E10 Base LED Dash Bulbs

I ordered some LED dash lights to replace the original bulbs in my BT7. See photo below Unfortunately they were not very useful. The light projects directly out the end and has very little light out the sides where it needs to be to light the gauges. Also, they weren't very bright. I tired them in a flashlight also with no success. The only good news is the four bulbs cost less than $2 including shipping from China. Maybe that was the problem......
Anyone have good results using this style of bulb to light there gauges?

Rob Glasgow said:

Anyone have good results using this style of bulb to light there gauges?

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I think Roger did, search for led's with AUSMHLY as the poster. You could also try to scuff one of the "bulbs" with a fine grit sand paper, like 400 (dome and sides). That might disperse the beam to the sides more, but there is still the issue of them not being very bright.

Rob, last summer I talked to a vendor at Carlisle. He had a long an short version of the bulbs we could use in the dash lights. I told him I wanted the long version to make sure the light would reach into the gauge. He told me I was wrong and that I needed the short version because on LEDs all the light is projected out the end of the bulb and none projects thru the sides. With the long version, the light misses the slots in the sides of our original gauge housings. I bought one of each, about $10. each. He was right, the long one didn't illuminate the face of the gauge at all. The short one works quite well. But now I am in search of an LED for the fuel gauge. When I wired the car I replaced that socket with a wedge/push-in type socket and I can't find an LED for that. One more point, the LEDs that I bought had flat lenses.

The depth on the bulb is critical. The ones I ordered fit the large gauges, speedo and tach, but were too long to fit in the smaller gauges, fuel and combo. They hit the back of the dash before the holder is seated in the gauge strap.

I have no first-hand experience with the Moss LED gauge bulbs but others on this forum speak highly of them. The picture on Moss' website shows the LEDs are side-mounted to provide better general gauge illumination. See the link below.

https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=118376

DK, you make a good point about those side mounted LEDs at Moss. I'm pretty sure that the long one I bought at Carlisle also has side mounted LEDs but it still did not work. That short one from Moss is like the short one I bought at Carlisle and it works a treat in the combo oil/temp gauge. But for my fuel gauge I can't use the screw in type of bulb.

Vette

When I wired the car I replaced that socket with a wedge/push-in type socket and I can't find an LED for that.

Are we talking T10 wedge bulbs in LED format and side mounted? they are on Ebay. Or have you a different wedge socket.



Bob

Bob, I don't know what T10 is. But I needed a new socket and I used the wedge style because I figured I would be able to buy the bulb anywhere. Figured the screw in type might be hard to find as time wore on. The bulb base is a push in wedge about 3/8" across and the two wires from the filament come out the bottom and are bent over and up the sides. Is that what's called a T10?

https://www.superbrightleds.com/. Go to this website. I used their products to install LEDs on my BN7 dashboard lights to include the front and rear parking lights. They have tech support that is very knowledgeable of what you will need. Also, you will need to replace the flasher. And might have to install a resistor on each the front wiring and rear wiring at the relay box (LF side).

Thanks Mert, But I don't have a relay box. If you look in the pic under my handle name my BJ7 has lighting arrangement like a later BJ8. I'll look for a better pic. Anyway as such my turn signal lights work quite well with LED bulbs. I am only replacing the dash bulbs at this time but I do have one LED bulb in my right rear turn signal lamp. The reason I did that is that I have original glass beehive type of lenses. the one on the right rear was always very much darker glass than the one on the left rear and it wasn't nearly as visible as I wanted it. I was going to buy a new lens but one day popped in an LED bulb just to see how it would look and Vola, it matched the other side perfectly so i left it that way.

Vette, The LED lights for the dash is what I meant to stress. These components are available using Superbrightleds website. You will need to cut off the original bulb housing and replace it with the proper LED mount and put in the correct LED. I used splice connectors and sealed each with shrink wrap. Every bulb on the dash can be converted except the "power on" red light. If you upgrade your turn indicator lights to LED, then you will need to change the flasher unit. I have 2 extra flashers, if you need one. I sold my BN7 in 2015 and now I have some spare items.

vette said:

Bob, I don't know what T10 is. But I needed a new socket and I used the wedge style because I figured I would be able to buy the bulb anywhere. Figured the screw in type might be hard to find as time wore on. The bulb base is a push in wedge about 3/8" across and the two wires from the filament come out the bottom and are bent over and up the sides. Is that what's called a T10?

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Yup you have it thought that I showed a piccy when I was discussing instrument lighting - will have to go back and check. Turns out that I did not, the one on the right is what you want.





Bob

Thanks all of you for the info. I now know what bulb I need. Just to clarify for Mert, I now realize that you were talking about the turn signal indicator lights on the dash panel. Again the reason for the lack of understanding each others statements is that I have one indicator light right in the middle of the area behind the steering wheel. This indicator bulb flashes for either right or left turnsignals. It is green and is quite bright, I won't be needing an LED here. My cars lighting arrangement is very unusual but is built/rebuilt/restored exactlyas the lighting was when new. I will attach pic of the wiring schematic as found in the Bentley Austin Healey Shop Manual. This wiring scheme is for the later 100/6 and the early 3000. I pretty much used this scheme when I restored the car, but my car is still different in a number of ways and one major difference is that my BJ7 does not have a stop/turn relay box because it has lighting as an early BJ8. In the schematic you will see that (1) indicator light # 24 is fed from the "P" terminal of the flasher and then the other side of 24 goes to ground. A very simple arrangement an as such a standard 3 terminal flasher works.

My BN7 was an early make with a 100-6 front wiring harness. It also had the center trafficator lamp. Per your schematic you have a relay box. It is item 15. There is where I put the resistors. My BN7 was positive ground which required the resistors. As for the flasher, with LED's - you will need to replace the original. Otherwise the LED's with flash with a rapid pulse. Your schematic is the same that I used with my BN7.

Hi guys, happy new year.

I don't visit here as often as I used to. Just so happens today I did and I'll chim in on what I did years ago. Here's the link, spoiler alert, lots of reading.
https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf...e-with-LED%92s&highlight=brighten+dash+lights

Here's the need to know about led as gauge bulbs.
Stock bulbs are incandescent 2.2 watt E10, screw type.
If you replace with an led, make sure your car is negative ground. If you're staying positive ground, isolate the housing or buy led's that will work with positive ground. Moss now sells both, neg/pos led gauge bulbs.

As mentioned, most led's are forward beam focused. There are many that have a chip on the top that spread the light out more like an incandescent. My write up addresses that.

Pros/cons.

Led's are brighter but color is usually blue/white.
Once you find the right E10 led that disperses the light like the incandescent, it still will not light up the gauge fully. It will still be brighter where the bulb is and the other side will still be a little dark.

Here's a link to the ones I used E10 Superstar Led Bulbs
https://www.autolumination.com/otherleds.htm


How to illuminate the full face of the gauge? Drill a hole in the back of the gauge accross from the factory one and add another bulb holder.
Now I had 2 E10 led 1watt full dispersing bulbs. Just too blue/white for me. Looked too modern.

What I ended up with was, two 2.2 watt incandescent bulbs in the large gauges. Filled them in nicely and has the correct shade of light.
For the two smaller gauges I replaced the 2.2 watt bulb with an incandescent 4 watt oblong bulb. (no room to ad another bulb in the small gauges)

Eventhough Moss recommends not using an LED bulb... "LEDs should not be used for turn signal indicators, or for the red generator/alternator light on the dash"... I did.
I can now see the signal indicator during daylight. Could not before. I've had no problems replacing those. I'm negative ground.

Hi Mert, I believe you missed my point that I used that schematic for a lot of the rewiring but MY CAR IS DIFFERENT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. One of which is that " I do not have a stop/turn relay box". I used that schmatic to show that I have only one indicator on the dash which is item # 24. I do not need the resistors or the alternate flasher because I already have LED in the rear turnsignals and they work just fine.

Thanks AUSMHLY, I'm negative ground too.

Tried some led dash bulbs from bettercarlighting, quite short but most of the light is projected forward and they are really effective in all the gauges on my BJ8 can even see the high beam light now :fat: