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Lost Gauges?

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  #11  
Old 02-28-2013, 12:32 PM
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@ Sniper before you go ordering led dash lights you may want to pull your instrument cluster and see if you have the lights that are soldered to the socket. if you do you may have to buy new light socket to get the led lights working. 91 seemed to be one of those years that it was common for them to solder the light to the socket and you can make a normal bulb work with them but some of the leds may not.
this picture show the difference between the sockets they seem to use in 91 and the ones they used every other year.
 
  #12  
Old 03-01-2013, 10:40 AM
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This story proves to ALWAYS check the fuse first with any electrical problem.
 
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Old 03-01-2013, 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by crazzywolfie
@ Sniper before you go ordering led dash lights you may want to pull your instrument cluster and see if you have the lights that are soldered to the socket. if you do you may have to buy new light socket to get the led lights working. 91 seemed to be one of those years that it was common for them to solder the light to the socket and you can make a normal bulb work with them but some of the leds may not.
this picture show the difference between the sockets they seem to use in 91 and the ones they used every other year.
WOW! I NEVER knew a car company soldered a lamp to a socket! MADNESS!
 
  #14  
Old 03-01-2013, 10:48 AM
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ya. i don't know for sure but i think it might have been a 91 only thing. i have only seen them on my 91 and someone on another forum ran into this same problem when he went to install led's but none of them worked on his 91.
 
  #15  
Old 03-01-2013, 10:52 AM
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Semi-thread-jack.

Can a failing dimmer switch cause some of the gauge cluster lights on a pre-85 to not light up?
 
  #16  
Old 03-01-2013, 10:55 AM
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shouldn't. that would more likely be related to the headlight switch. the dimmer switches only effects the headlights.
 
  #17  
Old 03-02-2013, 09:35 PM
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All my problems with the dash went away after replacing the fuse and taking the led bulbs out. So I guess I shouldnt have used some chinese ebay cheapos lol. Too bad since I got enough to do both trucks and then some for $20 shipped. :P To make this work proper, need to find leds that are compatible then?
 
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Old 03-02-2013, 09:43 PM
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no. they should work. what problems were you having with them? they do have to go in 1 way. they have a positive and negative. they will not work it you got them backwards.
 
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Old 03-03-2013, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Sniper X
LEDs can be a pain. The reason is they draw less current and need less voltage to run than an incandescent lamp. USUALLY what this does is makes the LED light very bright for a second and go out if it isn't a 12v LED, and if it is a 12v LED, depending on whether the dash indicator lamps for the turn signals are in serries with the actual turn signals can either make them flash slow or very fast.

When ever swapping in LEDs for any incan lamps I would ask the seller or manufacturer if they are a straight swap. MOST aren't. You sometimes need either a different flasher, or a different LED or to tie in a resistor with each LED so the voltage drop is close to its normal operating voltage but that is a hassle.

The neat thing about getting them right is the brightness and colour. I like them and am going to get the right ones for my W150 since my stock dash lights are so dim on the brightest setting. I am also going with red/ orange since it is less eye fatigue at night, and looks cool like my stock BMW dash lights.
Studebakers used to come with red dash lights. It is said that they got that idea from airplanes of the era because it interfered less with night vision.
 
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Old 03-03-2013, 10:42 PM
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The problems with them were only 3 of the of the 4 color bulbs would light up,none of the red ones (seat belt,etc.), then after I replaced the gauge fuse the gauge lights wouldnt go off and the signals were super slow. Put the old bulbs back in and it was fine.
 


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