Dash Lights

[OzMystic]

Anybody ever changed the dash/radio etc lights to a different color? Green is getting a little boring.......VX Clubby

[EVL350]

hey mate, on the street commodores forum there is a thread in the FAQ section on how to change the colours on the dash

[OzMystic]

Thanx. Was what I was looking for although it seems like a long convoluted exercise. I was hoping for somethign simple like just changing globes.

[VZSS250]

Just be glad its not orange or red as used by BMW and Audi

[doogal]

Hey OzMystic im gonna do the 3 window display in the maloo this arvo so will take some piccys. If i dont post pics it means it all went to shit :D

[Ghosn]

I met a guy ages ago who did it in his VX calais, he changed the trip computer clusters to orange, I thought it looked good and had been meaning to get it done to my car as well. It breaks up the colors on the dash more and looks nice at the same time. Havent got around to worrying about it yet but in due time I will... He went by the name/rego GMLSI or GMLS1 on the forums, can't quite remember but when Im ready Ill track him down again :)

[Febs]

Search for Milo's posts, he's got some pics on here.

AFAIK Rt! did some of it, and did a fantastic job. No ugly hotspots like a lot of them have.

Cheers,
- Febs.

[BLK6T]

I have to say (not being biased) the blue lights in my XR6T ute dash, like all XR's still do it for me as opposed to the green in the holdens. I think like ford holden and HSV should have different colour dash lights for their performance vehicles. I have seen a commodore with white dash lights and it looked quite good with red needles...But i think red would suit HSV and SS vehicles.

[karter42]

I have to say (not being biased) the blue lights in my XR6T ute dash, like all XR's still do it for me as opposed to the green in the holdens. I think like ford holden and HSV should have different colour dash lights for their performance vehicles. I have seen a commodore with white dash lights and it looked quite good with red needles...But i think red would suit HSV and SS vehicles.

Yeah, A mate just bought a new XR8 and I must say the dash lit up in Blue looks great. I was wondering if it was just a bulb replacement for the SS but I guess its not that simple. Red would also look good.

[doogal]

ok well all done:)

http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/Doogals/finish.JPG

as you can see there are "hotspots" but they not too bad. if they start too annoy me i will have to find something to diffuse the light a bit but its a nice change from the boring green :D its an easy job to 2 for any1 who wants to give it a go.

edit: after looking at my pic i think that little hsv logo may have to get lit up some pretty colour as well :cool:

[bigdongers]

got a link to any instructions?

[jasonrouse]

how did u do that, just change the colour of the globes?

[doogal]

ok all ya gotta do is get the instrument cluster out(the hardest bit) im sure yas all know how to pull the dash out by now. then flip the cluster over and it will look like this http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/Doogals/cluster.JPG

the lights i have circled are the lcd ones that you will want to change(guess if its not hsv there will be only 1) then just take them out and the light looks like this http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/Doogals/light.JPG

you will see how the light is secured in there so just straighten the legs of the light and it will slide straight out. then from dick smiths you will need LED no.Z-3905 its a 5mm 3000mcd super bright blue and i got a few 360 ohms resistors as well. then just put the leds legs through the holes,solder the resistor to the positive leg(the longer one) and wrap the legs around how the old one was done, then stick it back in. the positive leg should be on the top connector when you reinstall. i found a pair of scissors to be a good tool to twist the light in the cluster. then turn key and presto! guess you could use any colour you want as long as you get the right resistor etc.

[BLK6T]

ok well all done:)

http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/Doogals/finish.JPG

as you can see there are "hotspots" but they not too bad. if they start too annoy me i will have to find something to diffuse the light a bit but its a nice change from the boring green :D its an easy job to 2 for any1 who wants to give it a go.

edit: after looking at my pic i think that little hsv logo may have to get lit up some pretty colour as well :cool:

Mate, you have some pretty high average fuel usage....

[doogal]

Mate, you have some pretty high average fuel usage....
lol hmmmm y yes it does look that way :p

must reset everything by the looks of things

[Febs]

Nice post mate, thanks for sharing!


as you can see there are "hotspots" but they not too bad.

One way to reduce the hotspot look is to sand down the tip of the LED, so it diffuses the light a bit more.


(guess if its not hsv there will be only 1)

Berlina/Calais have the 3 window cluster too, but yeah, otherwise just one window.

Cheers,
- Febs.

[Febs]

Edit: Duplicate post.

[gtr355]

couldnt you just change the green colour cap to a blue one and reinstall?

[qik_sv8]

couldnt you just change the green colour cap to a blue one and reinstall?


yeah thats easy for u blokes with VT-VX s to change the coloured slip on the lites but iv got a VY and the lites are part of the circit board not so easy!! :mad:


So if any one has any ideas or have done this to a VY please help... :)

[seedyrom]

Waiting on more LED's to complete the LCD changeover, but here is a 5 min job on the Dash Dials

Please excuse reflections on the glass - I should have turned the light off
http://www.haroc.1337thing.com/ls1/seedyrom/dash.jpg

I used wide angle LED's to attempt to get a more even spread of light, but in reality, they are still mounted too closely to the printed board for their intended application to work properly.
http://www.wardenjp.com/t1f.jpg

I ran out of these LED's for the Fuel guage, and threw a wide angle White LED in to see what would happen. I lighter version of standard was the result. I will change this to blue later. (The smudges are my dirty fingers on the clear plastic). There is a hotspot too that I will have to get with my patented removal method.

Am interested to see what UV LEDs do. Might give me a nice tan.

Anyway .... get on board ... accessorize aight


Cheers,
Daniel

[RedR8]

Anybody ever changed the dash/radio etc lights to a different color? Green is getting a little boring.......VX Clubby

Yep. :D

Dash (http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/lbm23/forsale/dash.jpg)

Radio & Climate Control (http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/lbm23/forsale/radio%20climate.jpg) Although it is a little blurry. :rolleyes: You get the idea though.

Lachy

[seedyrom]

Yep. :D

Dash (http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/lbm23/forsale/dash.jpg)

Radio & Climate Control (http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/lbm23/forsale/radio%20climate.jpg) Although it is a little blurry. :rolleyes: You get the idea though.

Lachy

Can I ask an approximate on the cost of getting the new perspex done?
And where you had it done ?

Cheers,
seedy

[Ghosn]

Nice work guys, keep the pics coming and keep us posted on results etc..

[RedR8]

Can I ask an approximate on the cost of getting the new perspex done?
And where you had it done ?

Cheers,
seedy

Link at the bottom of the page has most of the info in it for the climate.
http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=13827 . Got it done from a company in Brisbane called Star Signs.

Some dash info is towards the end in there. It is essentially a DIY job of 2 layers of clear film that have been printed on. Back one is black with cutouts for light to shine through and colours. Then there is a sheet of thin white film (aka 80 gsm paper :rolleyes: ) and then the red print out over lay.

I cant post a picture of them as the images are in Corel Draw format. Sorry. :( But I am sure you get the idea.