OBS (98) Blue dash lights questions?

[SCORCH]

I know there are some posts on this and I have read some of them, but I still have some questions. I have a 98 GMC sierra and I'd like to swap out the lights on my dash and heater control panal to a blue so that it matches the color of my Alpine CDE-123 HU. I'm not sure if LEDs are my only option but I really dont want the dash to be too bright at night, since I've heard once you swap the lights you can no longer dim the lights. I've got some questions below and I'd really appreciate it if I could get some answers, input and advice on the whole project. THANKS

-Is there a way that I will be able to dim the lights?
-Where do I get the bulbs at and what kind of bulbs? I've only looked under "Instrument cluster and gauge backlights" on superbrightleds and found the T1.5's that are supposedly for the heater control panal, but what bulbs do I need for the actual gauge cluster? and how many of each bulb?
-Is it possible to swap out the bulb behind the headlight control knob(what you use to turn the headlights on) push button 4x4 controls, or cargo lamp switch?
- I would also like to make my gauge needles white and I've heard this can be done by using nail polish remover. If this is true, how can I remove the needles without screwing up the gauges to do this?

[1badgmc]

I know there are some posts on this and I have read some of them, but I still have some questions. I have a 98 GMC sierra and I'd like to swap out the lights on my dash and heater control panal to a blue so that it matches the color of my Alpine CDE-123 HU. I'm not sure if LEDs are my only option but I really dont want the dash to be too bright at night, since I've heard once you swap the lights you can no longer dim the lights. I've got some questions below and I'd really appreciate it if I could get some answers, input and advice on the whole project. THANKS

-Is there a way that I will be able to dim the lights?

My LEDs all dim, but a lot of others using the same LEDs end up not being able to dim. I'm not sure what the difference is. Even with the bright LEDs I have in my clusters, I don't find them to be overpowering and I have them on full brightness.

-Where do I get the bulbs at and what kind of bulbs? I've only looked under "Instrument cluster and gauge backlights" on superbrightleds and found the T1.5's that are supposedly for the heater control panal, but what bulbs do I need for the actual gauge cluster? and how many of each bulb?

Try the Miniature Wedge Base Bulbs page: http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-b...ini-wedge.html The main lighting in the cluster consists of six 194 bulbs. There are a lot of different combinations you can choose from, but from my experience, I like the HP5 units myself. They give the brightest and smoothest illumination of all the combinations I've tried.

Here are my '98 Suburban gauges:


Compared with my Alpine head unit:

[SCORCH]

Does anyone know how to properly remove the needles for the gauges? Id like to remove all the needles and white them out with nail polish remover, or another solvent. I think white and blue would look a lot better than orange and blue. It kind of looks like they just pry up and pop off but I would hate to go lightly pry them up and end up breaking something or screwing up the gauges

[1badgmc]

I've never pulled needles, but I've heard you can use a dinner fork or some other similar tool to carefully pry them up. My big fear would always be making sure they get put back on right so the gauges will read correctly.

White painted needles will end up glowing blue as well. I agree that it does look better than the orange needles. Here is a really crappy pic of my '99 Yukon that I had Escalade gauges in with blue LEDs.

[Silverado777]

Yes a fork will get them off but I wouldn't advise painting them as they will not light up at night. Your better off buying new ones. You can get them cheap enough off ebay put you can upgrade to the NBS needles.

[scarybowtie]

Here are my blue led's in a esky cluster with the white needles. I bought all my led's and cluster from MOBS off gmt400. I believe he has more.

[Silverado777]

Blue and red looks the best IMO. At night its just too much blue with white needles.

[rummie]

Since they are 194 bulbs, couldnt use other colored bulbs instead of blue or led...

[Silverado777]

LEDs are the best route to go. You can do other colored LEDs but you will need to take into account that there is a blue film on the back of the overlay, So any color you put behind there will have a bluish tint. The OEM bulbs are a off white or yellowish color. That shining through the blue film gives you the off white greenish color it is now. This is why blue LEDs is the most common and looks the best. Below are some of the colors you can use and how it will look:

Blue LEDs = Blue Lighting
White LEDs = Light Blue Lighting
Red LEDs = very dim red lighting
Green LEDs = Green lighting
Pink LEDs = Purple lighting
Amber LEDs = very dim orange lighting

[rummie]

^^ thanks, I was trying to figure that out also, and couldnt just quite think of the combination.

[1badgmc]

Yes a fork will get them off but I wouldn't advise painting them as they will not light up at night. Your better off buying new ones. You can get them cheap enough off ebay put you can upgrade to the NBS needles.

If you paint the backside of the needles white, they'll illuminate just fine.

LEDs are the best route to go. You can do other colored LEDs but you will need to take into account that there is a blue film on the back of the overlay, So any color you put behind there will have a bluish tint. The OEM bulbs are a off white or yellowish color. That shining through the blue film gives you the off white greenish color it is now. This is why blue LEDs is the most common and looks the best. Below are some of the colors you can use and how it will look:

Blue LEDs = Blue Lighting
White LEDs = Light Blue Lighting
Red LEDs = very dim red lighting
Green LEDs = Green lighting
Pink LEDs = Purple lighting
Amber LEDs = very dim orange lighting

There's not enough of the blue-green coating on the backside of these clusters that it would effect the colors all that much since the color of LEDs is so intense. Red will be red. Amber will be amber. The only color I've seen it have any effect on was white LEDs and that was from a '99-'00 Escalade cluster that has a slightly different color coating anyhow.

[Dev's93]

Ive got blue leds also from mobs along with hvac and headlight switch I can try and post a pic later. Yes the push button 4wd can converted as well as the window switches. I was gonna have mobs do them for me as well but my denali will be gone for good tomorrow

[SuburbanK2500]

How many lights do you need for an OBS dash and how well do the HP3s work compared to the HP5s?

I'm trying to swap over to green on the cheap. Factory style or LEDs don't really matter to me as long as they give out even light. I just really don't like the warm white lights my truck came with.

[Dev's93]

6 for the cluster

[SuburbanK2500]

Well I just bought 10 on ebay, same LED layout as the HP5s. This is Hong Kong's last chance. If these don't work, I'm never ordering anything from there again.

[Dev's93]

how much did those run. I have bought some hong kong leds and have so far had good luck but now mobs doed all my led work cheaper than anyone else plus I can call him if I have a prob with something

[SuburbanK2500]

Under $13 shipped for all ten. I've only bought a few things from Hong Kong, and so far, nothing I've bought other than simple pieces of plastic or metal has been fully functional. Video cables I bought cause severe image ghosting, video adapters don't support monitor's resolution, and the new screen I bought for my phone has the colors inverted.