Instrument light upgrade EXCELLENT!
01-27-2004, 01:06 PM
#26
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Enzo, my Benzo
Bamberger,
Yeah i heard the same response from a couple other sources, and I will be trying the LED route...i don't mind spending the time, labor of love y'know
If you have any tips, i'd sure appreciate a PM 
Yeah i heard the same response from a couple other sources, and I will be trying the LED route...i don't mind spending the time, labor of love y'know
If you have any tips, i'd sure appreciate a PM
01-27-2004, 02:58 PM
#27
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300TE / 300E / 300CE
the clear lensesw of the cluster (distributing the light over the instruments) will melt
Are you stating from experience on the w124? Did you measure temperature before and after installing higher wattage?
takes too much time
ZorroAMG,
Please share your results!
01-28-2004, 03:46 AM
#29
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Hi guys, I guess I triggered something with my comment.
1) I did not measure any temperature of higher wattage bulbs, since it was too late already for the lenses. And I doubt the statement of some bulb makers that they offer low temp. bulbs. Since my opinion is that the physics basically tell you how much light and how much temp. is emmitted.
2) The experience I made was with the W124 260E `86
3) The LED conversion I did once turned out to look good after all.
I used clear/white 5 mm LED's. I carefully detatched the white cover on top of the cluster housing, removed the lenses. Replaced them by a piece of acylic glass (~1/4" thick, as wide as the slot of the for the previous lenses, and about 1/2" depth). THis piece shall distribute the lights of the LED's over the full range of the instruments. Now the trail&error phase starts. Each side will need 2, 3 or 4 LED's (as you like, and how the light emmitting power of the LED's are) which need to be placed right on the upper cutting edge of the acylic glass piece. The postioning of the LED's need to varied untill best results are reached and then you need to glue them in place. The items to be looked at are:
-light is evenly distributed across all instruments
-light is not illuminating the black outer frame of the cluster housing (reflections during night driveng, and hard to read failure lights.
-shadows of the instrument frames need to be symetrical, otherwise it looks like s***
-you may need to sligtly correct the placement of the new "lenses"
Next step is to connect the voltage. I used the standard sockets. Distroyed a suitable bulb (just the glass!!) and soldered the LED cconnections to the wires of the bulb. Finally I attached the white lense covers to the housing and ready after quite some hours. The bad part of the postioning of the LED's and the new lenses is that you can do this in an absolutely dark room only or at night, otherwise you dont see the results of the work.
1) I did not measure any temperature of higher wattage bulbs, since it was too late already for the lenses. And I doubt the statement of some bulb makers that they offer low temp. bulbs. Since my opinion is that the physics basically tell you how much light and how much temp. is emmitted.
2) The experience I made was with the W124 260E `86
3) The LED conversion I did once turned out to look good after all.
I used clear/white 5 mm LED's. I carefully detatched the white cover on top of the cluster housing, removed the lenses. Replaced them by a piece of acylic glass (~1/4" thick, as wide as the slot of the for the previous lenses, and about 1/2" depth). THis piece shall distribute the lights of the LED's over the full range of the instruments. Now the trail&error phase starts. Each side will need 2, 3 or 4 LED's (as you like, and how the light emmitting power of the LED's are) which need to be placed right on the upper cutting edge of the acylic glass piece. The postioning of the LED's need to varied untill best results are reached and then you need to glue them in place. The items to be looked at are:
-light is evenly distributed across all instruments
-light is not illuminating the black outer frame of the cluster housing (reflections during night driveng, and hard to read failure lights.
-shadows of the instrument frames need to be symetrical, otherwise it looks like s***
-you may need to sligtly correct the placement of the new "lenses"
Next step is to connect the voltage. I used the standard sockets. Distroyed a suitable bulb (just the glass!!) and soldered the LED cconnections to the wires of the bulb. Finally I attached the white lense covers to the housing and ready after quite some hours. The bad part of the postioning of the LED's and the new lenses is that you can do this in an absolutely dark room only or at night, otherwise you dont see the results of the work.
