This video demonstrates how to change the color of your dashboard lights in six easy steps. To do this, you need to locate the fuse box and open it up. If the lights are still not illuminating or if you don’t feel comfortable attempting this process, you can enlist the services of a certified mechanic to replace any blown fuses and replace the light.
To change the color of your dash lights, first remove the 9 screws holding on the front face plate and 4 screws securing the clear cover. The process involves over 20 LEDs and requires complete disassembly of the cluster, desoldering the old ones, and correctly soldering in the new ones. A new cluster must be reprogrammed by the dealer. However, it is possible to change the LEDs using Suface Mount LEDs.
In your 21 TRD Off Road, the interior dash lights are blue. To change them to red or Amber through settings, you will need to remove the gauge cluster and have red LEDs soldered to the board. To change the color of your dash lights, follow these steps:
- Find the fuse box. Open the hood and locate it. Open it and look for the fuse.
- Determine the number of bulbs needed. Determine the required number of bulbs.
- Determine the desired color.
- Find the necessary bulbs.
- Check for any issues with the lights.
In conclusion, changing the color of your dashboard lights is a simple and effective process that can add a personal touch to your car’s interior.
📹 How to Replace Dashboard Lights (In Depth)
Dashboard lights out? Learn how to replace dash lights in your Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Mazda so you dont have to drive …
Can you replace instrument cluster bulbs?
The author suggests that the cluster can be disconnected from the cable harness by tipping it forward slightly. The cable connector is located at the top rear of the cluster, behind the Tach gauge. This allows access to the back of the cluster, where the bulbs are located. The polarized LEDs can be checked with the ignition on to ensure correct installation. The old bulbs can be twisted out by turning them counter-clockwise with needle nose pliers. The author also mentions that the old bulbs can be tight, so using needle nose pliers can be helpful.
Can you change the color of the lights inside your car?
The installation of custom interior car lights represents a popular method for personalizing a vehicle’s interior. Such modifications allow the owner to alter the vehicle’s color and ambiance, with options ranging from cool blue lights to multi-color effects. The result is a unique and stylish appearance.
Why are my dashboard lights not bright?
Dash lights can be too dim due to the dimmer switch, which allows you to adjust the brightness of the lights. However, this can sometimes be bumped, lowering the brightness beyond what is comfortable. The solution is to adjust the switch. Partly dark dashes are more common in vehicles older than a few years due to the technology used. Modern dash lights consist of individual LEDs, making it rare to see larger parts go dim. In older vehicles, the instrument cluster was backlit by light bulbs, which could burn out, causing the part of the dash to lose its illumination.
How do I reset my dashboard lights?
To reset a check engine light, try turning off the car and restarting the engine, disconnecting the battery, and reconnecting it. If the light remains flashing, take your vehicle to a mechanic to avoid costly repairs. If the light doesn’t turn off or flashes, contact LK’s Auto Repair for diagnosis. Their ASE-Certified auto mechanics are highly trained to service and repair your vehicle. If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly alternative, LK’s Auto Repair in Bremerton, WA is an eco-friendly shop that cares about the community. Their location is 5921 St Hwy 303 NE 100 Bremerton, WA 98311. Call or schedule an appointment to learn more.
How do you change a concealed light bulb?
The financial outlay required to replace a light bulb is slightly in excess of $10. Once the bulb has been threaded into the socket, the light switch should be turned on in a clockwise direction to ensure that the bulb is properly secured.
How do I change my dashboard lights?
To change an instrument panel light, turn off the power to the cluster, remove the lens gently, use a soldering iron to remove the existing lights, clean the circuit board and lights area, use a solder and soldering gun to add the lights to the cluster, and reattach the lens when done. ISS Automotive offers professionally built and tested instrument cluster replacement lights, which have been tested in over a million clusters over the past 30 years.
These easy-to-use replacement lights can help you get back on the road quickly when your instrument panel lights go out. With ISS Automotive’s easy-to-use replacement lights, you can get back on the road in no time.
How do I fix my dashboard backlight?
To fix non-functional dashboard lights in a vehicle, follow these steps: 1) Check and adjust the dimmer switch, 2) Check for a blown fuse, 3) Replace the dashboard lightbulbs, and 4) If none of these work, seek a mechanic to fix the issue. Non-functional dashboard lights not only cause annoyance but also pose a safety risk, so finding a solution is crucial. Additionally, a driving instructor may teach you how to drive effectively.
How to change car dashboard color?
Painting your car’s dashboard is a DIY option for enhancing its interior if it appears faded or boring. Automotive spray-can primers, paints, and lacquers can be used on both rigid and flexible plastic parts of a dashboard, provided the right spraying techniques are used. While the final results may not replicate a factory finish, they can still look good enough for you to show off your dashboard with pride.
To paint smaller trim pieces, remove them from the car or replace damaged or worn-out trim pieces. However, taking out removable dashboard parts to paint separately does not eliminate the need for taping and masking before painting.
Where is the dashboard light control switch?
The dashboard light control switch is typically situated in close proximity to the steering column or headlight switch in the majority of vehicles. In the event that the aforementioned switch cannot be located, it is recommended that the owner’s manual be consulted. In the event that the switch was inadvertently activated, it is possible that the dashboard lights were deactivated. To ascertain whether the lights are illuminated or brighter, one must either flip the switch or turn the dial or knob upwards.
How do you change an interior light in a car?
The bulb and filament were removed and pressed into place, resulting in the bulb becoming dislodged and the filament being removed.
How to remove a dash light bulb?
The speaker posits that the tight online items could be removed by hand, and they cite their own successful experience in doing so.
📹 Dashboard Light Hack!
Hack your car’s dashboard lights and make them rock! ¿Hablas español? No hay problema: https://youtu.be/MVC_Z00hELI You …
I have to compliment you on your tutorials! Whether they work well for everyone or not, your narration is excellent and your presentation style is well thought out. Your articles aren’t any longer than they need to be, but contain as much information as possible without skipping any steps (as many others do). I especially love the additional tips in each one that most wouldn’t think of, such as covering the flat head tip to not damage anything. Keep up the good work and maybe you’ll have to do a tutorial to others on how to give great tutorials!
Chris There are lots of people making articles on line, and I am not easy to impress, but man you do a great job. Camera is steady, your explanations are fluid, and complete. I have used several of them and they have all worked very well. I drive 2 95 Toyota pick ups, and daughter has Honda civic. Have done headlight adjust, tire shine, dash light replace, coolant flush,windshield super clean, heat gun on faded plastic, and more. I am pretty good mechanic, but it nice to see things when it is something new to me. Also there are lots of ways to do things and it’s good to get another perspective or get confirmation of what to do. Thanks for doing it right.
Great article! I was able to replace my dash lights on my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac thanks to Chris. All of my components matched Chris’ exactly. It was difficult for me to contort my 6’5″ frame into position at times, but it got done. I’m amazed that Chris was able to get such great footage from such cramped spaces. Bravo!
I have been perusal all articles of how to make this job and could give you an “A” or a 10 !!! Explanations, focus, testings, advices, warnings…and everything goes on perfect the secuence is right and funny !!! I want to make this job for my elantra 2002. The light on the heat gauge has turned off since a month ago and was thinking about take it to the electrical service, but with this article I will do by myself. Thank you for share your techniques and knowleadge. See you .
Hey Chris – I had a 1999 Buick Century – the odometer mileage light or PRND321 lights did not light, had to solder some resisters on the circuit board, while I had every thing apart I did as you did changed each small bulb not just one, a little of a pain but better then going to get it repaired at a garage . Good article – Keep Then Coming –
I know this is old but thanks man! I follow a lot of your articles but this one was exactly what I needed!!!! Just bought a 99 explorer and we have the exact dash. Tonight my lights are like new again! Ill be rebuilding this suv so ill be on here more lol Next is rockers and muffler all the way back. From the muffler on..more vids plz. You’re seriously talented
Chris, there are LED bulbs that have the diodes all around the bulb assembly. Some even project the light in a wide pattern to simulate traditional incandescents or halogens. As for the dimming functionality, they still dim when the dimmer is used. The only difference is their power consumption. Since LEDs consume less power than traditional bulbs, they shine much brighter than their counterparts, but the dimmer doesn’t affect them much. The dimmer is only made to resist a certain amount of energy, and the amount of energy needed to resist the power is not enough to dim LEDs to the same degree as traditional bulbs. I replaced the original bulbs on my ZX2 with LEDs due to the same reason you replaced yours, and it made the dash look SO much better. The only caveat with them was the difference in brightness at night. It took some time to get used to the new brightness, but the increase in visibility of the dashboard during night driving is like night and day! It also gives a more modern feel to the car, since the dash lights are brighter and sharper!
Nice job. I have watched several articles on cluster removal. This is the second one where the ‘mech’ re-connected the battery to test the bulbs after replacement. I am working on an ’03 Taurus using a Haynes repair manual. The instructions at the beginning of attempting cluster removal talk about leaving the battery disconnected due to the air bags. Since posting this article, have you seen or heard of anyone having a problem with this procedure? You obviously did not have any problems with air bags when you made this article. I just want to make sure. Thanks. Again, great article.
Holy shit! It’s been a number of years since I did any of my own work on a car. And I guess my age is showing but I can remember changing a dash light was as simple as laying down across the front seat, and reaching up behind the dash, unplugging a socket and removing a small bulb, replacing it with a new one and plugging it back in. The whole process took about 5 minutes. Who the hell came up with this better idea? Bulbs still burn out at the same rate. Which I grant isn’t very often. But an hours worth of work to change one bulb? Hell yeah, I’m going to change every one of them.
if you have LEDs to replace those light bulbs, watch how the old light bulbs come out. the old light bulbs will have small metal pieces where it connects to the black part. (not sure what they’re called lol) but that should help just a little bit with the continuity so you don’t have to unplug and plug everything back in several times.
Chris, your articles are uniformly excellent. A common problem with 1st generation Ridgelines is a poorly lit center console HVAC gauge. Please consider doing a article on addressing that. BTW, I use an air compressor ratchet to remove multiple bolts and small magnetic catch trays. Saves time and helps reduce chance of small hardware rolling away and “disappearing.
I bought some new headlights for my daughter’s 2006 Honda Accord EX & I’m glad I was too busy to change them myself bc I took it to the shop & they had to remove the front tires & the front bumper just to get to the headlights. They only charged me $50 for the labor. It must have been a hard job or really time consuming bc it took them about 3 hours to get the work done. I changed the headlights on my 2000 Buick Regal LS & it only took me about 5 minutes to do. Older cars are much easier to work on. They make these newer cars harder to work on bc they want u to take it back to the dealer & charge u a arm & a leg. The high price items to get fixed on new cars are the transmission, engine & computer system. If any of those go out, you’re gonna be paying major loot to get them fixed. So ALWAYS have a limited warranty when the original warranty expires.
Very well done. I’ve done mechanic work since I was a lad of about 16 (I’m now 67) and I very much enjoy your professionalism in your step by step presentation . . . being sure to tell the wrench/socket sizes as you go . . . very helpful. You move very slowly and deliberately and you make it obvious that you can understand the HOWS of teaching; bring it down to the basics so that ALL can understand. GOOD JOB my friend . . . RISH of WEST SALEM
I’ve been a mechanic since 1985 and have about did it all. You do a real good job showing the steps on repairing things. I have a 2001 ranger I need to do that too now. One side of the tach is dark. I replaced them once and it was so sunny out I couldn’t see if it was burning before putting it all back. Of course it did not work so I need to do it again, lol.
Chris changed my bulbs too last summer on my 98 explorer what a difference it made I only had one out but figured I’d change all since it was apart the one near the gas guage was out so I decided to do this on a Sunday morning all you need is a little patience I also was able to adjust the shift indicator too now it seems dim on the panel by the heat selector DO You KNOW if THE SAME BULBS ILLUMINATE THAT SECTION?
Wow great article but alot of work to change bulbs. I have one that is out on the outside and that’s it so alot of work for that one bulb. Steady camera nice lighting and great volume loved the article and hopefully will be alot of help. I have three things to fix so I need to get on it soon ha ha. Thanks for your help. Any suggestions for me on my radio? I had display go out on my last radio and now this one is out and also the radio has quit. Its a factory radio. I have checked my related fuses in the fuse box and don’t know if any others are related or not under the hood and the such. Any suggestions?
WOW! I’m 73 and have to Google/Youtube everything! This was by Far the most Professional article I have ever seen put on Youtube! I was actually looking for how to replace the Bulbs with LED’s in my 1967 Chevelle and accidently came across this article and watched all of it because of Chris’ Calm and Professional Manner and Demeanor! Way to go Young Man!!!
i utterly believed, i had an electrical gremlin after i did this but i forgot to disconnect my battery, so after working on everything i could not get my truck to start and i could not figure out why the lights were so dim behind the dash. so I took it apart and put it back together. 4 more times. called my Step dad Jerry he is much better with cars than i am. he was working but his friend billy came and helped me jump start it. The funny thing was i had taken the dash apart again and as soon as we disconnected his truck, mine died. So If you have your dash out your car wont run. I had no idea but i guess it makes sense. So when i was putting it back together the 5th time i broke the bezel. So i guess ive got a trip to pick’n’pull in my future. At least my gauges light up properly and all that i have to put in is a new bezel. Thanks for the article
Hi Chris, After disconnecting the battery, both positive and negative and replacing the light bulbs with 194 long life bulbs on my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac and putting things back together, when I connect the battery I can hear a click-click noise coming from the dashboard and the Theft light is blinking. No power is running the interior lights are off. Any idea on what the problem could be? Thanks.
hey Chris, weve got ford lincoln whose dashpower randomly goes on and off any time. any suggestions other than possible loose connection? when the power goes off everything, all the dash lights, speedometer, fuel guage, even the AC goes off…and then randomly turns on whenever it feels like. There is no pattern to this wierd phenomena.
I just did this to my 02 ranger following the article step by step and it worked great. The two connectors for the on/off switch and the dimmer are by the far the most tedious steps (the flat head is the only way you will get them undone). Definitely do the light test before screwing everything back together, I did this and found one of my bulbs wasn’t fully snapped in place. As a result of the test I ended up saving a good amount of time not having to remove everything all over again. I have a very limited set of tools and I am quite inexperienced with car work so I went slow and was cautious not to break anything. Took about 3 hours, however, if I were to do it again I bet I could manage doing it in an hour or less now that I am familiar with the process. Lastly, I will note that I am one of the lucky few whose gear shifting plastic piece isn’t broken, however, I still needed to tinker with it to have the indicator hover more accurately. Thanks Chris!
Superb instructional article & without the bloody music that one does not need when you are concentrating on a subject of this nature!! Clear concise speech, no sluring or the rolling of words together & therefore easy to understand as well as not speaking too fast!! Spoke with good defined subject knowledge & appreciate the fast forward action at times to eliminate unnecessary repetitive subject/time consumption!! Overall a well done article thank you!! If you want to know how to change those dashboard lights this is exactly the article you need & most importantly this guy knows what he is doing as without a doubt he’s a smart bugger!!
Damn, whenever I have an issue, I go to Chris for kind of general info if I don’t understand something, and this was exactly my solution for my Ford truck, dash dimming from the bulbs in the instrument cluster. Sure, I’ll go to other resources for more specific stuff, but Chris’s attention to detail definitely introduces you to the topic and might even be your solution entirely (given that most vehicles are the same with the way the dash works).
I had a 2002 Ford Ranger. I had MANY similar problems with it that you do, like the dash light being out in the same spot, gear indicator being offset, 3rd brake light being worn worse than normal, bad suspension, etc. I got rid of it because of all of these problems and have found your website about a year later and wish I found it sooner. Crazy the problems are so similar. Great content
any idea on how the Digital ones wont work my cluster is 04 dodge 1500 5.7 the instrument cluster bulbs all work except the turn signals emergency breaks appy light high bean but works outside not the icon on cluster also 4×4 as well and digital mileage guage plus gear selector gauage digital as well
Chris, I cannot thank you enough for finding out what size the smaller bulbs are. There’s nothing listed in the manuals about what size they are and most articles don’t care to even comment on what size they are. I have a few that are out (or removed cause of shady sellers) and wanted to find out what size they are before I took everything apart.
hey i did this to my ford ranger of the same year and i used LED lights and then plugged every thing back in behind the instrument panel and put everything back but now my speedometer, wiper, and windows don’t work but the fuses are all good. and my wipers don’t work but the high beam and turn signals work but my wipers don’t can you help please thank you
So I just replaced 4 various bulbs in my dashboard and center console, and now 6 other random bulbs that worked perfectly fine before doing all this no longer work. All the switches and buttons themself work fine, just the various bulbs in the new various switches no longer light up. I tested each bulb I took out with a 9v battery and 3 of the 4 were in fact burned out, and one that would turn on and off intermittently still worked. All the new bulbs I put in work just fine. Why would this be? Battery? Alternator? Ground? Fuse? I’ll do some more inspecting tomorrow, but I’ll take any other ideas in the meantime. Thanks!
I’ve been looking at more and more dead bulbs in my instrument cluster until today. Bought a pack of ten Sylvania bulbs for $9 and went at it. Sadly, I did this to sell my faithful B2300 and of course I regret not doing it sooner. Some schmuck also has a how-to article and he’s selling the bulbs in the Ford holders for a lot more from his site and never notes that they pop out of the holders, nor does he note what bulbs to buy. But you made it clear. Thx Chris!
Do you think you can make a article on how to change the color of the cluster lights? I have a mustang gt like yours and i always hated that green look and I’ve watched articles on it but nobody explains things like the one and only chris fix😂 I’ve heard i need to sand down the green tint but I don’t know of there is another way
My check engine light never comes on even tho I have codes that should cause it to come on. When I turn the key on and all the lights cycle on it doesn’t. I took the dash apart and replaced the light bulb but it’s still not working. I’m guessing the person I bought the car from had it “disconnected”? What do I look for to fix it, a fuse? Thanks.
I have a 95 Ford Ranger. that steel panel has 6 bolts on mine. It looks like one was missing on yours in the top left corner.. Thanks a bunch for this article. I would probably not have attempted this without your article. and I only have a check engine bulb out, but I like everything to work. Plus the inside of the cluster was very dusty. I think my truck was a farm truck, due to all the dust and dirt everywhere. I have almost all cleaned out, even under the door panels!
what about the new, cheap Endoscopes that are out? The ones with Wifi, and Semi Rigid cable? I just got one for $12.79, but it’s not a Wifi… the Wifi’s can be had for less than $20. Work good Chris! Keep it up boy. Love these vids! They are more fun than perusal the super bowl. Your presentation, style.. it is GOOD. You don’t hem and haw around. GOOD JOB!
I just want to add this for someone who is in the same situation as I was: Maybe this is only for chevrolet, but my dash bulbs sockets do have a side for positive and negative. I’m not using LED, just regular halogen bulbs. I though the socket was burnt, but I flip it a round and it work. Anyone can correct me if I’m wrong. Great article Chris! Have some tacos de pastor from México! 🌮 🇲🇽
I know this is old but it was very helpful. My son bought his first car, a 2002 Taurus SEL, and most of the lights on the dash were not working so you could not see the speedometer at night. Not good. LOL. It was a little bit different that this one but close enough to figure out. Replaces all 5 bulbs and it works great now. Thanks Chris. Going to try the Restore Headlights PERMANENTLY next. Thanks for all your articles!
Hey, Chris fix, I have a 1995 Buick Century Wagon. My dash lights are out, I have checked the fuse the lights and replaced the light switch and the dimmer switch. All the exterior lights work. I am out of ideas. Do you have any suggestion? Thank You for your help . BTW I have enjoyed your articles they have been a great help
Yo Chris! My sister has a 2008 Mazda 3 and she’s trying to sell it, but it has to be done in Mexico because it’s set in K/h. My question is if I picked a dash from the junker, would it be as simple as swapping it out? Or would that mess with the computer? (Also thanks for the articles, I have done many DIY’s based on them :D)
I went on ebay to see the back of my 2010 Ford Edge’s instrument cluster and it doesn’t have these. I have spent the better part of today trying to find the correct bulbs / LEDs for my make and model and I can’t find anything except for other people asking in forums, and an ebay listing for replacement LEDs. But looking at the comments showed a few people that got LEDs because ebay said they worked on their car, but they didn’t. Any idea if the lights on a 2007 – 2010 Ford Edge are replaceable? I even checked the wiring schematics in the haynes repair guide, but their solution for a lack of illumination is to either replace the cluster or replace a module, check for shorts, etc. Nothing about replacing bulbs or LEDs (probably because LEDs will likely outlive the car itself). Apparently Ford Edge’s modding community is really small to non-existent
I replaced all of mine with LED’s. they looked great! very bright. However, 3 months later, they’re now dimming and flickering. i am not sure if it is due to the quality of LED’s i purchased (cheap amazon bundle package) or if it is a load recognition issue. For example, i had to buy load resistors for my LED turn signals to cancel out the hyper flashing. I am wondering if this is the same deal. Any suggestions?
Not looking forward to doing this on my 1978 GMC truck. Have to disconnect the speedometer cable, the shift indicator, etc. I’m guessing I may never have to replace the bulbs again once I get done. A friend tells me it takes about 30 minutes if you know what you’re doing, which means it will take me 4 hours.
Just a heads up, if you’re doing this on a ‘06-‘11 ranger (could be wrong on the earlier year) they do not take 194 bulbs. After many hours of frustration and many many more colorful words, I found the correct ones online. You need to get bulbs that fit a T5 bulb socket. Now I gotta tear apart my dash again…
Nice presentation, very complete, but does not answer my question. That is not your Dashboard, that is your Instrument Panel. The Dashboard is the part that contains the Dashboard controls for Radio, AC and heat controls, and glove box. I only mention this because everyone seems to think that when a question is asked about the Dashboard controls, backlighting, and such, it is wrongly assumed that it is the Instrument Panel — maybe I am wrong about this, but it is not the Instrument Panel I am having a problem with, it is the backlighting, behind those dial switches being nearly unreadable because the lighting is so dim — the instrument panel, in my case is super bright, but the Dash control panel lighting is terrible.
Another ‘NICE JOB’ ChrisFix! Your tutorials, step-by-step articles are excellent … thumbs up. And your ever expanding experience is quite evident … kudos. As for the topic, my case is a ’94 Buick Regal which has very dim dash back lighting; I believe the bulbs are, alas, soldered onto the PCB. I am currently looking for a shop that might do an LED conversion for a better illumination by getting rid of the incandescent bulbs.
Hey Chris, know this vid is old, but you wouldn’t happen to know of a way to change out the color of the digital mileage and “PRND” displays on your dash would you? I changed out the color of my dash lights to a very nice deep blue but my digital “PRND” and “mileage” displaces are still that factory puke greenish/blue color.
I want to change my factory bulbs to blue bulbs and fix my blinking speedometer at the same time. I have the 194’s and T10’s just in case. Can anyone tell me if there is a green tint film somewhere you have to remove for the instrument cluster? For the climate controls I changed those to blue and had to remove a greenish tinted film. Now I am going to change the light switch light and the 4×4 (2000 Ford F150) lights. Thanks and I have learned a great deal from ChrisFix. Thanks, you have save me $$$
Hey, I have a Chevy 2002 Silverado 1500 and I wanted to change the gauge cluster lights and when I did and put it back in it just stopped working, I put back the old lights and still no light, checked the fuses for any thing bad, nothing. Tried getting new bulbs and that didn’t work. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?
Man. Amazing how many lazy people exist. Guys it’s bolts. You aren’t building anything. That’s already been done for you. You are simply unscrewing and screwing back in. It really isn’t that hard. Or time consuming. Just put led’s in mine and the difference is amazing. Replaced every bulb in the truck, I can see everything in my cab. In the time you have sat on YouTube perusal articles on how to change them…it already would be finished. And you’d be sitting around feeling accomplished doing something that isn’t that hard.
Yo Chris, how is it going? I know it’s an old article but I have the the same model but ford. Yesterday I tried reconnecting the plate lamp wires because I notice one wasn’t working. After my attempt I noticed the other side had went out. Sense that my dash lights (any kind), daytime running lamps, and plate lights are not working. I checked the fuses and replaced two inside the door but it did nothing is there any thing I can do to fix this? Along with that the speedometer,and dome light are a mystery to every mechanic I know. Pleas help me out and every article is appreciated THANK YOU
I have a 2000 F150 and I looked up articles on this and everyone uses t10/194 lights, but mine aren’t. My lights are a lot smaller. Do you know this size? and I made sure it was the bulbs that illuminated the gauges. I noticed that the bulbs look like the other smaller ones that you didn’t replace but I’m not sure. they may be smaller
LED upgraded my expedition. T5 led bulbs for small, t 10 led for large (I went with white led,s ) dim is not as dim as before but bright is brighter. Do replace the bulbs for abs, seat belt, with new regular bulbs, and possibly good idea to do that with check engine socket. This is because with the ABS and seat belt led bulbs there does not seem to be enough resistance and leds use less power so they are bright on start up, however they give off some light when they are not supposed to. you can use led and accept that they will be super bright if there is a fault. tried that, annoying, so just use regular bulbs. second biggest issue with changing to led bulbs is that they do not work if put in backwards so have to hook up the cluster and verify each and every bulb is correct and working. I was super stoked at the new look. one could use color leds as well, I just went with standard white ones.
I finally replaced my dash lights for my ’97 Runner. The old ones were pretty dark just like in this article. None of the bulbs were burnt out, they just had that dark coating on the inside of the bulbs. When twisting the bulb holder on a couple of the bulbs, the locking tabs cracked. I had to order some replacement bulb holders along with a tinted glove for covering the bulbs. I found all I needed on Amazon.
5 years later this article is still active, thata how you know a article is good stuff! Also, a question for anyone: My parking brake light comes on & off when i hit bumps & i dont know if its a wiring problem or if i need to replace the bulb Would it be better to fix any wiring issues or just replace bulb?
Hey Chrisfix do you have any experience in swapping out gauge clusters and wiring a different unit in place? For some reason my manual trans Focus came without a tachometer and it’s been bothering me. Well at my most recent junkyard pull I found a complete gauge cluster from another Focus of the same year range with a tachometer from factory. Now I’m wondering if I will need an adapter cable to make the project work. If you have any knowledge or have a article on the subject please let me know! Thanks in advance!
Chris, awesome article. as is all the other that i watched ( i did watched a few) . very thorough. the 74 bulb you have listed above does not fit the 1999 mercury mountaineer, which is the same at the 97 to 01 explorer. I believe it should be the 37 bulbs. …..do you have a article on washer fluid motor? i get washer fluid at the rear wiper but not the front windsdshield wiper but the wiper works. thanks. cheers
So, I decided to use this article and his odometer fix article to try to get my odometer on my 96 Ford Explorer fixed because both the gear indicator and the odometer broken. So I replaced the back light bulbs, which she showed in this article, I got the gear indicator and odometer to work again, the only problem is now whenever I start my car, the speedometer jumps to 35 miles an hour when I’m not even moving. Anybody got ideas to why this happened?
I own a 2000 ford ranger and I had changed 3 bulbs in the dashboard and the two on the ac 5 total. So I had no experience and the mechanics and dealerships will charge a fortune to do it, i decided to do it myself, it took me almost 6 hours to do it, but I did it with out breaking anything. I spent 24 dollars for the bulbs and it was done. Thanks for all your articles man.
I just want to say that this was the first article I saw of chrisfix and I think subscribed from this one, I wish they’re was a way what number subscriber one is. Watched your website grow to what it is now, I’ll watch you make a sandwich bro! and I finally have to change the bulbs on my 97 ranger after all these years from when I watched when this come out and this is exactly what article I came to.
could you please tell me if there is a way to test if a Input/output sensor (Sonata V6 07) can be tested to see if it is not defected. For example: on Clothes dryer one can tested the parts with a Voltmeter by using the R mode. If there’s a certain reading on the resistance, the parts is bad. I would appreciate your help. The thing is that I have already purchased/installed both sensors and the car still reading {once a diagnostic computer is placed} that is not getting signal from the sensors.
I have a jeep and it’s very simple to replace bulbs but the bulbs themselves was difficult to find. I ordered from rockauto took apart only to find I had to special order them and instead of $5 a pack it was around $40 but still easy. Mine where like the overdrive bulbs but my blinker and 4×4 bulbs are soldered leds so I pray they never go bad. I can solder but those tiny leds are difficult to deal with. Would like to see a article on how to easily replace those
last week I upgrading all my interior lighting in my 1979 Ford Thunderbird to LEDs and I would like to point out that it was very similar to the procedure you did on your truck, although on mine I changed the colour of the illumination from blue to pink so I had to take my gauge cluster apart and remove the blue colour filters but the bulb holders were the same as on your truck, only difference is that on the old 70s Fords they used the T10 base (194/168 bulbs) for ALL the gauge cluster lights including the indicators which I also upgraded to LED
I noticed you have a Sentra 2014 I believe in some of your other articles I have a 15 long story short I had accidentally gotten some compound on the clear lens for the gauge cluster what would you recommend to clean that off. Or if I was to replace it how would I be able to do that went to the dealership is charging me an arm and a leg just to get it off and change it. Thanks Kris hope you reply
My accord 2003 speedometer has a inconsistent light intensity knob. When I touch it the brightness fluctuates unevenly. Do you recommend using some contact cleaner to spray the potentiometer? And 2ndly can you confirm if we can just change the bulbs and use the old bulb holders. Or does the part come with the bulb built into the black holder?
yea Chris I have a 96 Windstar seemed like a lot of work and the age of van was a factor so went to Walmart got LED accent lights that you can mount any where got the two pack that plug into cig. lighter. they mount with two way tape, pointed them at panel . on off button is where you plug into lighter. cost six dollars, time to install,about 5 minutes. just options if you are not patient,although you do have to remember to turn off,but they are led so no real drain on battery.
Wow, compared to most modern vehicles, the dash of your Jeep is incredibly easy to dismantle. When you first started, I was expecting most of the article to consist of you doing all sorts of contortions while lying on the floor of the vehicle and saying things like “Just gotta remove this screw, and this one, and this one is pretty hard to reach… now what’s holding it in? Hmm, better open the hood….” At least that is the way it always seems to go for me when I try to get into a dashboard, only I usually say a lot more bad words. 🙂
wooowww this looks so much more compicated than with my dash, i did mine a few years back on my mitsubishi lancer, mine was take out two screws take the shroud out, take out the 4 surrounding screws, pull the dashboard out, anticlockwise to pull the old lights out, install the t10/t5 led’s screw back in and done. so glad mine wasn’t this crazy haha.
Been wanting to do this to my 07 wrangler for a long time. I wanted red lights. Found that I need to change the resistors for red lights. A bit beyond my skill level. I did put some red paper over the blue bright light indicator. Made it much less blinding. If you have any tips regarding idntifying the resistors it they would be appreciated. white/ blue and green leds use the same resistor, red needs a dif one for some reason. Thanks for the article.
There could be problems with this – in some countries turn indicator lights must be green. People tend to be more short-sighted in the blue end of the spectrum, so the dash might appear blurry at night. Blue affects your night vision as well, red would actually be better since it doesn’t cause your pupils to contract. That’s if you don’t mind your car looking like a 1980s BMW.
Yeah man! Just got a 2004 Chevy Impala for work and it needs some serious (not too expensive) appearance mods. This is definitely on my list! And because I already know how and have done soldering projects, this should be fairly simple! I’ve been researching how to do this, then I remembered this article you made last year! Great tutorial
The white SMD LED’s always look yellow due to the phospor coating. Just be aware that if you have a warranty, and your dash cluster breaks in the future, they will not cover it because you tampered with it. That being said, I would perform the same mod. Looks good. While your in there, don’t forget to roll back the odometer! LOL
Just as a FYI: If you do this hack for someone else, DO NOT remove or leave out any of the lights. If you want to leave the seat belt warning indicator off on your own vehicle, that’s fine, but it may be illegal to do this to someone else’s vehicle as many states have laws that forbid removing driver indicators. Also, DO NOT remove/leave out the malfunction indicator (“check engine”/”service engine soon”) light (or “MIL”) regardless of whether it’s for your own personal vehicle – tampering with the MIL is illegal as hell (technically, it violates 42 USC 7522, which is part of the Clean Air Act) and any decent shop will notice this on your next inspection because the engine control computer will report whether the MIL should be on. Some vehicles (especially older ones) will use incandescent bulbs – replacing them with LEDs is pretty easy to do but will require adding current-limiting resistors if you’re not using a drop-in direct-replacement style LED bulb.
Removing the seat-belt light? For people that don’t know, some cars use the same light to warn about engine problems, low gas, seat-belt, breaks, and tire pressure. DO NOT remove the seat-belt light unless you KNOW it wont affect the other warnings. I think its really irresponsible for KipKay to say that without saying to check your car first.
You are so lucky! Three panels to pop off and four screws, then three slack-bearing wiring harnesses, and the cluster is out. It’s so easy. I wish it was for all cars, though. My 89 Dodge caravan.. I put purple LED bulbs in it, but getting the cluster in and out involves fighting with the speedometer cable, which has BARELY enough slack for me to get my hand in behind the cluster and release it. Getting it back on is three times harder. In the case of my PT cruiser that came before the Caravan, you have to pop off the center console cover, pop off the whole dashboard, take out the face panel, pop the turn signal wiring on top…. oi vey. Note to future Instrument Cluster Modifiers: DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST. I can’t stress enough how embarassing it was finding out that I pretty much broke the four inner tabs that held the PT’s dash down when all I had to do was pull back…
That is very cool, but the word “HACK” is being SO misused when describing any project . A “hack” is a quick “patch” to software or hardware (originally a malicious program patch) Your HACK is a project. You are not taking credit for a well done project bud. “Here’s a HACK to turn your kitchen into a bathroom . ! ” I saw that someplace.
Wouldn’t putting a different Colored Transparent Sheet like acrylic be a quicker way to pull off this affect? Like I have a small 2 gallon desktop bubble water machine (bubbles come up through the water that is in the thin 1″ Gap pathways in glass very relaxing bubble machine) and the light source is just good old fashion 12″ florescent white light bulb, but it came with 5 thin sheets RED, Green, Blue, orange, and I think a pink sheet as well. you just put the sheet between light and the glass of the bubble fountain machine, and instant color change the water then appears whatever color you picked. Just wondering since soldering is a lot of work to change LED itself. Thanks for the article since at least I know how to replace dead led dashboard lights on my Moms old 05 Focus. But this is not going to be fun as the last time the dash was taken out was after someone hit the car, and the mechanic said they “did not know ford focus dash had so many screws” lol (Ya we had lots of trust then) Another idea real quick would be to do a quick hack on a usb powered external light – with possible Heads Up Display – I am sure you can make something cool Kipkay 😀
Dashboard Light Hacks FAQS After reading some of the comments I felt this was necessary. Isn’t this illegal? In most places no. However if you’re unsure it wouldn’t hurt to do a quick check. Isn’t this dangerous? No. As long as you can easily read your instrument cluster it’s not dangerous. But what about the whole soldering part? If you feel uneasy about doing this yourself you can always get someone else who knows what they’re doing to do it for you. What would be better though is if you played around with soldering stuff yourself with old electronics to gain the knowledge and skills to do this yourself. Isn’t it a possibility this could set off my airbags? No. Your instrument cluster has nothing to do with your airbags other than the airbags warning light. Won’t this void my warranty? Yes and no. Car manufacturers are only allowed to void the warranty of the parts you’ve fiddled with. So in this case it may possibly void the warranty for the instrument cluster but not the rest of the car. They can only ever say the part voided the warranty of another part if they have evidence the part caused damage in another area. It’s best to check up with your dealership to see if it will void the warranty of that part. In some cases dealerships may give you a bit of leniency in modifying a car without affecting the warranty at all.
I wish my dashboard was as easy to dissassemble as yours. X3 times the work you did + mine was with lightbulbs ( 2 for entire dashboard) . SO I removed those and installed LED tape lights, 4 pieces with 6LEDS each(green ones,cuz my car is green and Ive painted my interior green too), then I made custom holes in the plastic thats over the curcuits to put in X1 red Led under each needle. Then for the display(also with lightbulb) I also put led tape light, also for my clock and date . Also green tape for the console for my headlight and around the AC control . And this all cost me around 2$ no more.I admit it was alot of work cuz unline yours where everything was already with LED’s which you just replaced, I had to make room and place for the led tapes and the leds under the needles. BUT im very happy with the results. If anyone wants me to explain how i will be glad to!!
Hey Kip, great instructs, but I feel that you should point out that this works best on nee cars with motorized gauges, like yours. Older cars have sporting-operated gauges, and it isn’t simply a matter of marking the end of the needle on some paper. If you pull the needle from an older speedometer, it will go out of calibration, and will require a costly trip to a licensed speedometer rebuilder to recalibrate. Not to mention most older clusters don’t utilize SMD LEDs for illumination, and some people won’t be able to tell the difference until it’s too late.
Nice, but all must be sure it is adjustable intensity of light as it may interfere with your vision when driving in dark or foggy condition. Safe is cooler than danger since it is symbolized as blue and danger is symbolized as red. So blue is Cool and Safe 😀 I would make the trip teller red and the speedometer blue or green. 🙂
You do realize what you just did taking the speedometer apart is actually illegal in some states and voids the manufacturer warranty as well. You also very likely threw the calibration of the gauges off. You also were not using heat sinks while soldering which can cause heat damage to the circuit board and fry the chips. Nobody should replicate this article.
Kipkay what can I say to you, one of my favorite youtubers. Your articles bewildered me with your fascinating electronic skills. I always wanted to go to college and learn how to invent the things you do and be able to do fun cool things when I was older. Youtube is dying now and your views are dwindling out. There used to be so many comments you could have never picked mine out but now I might be more noticeable through the crowds. I’ll always remember you and your website and how it was apart of my childhood growing up. I thank you for it. Farewell Kipkay. I hope the absolute best for you