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Changing your 7/9 instrument lighting to LED

Okay, my results, in green, now that I've figured out image crossposting.

Direct stock/Green LED comparison
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Temp control panel (Edit: Bulbs are NEO4xHP in this model)
5ea3d9a2aea311e2919022000a1f8daa_7.jpg


Even do your added gauges! VDO Vision with green instrument panel LEDs.
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Note; the stock instruments come up... blue-er than white by default, so my gauges aren't the exact same colour, and the needles and redlines don't show up as well with anything but white/red.
 
Three months in, all of my gauge led's are still working. I'll be installing some in the a/c controls here pretty soon.
 
miguel.760ti said:
If you want matching switch trim order 5 or 6 of the 74-x wedge base LEDs. On 90- 740 these LEDs plug and play, you need one LED per switch bulb. 91+ cars use the same bulbs however you'll have to yank the stock bulb out and solder the new LED into the factory socket. This is what I did:

i - Remove the switch trim, be careful with it, it can be delicate. Start from the side away from the steering column and gently pull the trim away.
ii - Remove the bulb from its little light guide, it pulls right out.
iii - Now carefully bull the bulb & socket out of the wiring harness. Be especially cautious of pulling the wires out of the connector.
iv - Here comes the fun, twist the existing bulb around in its socket. However do not pull on it, you'll see why in a second.
v - After twisting on the bulb for a little bit it should fall right into your hand! That's what we want as we're going to solder the leads from the LED to the old bulb leads.
vi - Now get yourself a utility knife, a dremel, a pair of dykes (sidecutters) or a small hacksaw and carefully cut around the top half of the socket (above the ridge. Be careful that you don't cut through the leads of the old bulb, otherwise you're really gonna have to ghetto rig this. Now is also a good time to get your soldering iron out to get it warm.
vii - Business time, get your LED and carefully straighten the leads outward so you can solder it to the old bulb leads. Once that's done, carefully steady the bulb and socket so you can get some tin (rosin core solder) flowing for a nice, solid connection. Try not to melt the plastic socket.
viii - This step is optional, but if you have access to a 9v battery and some extra wire check your work before putting it in the car.
ix - Plug your bulb in and check that it comes on and dims with the rest of the lighting.
x - Once everything is in check, wrap a little electrical tape around your handywork and button the trim up. You are done.

If you're not sure how to cut the old socket refer to these pics that Natural244 posted, credit goes to him for doing this first.
CameraZOOM-20120203171452182.jpg

CameraZOOM-20120203171510612.jpg
Click to expand...

Now that I have a 940, I need to do this stupid socket-and-solder business. Broken links to the pics, though. Anyone have a proper pic of how the socket should look like after you mod it? Thanks.

EDIT: Did some URL sleuthing and found them.



















 
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Finally did the conversion on my 940. SuperBrightLEDs are better than any of the eBay crap I've been using before this. Wow, what a difference.

Threw in my gauge rings too. Those were a pain.

Also, question about your opinions: change the signal indicators to red LEDs too? Ditto for the ambient temperature gauge?
 
I want to do the signals to my 740 once I order the ones for the cluster. It will be next month. I'm going to do white gauges and LED everything else except for teh lower warning lights. They are bright enough as it is. I think they are also 74.
 
+Kardboard+ said:
Finally did the conversion on my 940. SuperBrightLEDs are better than any of the eBay crap I've been using before this. Wow, what a difference.

Threw in my gauge rings too. Those were a pain.

Also, question about your opinions: change the signal indicators to red LEDs too? Ditto for the ambient temperature gauge?
Click to expand...

I'd leave the signal indicators, the red-through-green might end up really weird.
The ambient temp gauge is a B8.5, I believe. I'll go grab my bag of them when I get home to verify.

But also cot dang that looks so good! I'm gonna up my LEDs to the HP models too, but that is an expensive adventure! o_O
 
+Kardboard+ said:
Cool, let me know, Jesse. SuperBrightLEDs has a 15% off sale and I want to get an order in. :-)
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! Yeah, I'll take a look, maybe they have the info in my past orders!
Edit: Yup! B8.5D-RHP is your number!
Did you do your heater control panel yet? What does it look like?
Final edit: I'm jealous of the working light in your headlight switch.
 
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DarkKratoz said:
! Yeah, I'll take a look, maybe they have the info in my past orders!
Edit: Yup! B8.5D-RHP is your number!
Did you do your heater control panel yet? What does it look like?
Final edit: I'm jealous of the working light in your headlight switch.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I haven't done the heater control panel nor any of the dash switches yet. Have you?
mafoose said:
I don't see anything about this sale, can you link it?
Click to expand...

Oh, it's a coupon code sent to me because I haven't bought anything recently, apparently. :-P

Try it: SBL9014
 
+Kardboard+ said:
Thanks! I haven't done the heater control panel nor any of the dash switches yet. Have you?
Click to expand...

My heater control panel is done, but it was different from the one Miguel posted. Mine is up higher in the thread. Dash switches is a no, but I'm gonna do them when I redo my dash lighting. Looks pretty easy from those pictures you dug up.
 
From the Brickboard discussion, seems like the 94+ 940s have a different heater control bulb. We'll see in a bit when I go open it up.

Also, my order didn't go through yesterday as it was flagged for fraud. Billing address (Canada) and shipping address (USA) were different, so they flagged it immediately and made me call in to verify it. :/ New policies, they say. Oh well, bulbs are on their way again.
 
+Kardboard+ said:
From the Brickboard discussion, seems like the 94+ 940s have a different heater control bulb. We'll see in a bit when I go open it up.

Also, my order didn't go through yesterday as it was flagged for fraud. Billing address (Canada) and shipping address (USA) were different, so they flagged it immediately and made me call in to verify it. :/ New policies, they say. Oh well, bulbs are on their way again.
Click to expand...


Great article.

The US is suffering from some young Canadian recklessly drinking, toking and drag racing so the security watch level went way up. No wonder they flagged a canadian order.

I am ordering all the lights today. It looks like a dab of hot glue from a cheapo hot glue gun set would be perfect for securing anything loose.
 
Ugh, this is so much smarter than trying to retrofit the new 9-series dash switch bulbs to LEDs:

http://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/Electrical-SwitchLampsUpgrade.htm
[John Sargent] To replace the expensive 940 panel lamps, just get some lamp holders from an earlier 700 series and butt splice them in place of the expensive Volvo 940/960 lamp which has an integral holder. The earlier lamp holder has an easily sourced and inexpensive aftermarket bulb. See the LED application below.
Lamps-PanelReplacement-1.gif
Lamps-PanelReplacement-2.gif

Here is one of the late style in which I've installed an LED with w resistor to trim the voltage. The resistor can't be seen and is down inside the plastic socket.
Lamps-PanelReplacement-3.gif
Click to expand...
 
That's what I was planning on doing.

Also code didn't work, it's tied to your email address. Oh wells, no biggie, order placed!
 
DarkKratoz said:

#smart! Know what I'm looking for next time I'm at Ralph's.
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I know where I'll be tomorrow...

The only light I can't do that to is the glove box one. Same socket with integrated bulb as the dash switches and the lens is built so that the socket snaps in. Got one of the ghetto eBay 1 SMD LEDs in the existing socket now, will need to switch to a 360* LED later.
mafoose said:
That's what I was planning on doing.

Also code didn't work, it's tied to your email address. Oh wells, no biggie, order placed!
Click to expand...

Ah, sorry.
 
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