EA82 Dashboard BackLights Upgrade to H.I.D. White L.E.D.´s

[Carmen]

maybe we will do that too.. if the pics show a nice view..

[dragonfire]

here are two pics of the back of my dash. the four light plugs circled are the ones you need to use to change colors in the back light of your dash. the other pic has two yellow circles they are for turn signals. the red circles are the back lighting, they turn less than a 1/4 of a turn. if you use leds and they dont light up after install, the simply turn the light housing 180 degrees and then reinstall them. sorry this took so long but i have moved for second time in a year :-\ so been really busy. any questions please feel free to hit me up.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Thank you dragonfire! You´re So Kind!

I´ll search for the Best H.I.D. L.E.D.´s I could find.

Any Brand Suggestion?

[dragonfire]

Thank you dragonfire! You´re So Kind!

 

I´ll search for the Best H.I.D. L.E.D.´s I could find.

 

Any Brand Suggestion?

 

i dont have a brand that use but i did get my leds from www.superbrightleds.com now here is my delema. the inverted tip ones work well for lighting the back light just dont seem bright enough for city driving i am checking into high flux leds. when i get some installed i will post pics see what you think. when you bring up the site look under led products.

[nipper]

There are two problems.

 

The first is that there is a blue lense/filter on some of the lights. Also the back of the gauges are covered with a reflective material. this helps disperse the incadescent light to illuminate the gauges. LED's are extreemly directional in the light they throw off, so i dont think brighter will have much of an effect. What you need is more of them.

 

nipper

[dragonfire]

There are two problems.

 

The first is that there is a blue lense/filter on some of the lights. Also the back of the gauges are covered with a reflective material. this helps disperse the incadescent light to illuminate the gauges. LED's are extreemly directional in the light they throw off, so i dont think brighter will have much of an effect. What you need is more of them.

 

nipper

well the multi tip on big center and four going out in the all directions. but have not been able to order any yet. for i have moved recently and not have had the time to research any futher. or the high flux if i can remeber the site i found them on. hell i found the ones i have by accident. you know how it is finding when your not looking for it. or something like that.

[nipper]

http://www.productdose.com/article.php?article_id=1142

 

(i know its household but same issues are still there)

 

For dash lighting you want bulbs to throw light in all directions. The leds are very directional and not great bouncing light. You may find yourself needing to use three or four pointed in differnt directions to get the same light pattern as a bulb.

 

nipper

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Well, that´s true!

I really Haven´t did the Dash´s Bulbs Change Yet, but I have Located -and I purchased a Pair to test- a Kind of Led Bulbs that "Spread" the light in a Wide Spectrum Pattern, Just like Common bulbs do, and They came with the Standard Connection Base.

 

Now I´ve installed ´em in the Rear Licence Plate Lights, removin´ the Dark cover from the Clear Plastic lenses, and Due to its Colour (White, Plain White) the Licence Plate´s area now seems to be Illuminated with some sort of "Neon" tube...

 

I can take pics of the Bulbs, and of the Licence Plate´s area illuminated by the White Leds at Night, just to Show you that those Kind of Bulbs (Invertd Tip ones) has the "Appropiate" Light Spread Spectrum to fit the Dashboard... So I´ll do that this Weekend, and I hope I can post Pics of ´em Soon...

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I did the Dashboard & Instrument Cluster LED Retrofitting long time ago, but somehow I forgot to post here the Results, So I'll do this Now. Prior to Remove the Dashboard's Cover and take out the instrument Cluster, I had sometime Looking for its Parts and Diagrams.

 

 

Here...

 

 

 

 

...and Here...

 

 

 

 

...and I Found this...

 

 

 

 

...Useful Diagrams...

 

 

 

 

...and Part Numbers...

 

 

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The Oil Pressure Gauge on my Subaru "BumbleBeast" was reading below the Low Mark, that happened once, when the Cable that comes from the Sender at the oil pump, got loose and touched bare matal around, it made the needle to go Up more than the Limit and since then, it Looked like This:

 

 

 

 

So, I went to the Local Subaru Dealer to see if they had the Replacement, and they did, but they sell the whole Part from the instrument cluster, and it doesn't have the Oil Pressure Gauge.

 

 

This is the Part the Local Dealer's salesman showed to me:

 

 

 

 

and this is its part Number:

 

 

 

 

But first they showed me the Wrong Part:

 

 

 

 

For Older Models.

 

 

 

 

Well, I had to figure out how to Fix that Low reading Oil Gauge

 

... and I Did it! ...

 

Please Continue reading, I'll explain that in the Followin' Posts.

 

I purchased at the Dealer, three new Bulb's with Sockets... just in case I break a Socket.

 

 

Edited September 18, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Misspelled Word.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Warning!

 

The Procedures I'll Explain here are based in my Own experience with my Subaru "BumbleBeast" instrument Cluster and Dashboard, My Subie is a 1985 California -USA- Carbed EA82 Wagon with the Clear (untinted) instrument Cluster, Newer models has a green tinted clusters.

 

So, the procedures I explain here are for the Left Hand Drive Subaru EA82 Models, with analog Cluster.

 

 

Despite that different models came with different clusters' designs,

 

the ideas I'll post here shall work on the analog clusters...

 

 

 

 

...the Ideas and Procedures showed here,

 

are NOT intended for Digital instrument Clusters,

 

that came on the Luxury GL-10 Models...

 

 

 

 

...on a final note: please be careful when applying these ideas

 

on the Right Hand Drive Subaru Models, which has the reversed sides.

 

Use this Ideas at your Own Risk!

Edited September 18, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Misspelled Word.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

To remove the Dashboard's cover is not Rocket Science, but you must be aware of this:

 

Both sides of the instrument cluster has Button panels, you shall remove the one on the Right (A/C control buttons) Before removing the Dashboard or you'll Break the Plastic base on the Dash; but the button panel on the Left (Rear Defroster, Height Control, Cruise Control, ~ on certain Models) could stay in the Dash, as long as their wires' plugs are removed; those along the rest of the Buttons below and the controls; will come along the dashboard without Damage...

 

 

 

 

...Remove all the screws that are marked with orange arrows and don't forget to unplug everything. Don't worry about the Lots of Plugs: They're Colour Marked and almost each one has its own shape internally or externally, so is hard to mismatch a wiring there.

 

Caution:

Be Careful with Old Plastics, it can Break Easily!

 

In the Right Side (Where A/C Buttons Are)

you remove -pulling carefully- the Lower and the Upper Buttons...

 

 

 

 

...and You'll see a Screw behind each one...

 

 

 

 

...you Must Unscrew them both...

 

 

 

 

Why you Must Remove the Right Side Button Panel's screws, First?

 

Because the Vacuum Hoses for the A/C Buttons and the Steel Cable for the Temp Selector

 

are attached there in the Back, and trying to pull a plastic part attached to a Steel Cable is a very Bad idea.

 

 

 

 

 

In the Left Side

(Height Control, Cruise, etc.)

two screws are hiding behind the part which is nearest to the Instrument Cluster...

 

 

 

 

After unscrewing and unplug everything, you'll be Ready to pull out the Dashboard cover.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Misspelled Word.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The rest of the Screws are visible and are easy to access with the Dash cover Removed...

 

 

 

 

...Unplug the wires at the cluster's top, remove the Screws and Carefully Pull the Speedometer Cable,

 

you'll find a pair of Round connector plugs with wires, one at each side of the instrument cluster's back,

 

those have a Release Lever in the middle, that sticks out from the conector's center, following the wires.

 

You only need to push that lever stick to one side and that release the connector; pull them carefully,

 

and your Subie's instrument cluster will be free to take out from the Car.

 

 

so, I Removed the Instrument Cluster from my "BumbleBeast" as you can See:

 

 

 

 

There was Much Dirt & Dust hidding behind the Dashboard:

 

 

 

 

But I Cleansed it all!

 

 

Edited September 19, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Misspelled word

[nipper]

I never saw the potted fake plants in the repair manaul before, whats the PN for them...

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Fake Plants in the Manual ...

... LOL!

 

 

Then I Removed the Front Plastic Lens and Used a Carnauba plus Silicone Wax to Polish it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Cleaned it all from the inside to the Ouside,

 

also I found some unused "Words" inside the Center Panel:

 

 

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The Usual Bulbs for instrument Clusters / Dashboard panels are:

 

 

The T-10 and the smaller T-5

 

 

Here you can see a Comparison between the Normal (incandescent Bulb) and the LED Bulb:

 

 

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

In the Followin' Photo, I show you Where are the Bulbs Located,

 

what are they use, and the Kind of Bulb used, for the Instrument Cluster:

 

 

 

 

As I already wrote, the Different EA82 \ Loyale / GL, DL, (etc) Models uses different instrument Clusters,

 

so the Quantity and their placement of the Bulbs should vary for the different clusters' Designs,

 

and only the ones with the EA82T engine has the Turbo Light...

 

 

 

 

...so, despite that there are seven slots for seven T-10 Bulbs, Usually only six are used

Edited September 18, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Misspelled Word.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

I Used the Multiple LEDs on the illumination (The ones with Blue Socket) and I Used the Round tip LEDs for the Turn Signal's Arrows (side markers) all in White Colour.

 

I Choosed the "Purest" White (5000K) Colour, because it is not Warm (Yellowish) nor Cool (Blueish) Colour, just plain White.

 

The Instrument Cluster on my 1985 "BumbleBeast" was Dark Amber Colour, and that colour was the Incandescent Bulb's Colour itself (3500K) because the Cluster's interior Plastic that conducted the Light everywhere, is White~Transparent.

 

I Leave the the T-5 Incandescent bulb for the Low Gasoline Sign, in order to let it be "Different"

 

On the Newer Models, Instrument Clusters are Green... I Disassembled their Side Buttons and their T-5 Bulbs only had a Green Rubber, "Condom-Like" Covering the Bulb...

 

I Wonder if the Instrument Cluster on those Newer Models has a Green Tint or if their bulbs has that "Condom-Like" Green Rubber Covers...

Edited September 7, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[nipper]

Newer ones actually have the back of the gauges (on some) painted green to give that green glow.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Thank you for your Kind Answer... so Only the Side Buttons, has that green covering rubber on their Bulbs.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

So, since Earlier EA82's instrument Clusters doesn't have painted any tint Colour, it is easier to use Coloured LEDs to change their Colour... I Choosed 5000K White and the Cluster's Light is White.

 

But the Unpainted early Clusters had certain part painted in Green: The Kilometers per Hour (KPH) small Numbers' under the Main Miles Per Hour (MPH) Numbers... so you'll notice the Painted tint on those in the Photos I'll post in the Following Posts...

 

So, you're Right... there is Painted tint on Newer Clusters.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The Followin' Photo, shows you the Places where the Dashboard's Buttons has Bulbs:

 

 

 

 

All of them are T-5 except the Illuminated Buttons themselves, like "Rear Gate" Button, "Mirrors" Control, "Rear Wiper" which have a Micro Bulb, incandescent... Also the Upper Buttons, such as "Height" or "Cruise" had the same Micro Bulbs, beside their Background illuminating T-5 Bulb.

 

I Did'nt find a LED Bulb as small as those (around the Half of a T-5 Bulb), and they comes somehow "Attached" to their Base... so I left the Micro bulbs inside the Buttons, in peace... 'till I could find the proper LED replacements.

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

So, the Upper-Right Group of Buttons, which Belongs to the A/C Control, has One T-5 Bulb for its Background illumination, which goes in the Middle and this one Comes On with the Lights.

 

But also has Two more T-5 bulbs in the outer Side: those were designed for Subaru to be "Permanent" illumination: They comes On when the Key is on the Ignition, No matter if the Lights are On or Off.

 

Many Loyale Owners doesn't know that, because that pair of Permanent Bulbs tend to be the First ones to Burnt out, since they're Lit almost all the Time.

 

I used a Scissors and Cutted the Wires for those two, and using my Soldering Gun, I Attached their Wires to the Wires for the Main illumination Bulb, so the Three will Lit up with the Lights only, not with the Ignition.

 

I Used a Multi Point T-5 LED for the Middle (Background) illumination Bulb, and a couple of Single Tip LEDs for the outer ones, which illuminates indirectly

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

The Other Side: Upper-Left Group of Buttons, which Belongs to the Heigh Control, Cruise Control and Rear Defroster Button; has One T-5 Bulb for its Background illumination, which goes in the Middle and this one Comes On with the Lights.

 

But each Button has a Micro incandescent Bulb, as I Described a couple of posts Above.

 

I Placed a Multiple LED's T-5 Bulb there in the Middle for the Background illumination, and left untouched the Tiny incandescent Bulbs on each button, so Now their Background Colour Light is White, but each button turns itself into Amber if is Pressed to the On Position: That Lit their Tiny Bulbs.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Misspelled word, fixed ;)

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

Despite that Each Lower Red Colour Stripe has Four T-5 Bulbs, one for each rectangular area; not all of them are Needed.

 

The Left-Side Stripe has in Use, the Rectangular portions for: "Charge" and "Oil" the other two aren't transparent from Factory in my "BumbleBeast" so, no more than two T-5 Bulbs were Needed there. I Placed a pair of Single tip LED Bulbs. (Inverted Tip ones blows the Light at 120º ... Enough for that Red Lens' area.)

 

The Right-Side Stripe has in Use all Four Rectangles, which are: "Rear Gate Lock" , "Stop Lamp" , "Brake Fluid" ... I Placed three T-5 single tip LED Bulbs for those and left the fourth rectangle without bulb in purpose: it is the "Check Engine" Light and since I removed all the Pollution Control sensors, etc... when I Swapped a Weber Carburetor, it will be On all the Time ... :-\ ... So No Bulb there! ... ... Just the Socket as Dust Shield.

 

REMEMBER: LED Bulbs does have Polarity (+/-) if they are placed inverted, they will not lit at all, so if your New LED Bulbs doesn't work, simple remove 'em with their Socket, turn the Socket 180º (Half Turn) and place 'em again... then they'll Lit.

 

Both Red Stripes shares a Common Positive (+) Marked as "Ign" and the Signal is given by the Ground on each bulb.

 

I Used a six volts transformer to Test each LED Bulb in their place, before assembly everything back together, but you also might Test everything in the car, before reassembling.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo
Again: Misspelled Word, Fixed! ;)