Gauge lights

[thoner7]

I currently have green gauge lights that are super dull at night. I don’t think my “bright” setting works as it’s as equally dim on either setting.

Are there brighter bulb options out there? Would white bulbs be brighter?

 

[Mogman]

Have you pulled the lenses and cleaned them? also have you pulled the instrument cluster and cleaned the light windows in the gauges?
The lenses give the color the lamps are clear.

 

[Mogman]

Also if someone replaced the lamps with LEDs there will be no difference in how bright they are, the "dimmer" simply inserts a resistor in series with the lamps, the LEDs do not pull enough current to cause a voltage drop across the resistor thus dimming the lights.
There are two lenses above and on ether side of the speedo that can be unscrewed to gain access to the lamps

 

[SmartDrug]

I cleaned the clear lenses and added these:

EverBrightt 20-Pack DC 24V Red BA9S 5050 5SMD Led Trunk Light Bulbs Car Door Lights Wedge Light

Amazon.com

As Mogman pointed out, they no longer dim, but the red doesn’t throw off my vision at night. They’re quite bright under NODs, but don’t flash out the autogating. Plus I have 8 extra bulbs as a backup!

 

[thoner7]

Have you pulled the lenses and cleaned them? also have you pulled the instrument cluster and cleaned the light windows in the gauges?
The lenses give the color the lamps are clear.

I did pull the lenses and clean them and make sure both were working. I did not know to clean the light windows in the gauges themselves. I will take a look at that.

I cleaned the clear lenses and added these:

EverBrightt 20-Pack DC 24V Red BA9S 5050 5SMD Led Trunk Light Bulbs Car Door Lights Wedge Light

Amazon.com

As Mogman pointed out, they no longer dim, but the red doesn’t throw off my vision at night. They’re quite bright under NODs, but don’t flash out the autogating. Plus I have 8 extra bulbs as a backup!

So with those you’ve found the gauges to be much brighter??

 

[MarkM]

I use them and they are much brighter but as noted with these the dimming feature of the light switch will not function. I find the bulbs only last like a year but I picked them up in bulk so it doesn't matter. I really like the light they put out. Do a search for

EverBrightt 20-Pack DC 24V White BA9S 5050 5SMD Led License Plate Light Bulb for Car Replacement Lights Door Light

Mark

 

[Mainsail]

There are two lenses above and on ether side of the speedo that can be unscrewed to gain access to the lamps.

Explain this please? I was in there yesterday running wire and I'd like a better understanding of what is being unscrewed and where it is specifically as I'll be back in there next week.

 

[Mogman]

I have put arrows pointing to the lenses, they should only be finger tight, you will most likely need to clean the lenses and also pull the instrument cluster out of the dash and clean the windows on each gauge.

There are plastic windows on the body of the gauges that allow the light to illuminate the gauge faces, those are probably dirty also.
This is what the lens looks like, some green tented instead of clear.

 

[Mogman]

I use them and they are much brighter but as noted with these the dimming feature of the light switch will not function. I find the bulbs only last like a year but I picked them up in bulk so it doesn't matter. I really like the light they put out. Do a search for

EverBrightt 20-Pack DC 24V White BA9S 5050 5SMD Led License Plate Light Bulb for Car Replacement Lights Door Light

Mark

View attachment 902496

Are they actually marked 24V? many sellers are selling 12V as 24V knowing they will usually last until it is too late to return them.
An LED should last indefinitely

 

[Mainsail]

I have put arrows pointing to the lenses, they should only be finger tight, you will most likely need to clean the lenses and also pull the instrument cluster out of the dash and clean the windows on each gauge.

There are plastic windows on the body of the gauges that allow the light to illuminate the gauge faces, those are probably dirty also.
This is what the lens looks like, some green tented instead of clear.

Ah, ok those lenses. I thought you meant there was access to the gauge windows by unscrewing something.

So just pull the panel and clean the inside gauge lenses from the back side - don't need to pull the gauges out of the panel then.

 

[Mogman]

Ah, ok those lenses. I thought you meant there was access to the gauge windows by unscrewing something.

So just pull the panel and clean the inside gauge lenses from the back side - don't need to pull the gauges out of the panel then.

You know I am actually not sure, the factory panel I worked on I had taken apart to begin with, I would think some real good "Q" tips soaked in rubbing alcohol could access the windows if you pull the lamp sockets, but again not sure.

 

[MarkM]

Are they actually marked 24V? many sellers are selling 12V as 24V knowing they will usually last until it is too late to return them.
An LED should last indefinitely

I hear you and who knows when it come to chicom crap but I like the light they emit and I have the clear lenses green top and they work great.

Mark

 

[SmartDrug]

I can't speak to the internals/design, but that link above differentiated between the 12v version and 24v version, the packaging also indicated 24v. I have had them in my HMMWV for several years and have not had an issue thus far (1,700+ miles).

 

[Retiredwarhorses]

Most early trucks including A2 used a clear incandescent bulb and the color comes from the dash cap color, you can get green, red, blue and clear…later model trucks upgrade to colored LED and clear dash bulb cap.
If you want white light? Go to clear lens with clear LED, we used to drill holes in the light cap to let more white light in.