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Instrument panel bulbs.. LED's anyone?

MomoJeep

Basic User
City
Seattle
State
WA
Has anyone replaced the incandescent bulbs in the speedo cluster and other guages with LED's?


The reason I would consider doing this is that it seems the incandescents can burn out too easily, or go dim. Maybe it's the all the bumpy off-road driving? Would and LED last much longer? Or are some of them low quality anyway?

thanks for your input..

James
 
I purchased Speedhut gauges with stock-ish white LED background lights a couple years back. To compliment the white color I wired in white LED's in the dash indicator lamps (heat, vent, etc.). As you might be able to tell in this picture of the back of the dash, I literally cut out the bulb on the new indicators and wired in the LED. In the past, the incandescent always burned out and also left a brown/burnt spot in the wording on the indicators (hope that makes sense). The LED's are much cleaner, brighter, and no heat (no burnt plastic).

They all still work and I'll never have those incandescent again. I'm not sure if that helps you, but similar reasons for my switch to LED's.

IMG_6260.jpeg
 
I purchased Speedhut gauges with stock-ish white LED background lights a couple years back. To compliment the white color I wired in white LED's in the dash indicator lamps (heat, vent, etc.). As you might be able to tell in this picture of the back of the dash, I literally cut out the bulb on the new indicators and wired in the LED. In the past, the incandescent always burned out and also left a brown/burnt spot in the wording on the indicators (hope that makes sense). The LED's are much cleaner, brighter, and no heat (no burnt plastic).

They all still work and I'll never have those incandescent again. I'm not sure if that helps you, but similar reasons for my switch to LED's.

View attachment 121712
Nice! I like it...
 

I initially bought these as a budget-friendly option and didn't expect much, but they make a significant difference. I can actually see the gauges at night now! I was so impressed that I immediately bought a second set for my other CJ. The turn signals are also bright enough to see clearly during the day.

There are a couple of minor drawbacks to note: the high beam indicator is very bright, and the bulbs are not dimmable. I have LED headlights, I don't use the high beams often, so not a problem I run into a lot. Because they aren't dimmable they are essentially "on or off," you have to ensure the headlight switch is twisted correctly for them to engage. I tend to unintentionally twist as I pull the headlight switch, which causes the dash light to not come on. Mildly annoying but not a deal breaker for me.

Even with those negatives in mind, I recommend them. This specific set also includes enough bulbs to cover the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges. Most of the CJ specific kits only have enough bulbs for the center gauge and are 5x the cost.
 
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