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- Joined
- Feb 9, 2019
- Thunderbird Year
- 2002
I am in the process of converting my '02 instrument cluster entirely to LEDs; I will post a separate thread on the topic when I verify proper operation after driving a few hundred miles...
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I am in the process of converting my '02 instrument cluster entirely to LEDs; I will post a separate thread on the topic when I verify proper operation after driving a few hundred miles...
I am looking forward to the results. Are you keeping the same color lights. Yellow for speedometer and tachometer?I would love to do that to mine BUT I am not willing to start digging into the instrument panel... Man that would be a job!
Those are the 7 I would change. The others are seldom on and full brightness since they are warning lights. I would pick yellow LEDs. The guy on YouTube that did the LS used white or blue. Just too bright.At least 7 of those bulbs look like typical "twist in" sockets with replaceable bulbs. I would love to know the numbers so I could get on superbrightLEDs.com and order LED equivalents and never worry about them again.
I started out that way and upon reflection realized the turn signals indicators, door ajar light and seat belt and high beam light and cruise control light are on more often than one might think and I don't want to do this twice - so I decided to go "whole hog" and do 'em all. The red dots are the negative terminals for LED purposes. I'm a journeyman avionics technician so this stuff isn't that scary to me. I also did the shifter console light in an LED. I'm using "warm white" LEDs for the gauges (which I used in my 63 Corvette) so I'm hoping they aren't too harsh - the other colors I've seen are glaring for just the gauges.Those are the 7 I would change. The others are seldom on and full brightness since they are warning lights. I would pick yellow LEDs. The guy on YouTube that did the LS used white or blue. Just too bright.
Let me know for sure if the LEDs respond well to the dimmer thumb-wheel function.View attachment 5142
I started out that way and upon reflection realized the turn signals indicators, door ajar light and seat belt and high beam light and cruise control light are on more often than one might think and I don't want to do this twice - so I decided to go "whole hog" and do 'em all. The red dots are the negative terminals for LED purposes. I'm a journeyman avionics technician so this stuff isn't that scary to me. I also did the shifter console light in an LED. I'm using "warm white" LEDs for the gauges (which I used in my 63 Corvette) so I'm hoping they aren't too harsh - the other colors I've seen are glaring for just the gauges.
View attachment 5141
I'm new to owning this 2003 Thunderbird. Some of my previous vehicles, I've been able to swap out the old incandescent light bulbs with LEDs to brighten up the instrument gauges. Does anyone know if that is possible for the 2003 Ford Thunderbird instrument cluster? I've seen conflicting info, but have heard it is a sealed unit and bulbs can not be replaced. Does anyone know, and if so, has anyone replaced bulbs with LEDs?
I wish there was a way--my radio and a/c lights are useless in daytime.They are yellow LEDs. Dim in twilight but OK at night.
You would need to cut the plastic sealed housing open and unsolder the LEDs. I would like to have blue LEDs.
Way too much work.
HKS