Dash LED Lighting

[Machspeed]

Hey fellas, put new HiPo LED bulbs in my gauge clusters this weekend. Above the gauge cluster are several other bulbs....i.e Brights, 4X4, Emissions, etc. Wondering if you fellas recommend LED replacements for them and if so, what did you go with?

[1986F150Six]

Switch to LEDs for the turn signal indicators, but not for High Beam indicator or 4X4 indicator. Too bright for continuous usage.

[Machspeed]

1986F150Six wrote

Switch to LEDs for the turn signal indicators, but not for High Beam indicator or 4X4 indicator. Too bright for continuous usage.

If you switched the turn signal bulbs to LED, did you not have to address the flasher?

[1986F150Six]

I purchased an electronic one and all was well!

[FuzzFace2]

I did all of them across the top.
Love the bright turn lights, 1 stops working at times, the hi beam is behind the wheel so it is partly blocked so not a big deal for me and I do use the hi beams a lot at 2am going to work.

I don't run, at this time, any other LED bulbs other than in the dash so I did not need to change out the flashers.

Because I am old I forget but I think the replacement tail lights for the flare side were not painted white like the factory ones. I used shinny metal heating duct tape to line the inside of the light housing and the normal 1157 bulbs and it seams pretty bright.

Because I have just the 2 little lights with reflectors I did not think that was enough for night time driving that I do a lot of because of my work hours I did the FORD tail gate letters in reflective to help see me in the dark.
Dave ----

[ratdude747]

Good luck. I LED'd the entire interior of my 1995 Ranger and the main issue I've had is the LEDs burning up. Then again, I'm using chinese ebay units... which is likely half my problem.

I didn't bother on my bullnose... partially because of that experience, and partially because I was going for a more stock look.

[FuzzFace2]

ratdude747 wrote

Good luck. I LED'd the entire interior of my 1995 Ranger and the main issue I've had is the LEDs burning up. Then again, I'm using chinese ebay units... which is likely half my problem.

I didn't bother on my bullnose... partially because of that experience, and partially because I was going for a more stock look.

I used green LED's for the gauges and clear LED's for the warning lights and I think it matches the factory color pretty good to the radio, HVAC panel, ash tray, head light / wiper.

Dave ----

[ratdude747]

I used white when I did the ranger... turned the stock green into a nice blue. Even redid the headlight indicator module with a blue LED to complete the swap (see my 2020 show submission).

Have you had good longevity with your LED swap? Mine would usually start to fail within a couple of months (usually the dome bulbs first, followed by the dash illumnination)... tried several styles of 194 replacement (all ultrabrights) with no winner.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Be aware that if you have a charge/battery idiot light you can't use an LED there because it won't pass enough current to the alternator.

I have all the gauge lights, and most of the indicator lights LED's.
I do have an electronic flasher.

[Andrew1983F100]

Sylvania 168/194

[ArdWrknTrk]

Andrew, do you have the Sylvania LED's in the indicator bezel above the cluster?

I think that's what John was asking about in his OP.

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Be aware that if you have a charge/battery idiot light you can't use an LED there because it won't pass enough current to the alternator.

I would say that very few trucks have the idiot lights, and when they do, it is not one of the bulbs that you can change anyway.

I installed all LED's across the top indicators on mine (and in the gauges as well) and I quite like them. Been standing up just fine so far.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I guess I don't know of any bulb that can't be changed. :shrug

But I do know for certain that an LED won't pass enough current to get a Ford alternator to start charging.

Maybe you can take a pic for Machspeed?

[Andrew1983F100]

Yes put them in all five slots

[Rembrant]

Machspeed wrote

Hey fellas, put new HiPo LED bulbs in my gauge clusters this weekend. Above the gauge cluster are several other bulbs....i.e Brights, 4X4, Emissions, etc. Wondering if you fellas recommend LED replacements for them and if so, what did you go with?

I can tell you for the top row of indicators I went with the LED's that only point straight out...does that make sense? Pretty sure they were bright white also. I might have some here that I could take pictures of, but I don't remember what brand they are. Ebay stuff, for sure.

[Gary Lewis]

Pictures might help as I've thought about doing that as well and wondered what would work nicely in there.

[Rembrant]

Well...I think I told a fib...for some reason or another I thought I had replaced the entire top row of indicators with LED's. I did not. I only replaced the turn signal indicators. Now that I think of it, I specifically remember that they were so dim I could not see them at all during the day. They are great now. And, they actually have different LED's than I remember installing. I have 4-5 packs of them here, and the one I used are pictured below...if I recall correctly, I tried a few different ones and liked these the best.




I guess all of the others were plenty bright with the old style bulbs. I did replace them all, but they were just regular bulbs.





The LED's...sorry no info, just Ebay stuff. Pack of 10, so I have lots of spares. They seem to be lasting fine though as I haven't had to replace them yet, and it's been a couple years for sure.




The whole thing at night is well illuminated.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Are your eBay Leds polarity sensitive or they work plugged in either way?

Blue looks nice for some people.
I'm thinking of switching to red as my eyes get more tired and slower to focus.

[Rembrant]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Are your eBay Leds polarity sensitive or they work plugged in either way?

I can't remember for sure, but I think they are polarity sensitive. The blue LED's in my cluster are definitely polarity sensitive....I remember having to move them around.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Well, it sure is a huge improvement over 35-40 year old stock bulbs with blackened bulb condoms.

I know the LED's from HiPo parts seem to have some kind of diode bridge and don't care about how they are oriented.