, for those that do not like the blue tinge of the Cool White or the yellow tinge of the Warm White, this new color may be a good choice. I think I may get some this winter & try them out when I fix up my Climate Control unit to get rid of the dim spots.

But, for those wandering what the difference between the Warm & Cool Whites are look at this pic. Maybe the NATURAL WHITE 5WLED will look like the Omori gauge lighting in the pic. Warm White on the left & Cool White on the right...

Daniel :thumbup

PHOENIX · 10-22-2008, 06:30 AM

nice find

MR2 Drifter · 10-22-2008, 09:15 AM

From what someone was telling me the instrument cluster has a thin layer of blue film behind the gauges and if you really want the Cool White's true color you have to sand it down until you get rid of all the blue

(thats what they did in that picture you got in your post)

the only problem is no one's done a write-up on how to get rid of that blue film and I don't know where to start or stop

mr.asian.m2 · 10-23-2008, 04:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR2 Drifter

From what someone was telling me the instrument cluster has a thin layer of blue film behind the gauges and if you really want the Cool White's true color you have to sand it down until you get rid of all the blue

(thats what they did in that picture you got in your post)

the only problem is no one's done a write-up on how to get rid of that blue film and I don't know where to start or stop

+1

someone really do need to do a write-up on this

mr2boost · 10-23-2008, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR2 Drifter

(thats what they did in that picture you got in your post)

Do what?

That picture in my post is of MY Instrument Cluster in MY 1991 MR2T. I put the bulbs in & took the picture so folks could see the difference between Cool White & Warm White. Believe me there is NO sanding of the gauges at all. Only thing I sanded was the glass around the LEDs on the bulb to help disperse the light better & eliminate the dim spots.

I plan on doing some winter projects & noticed that superbrightleds.com now has the bulbs I used in that picture in a new color, NATURAL WHITE!

I plan on getting a few of these new color bulbs when I put the EMS Powered side gauges in (from their group buy), to see if it matches up & gives a true Natural White color.

I have had the Instrument Cluster COMPLETELY apart & I have seen no BLUE film on the gauges, after all, the OEM lights are Green! The blue on the gauges would be hard to sand off, it is part of the gauge & only on the edges, not the plastic = it is clear.

MR2Drifter & mr.asian.mr2 = What kind of write up are you looking for? There are several on this board (one is a sticky in this section) of how to replace the Instrument Cluster lights with the LED bulbs. The only sanding of the clear light disperser is done to clear large LED bulbs that people are using other than the ones I have listed here.

Daniel

SnowRocker88 · 10-29-2008, 12:24 PM

Which lights are the brightest in 'natural white' that fit our bulb sockets? I'm unhappy with the brightness of my WLED x5's in 'cool white'...and I'd really like to have 'natural white'.

mr2boost · 10-29-2008, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SnowRocker88

Which lights are the brightest in 'natural white' that fit our bulb sockets? I'm unhappy with the brightness of my WLED x5's in 'cool white'...and I'd really like to have 'natural white'.

Don't know yet. When I pull out my instrument cluster to put in the EMS Powered side replacement gauges I will try those new Natural White bulbs & see what they are like. When I put in the EMS Powered gauges & try the Natural Whites I will post up some pics.

You know I have been thinking about your Instrument Cluster & trying to figure out why your bulbs were not very bright. I have come up with a possible theory. I know we have thought of about everything, but I think I did not think of this.

When I put in my bulbs 1 or 2 of them were dim (now that I remember) compared to the rest. So, I noticed the dim ones were a little loose in the socket compared to the others. So, I removed all of them & slightly bent the prongs up so they would make a good contact on the traces & hold in place. When I did that they all were noticeably brighter.

May be worth a try there.

FWIW though the Warm Whites were just as bright as the Cool Whites that I tried. If you look in the pic you can see that the Warm Whites look a tad bit brighter, but I think that is because of the blueish tinge of the Cool Whites.

Daniel

SnowRocker88 · 10-29-2008, 09:27 PM

Now when you say you bent them up, you mean out away from the plastic a little? I hope that works, that'd be awesome!

masagsxr · 10-29-2008, 10:57 PM

nice... are they pretty much plug and play?

SnowRocker88 · 10-30-2008, 11:19 AM

^^^Yes.

metheores · 10-30-2008, 11:26 AM

Why is your boost gauge crooked? lol

mr2boost · 10-30-2008, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by metheores

Why is your boost gauge crooked? lol

That pic was a test fit & test of the lighting of the gauge using the resistors, once I got it all perfect I then set the gauge in straight.

But, then I went with the EMS Powered gauge & did not have any GOOD pics of the Omori straight. Oh well.

To SnowRocker88 - Yes, I mean the metal prongs that make the contact with the traces. Pulling them up a little bit gave them a "better bite" on the trace & trace board & actually made them a little brighter. Until I did that with the prongs, one of the LED's would not light up.

Daniel

SnowRocker88 · 10-30-2008, 07:57 PM

Ok, I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks. I might try the 'Natural White' bulbs in the next couple of months or so...

aler_ka · 10-31-2008, 02:23 AM

something i did today lol... mutil color cluster.....

MR2 Drifter · 10-31-2008, 02:37 AM

Those multi-color ones are pretty cool, you got a switch mounted somewhere to change the colors?

aler_ka · 10-31-2008, 08:42 AM

those are not installed yet.. but will have switch some where under the dash

SnowRocker88 · 10-31-2008, 11:07 AM

It'd be cool if it were 2 colors or something running with a potentiometer splitting voltage between them...It'd make you be able to mix the colors...

tech2 · 10-31-2008, 01:47 PM

Diggin the color switching. I also second the voltage splitting idea. You'd have the whole gauge set up like the mechanical omori, and it would even cooler.

mr2boost · 11-01-2008, 10:23 PM

aler_ka
That does look prett good. I wandered what that would look like. Very interesting indeed. I also think a pot adjusting the colors would be a nice touch.

Daniel

tech2 · 11-01-2008, 11:12 PM

Thinking about the voltage splitting, wouldn't you run into trouble with the leds turning off instead of turning down like the boost gauge issue? Might have to go to the electronics shop and do a little test. I'm also wondering if it would be easier to wire up the 3 colors in parallel with a separate pot for each. Isnt' that how the mechanical omori does it?

10-21-2008, 05:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
mr2boost MK. II RACING Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bartlett, TN Posts: 411 Thanks: 0 Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	For those wanting White Back-lighting I have been noticing a lot of folks wanting true white back-lighting for their MR2 Instrument Clusters here lately. There has been some cool write-ups & NICE pics of it all lately too. So, I wanted to post this info up. I just noticed today that superbrightleds.com has a NEW color to the 5WLED bulbs that they sell, which are the common choice for folks to use to replace the IC lighting (I have them in Cool White). The new color is NATURAL WHITE! Seen here... WLED Car Bulb specs (3rd bulb seen on that page). I have tried Cool White (in my IC now) & Warm White. But, for those that do not like the blue tinge of the Cool White or the yellow tinge of the Warm White, this new color may be a good choice. I think I may get some this winter & try them out when I fix up my Climate Control unit to get rid of the dim spots. But, for those wandering what the difference between the Warm & Cool Whites are look at this pic. Maybe the NATURAL WHITE 5WLED will look like the Omori gauge lighting in the pic. Warm White on the left & Cool White on the right... Daniel :thumbup Attached Thumbnails

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10-22-2008, 06:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
PHOENIX Beams Owners Group Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: On Hiatus....... Posts: 9,266 Thanks: 92 Thanked 292 Times in 224 Posts Blog Entries: 1 My Google Map iTrader Rating: (49/100% )	nice find

10-22-2008, 09:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
MR2 Drifter No Drifting Skills Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 948 Thanks: 3 Thanked 18 Times in 18 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	From what someone was telling me the instrument cluster has a thin layer of blue film behind the gauges and if you really want the Cool White's true color you have to sand it down until you get rid of all the blue (thats what they did in that picture you got in your post) the only problem is no one's done a write-up on how to get rid of that blue film and I don't know where to start or stop

10-29-2008, 12:24 PM	#6 (permalink)
SnowRocker88 Tech-Nerd Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 342 Thanks: 6 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Which lights are the brightest in 'natural white' that fit our bulb sockets? I'm unhappy with the brightness of my WLED x5's in 'cool white'...and I'd really like to have 'natural white'.

10-29-2008, 09:27 PM	#8 (permalink)
SnowRocker88 Tech-Nerd Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 342 Thanks: 6 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Now when you say you bent them up, you mean out away from the plastic a little? I hope that works, that'd be awesome!

10-29-2008, 10:57 PM	#9 (permalink)
masagsxr Cage Fighter Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Norwalk, CA Posts: 3,534 Thanks: 1 Thanked 81 Times in 81 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	nice... are they pretty much plug and play?

10-30-2008, 11:19 AM	#10 (permalink)
SnowRocker88 Tech-Nerd Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 342 Thanks: 6 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	^^^Yes.

10-30-2008, 11:26 AM	#11 (permalink)
metheores Supreme! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 658 Thanks: 38 Thanked 16 Times in 16 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Why is your boost gauge crooked? lol

10-30-2008, 07:57 PM	#13 (permalink)
SnowRocker88 Tech-Nerd Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 342 Thanks: 6 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	Ok, I'll try that tomorrow. Thanks. I might try the 'Natural White' bulbs in the next couple of months or so...

10-31-2008, 02:23 AM	#14 (permalink)
aler_ka No Skills Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: hawaii Posts: 261 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	something i did today lol... mutil color cluster.....

10-31-2008, 02:37 AM	#15 (permalink)
MR2 Drifter No Drifting Skills Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 948 Thanks: 3 Thanked 18 Times in 18 Posts iTrader Rating: (2/100% )	Those multi-color ones are pretty cool, you got a switch mounted somewhere to change the colors?

10-31-2008, 08:42 AM	#16 (permalink)
aler_ka No Skills Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: hawaii Posts: 261 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	those are not installed yet.. but will have switch some where under the dash

10-31-2008, 11:07 AM	#17 (permalink)
SnowRocker88 Tech-Nerd Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 342 Thanks: 6 Thanked 9 Times in 9 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	It'd be cool if it were 2 colors or something running with a potentiometer splitting voltage between them...It'd make you be able to mix the colors...

10-31-2008, 01:47 PM	#18 (permalink)
tech2 Some Skills Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 76 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Diggin the color switching. I also second the voltage splitting idea. You'd have the whole gauge set up like the mechanical omori, and it would even cooler.

11-01-2008, 10:23 PM	#19 (permalink)
mr2boost MK. II RACING Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bartlett, TN Posts: 411 Thanks: 0 Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	aler_ka That does look prett good. I wandered what that would look like. Very interesting indeed. I also think a pot adjusting the colors would be a nice touch. Daniel

11-01-2008, 11:12 PM	#20 (permalink)
tech2 Some Skills Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 76 Thanks: 5 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Thinking about the voltage splitting, wouldn't you run into trouble with the leds turning off instead of turning down like the boost gauge issue? Might have to go to the electronics shop and do a little test. I'm also wondering if it would be easier to wire up the 3 colors in parallel with a separate pot for each. Isnt' that how the mechanical omori does it?