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LED Dash Light Upgrade

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Rob Glasgow

Rob Glasgow

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This has been covered before but I would like to show you my solution. I ordered 10 LED E10 base bulbs in warm white from ebay. Took 3 weeks to arrive. Total cost $12.50 delivered. Installed 4 in the gauge lights and one in the turn indicator. The size of the bulbs fit perfectly, even the turn signal tube. You can see the results. I didn't do a 'before' photo, but if you've driven your Healey after dark, you know what that looks like. The bulbs look like good quality and the results are brilliant. You do get some leg light as a benefit..... As you know, the fuel and oil pressure/temperature gauge have a blue plastic lens around the edge which gives those gauges the tint.
 

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Do you still have Positive ground on your Healey ?

Edit, found some on eBay that work with either polarity.
(Non Polarity, works either Positive or Negative earth)
 
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Just ordered mine for my Tri Carb project rally car .
 
Rob Glasgow said:
You do get some leg light as a benefit.....
Click to expand...
Hey Rob,

Fantastic!
Curious minds want to know. Why is there so much light bleed in the footwell?
"The size of the bulbs fit perfectly, even the turn signal tube."
Have you modified the E10 bulb holder/insert in the rear of the case? The stock ones keep all the light in the gauge.
I spent a bunch of time on this exercise a long time ago. I'm curious what's lighting up the footwell.

I guess if you want to light up the footwell when driving, it's a good thing :smile:
Nice job, thanks for sharing.
 
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Roger, A majority of the light bleed comes from the bulbs installed on the gas and oil/temp gauges. On those gauges, the bulbs are held on the outside of the gauge by the retaining bracket and shine through the blue plastic len covers onto the face. I think the old style bulbs did the same thing but were so dim, you didn't notice.
The bulbs for the speedo and tach are enclosed completely in the gauge canister so no light escapes to the footwell.
The bulb is small enough to be inserted inside the tube of the direction indicator. I mentioned that because someone in an earlier post said their led bulb was too large to fit inside the tube and they had to tape in on the end.
 
Rob Glasgow said:
Roger, A majority of the light bleed comes from the bulbs installed on the gas and oil/temp gauges. On those gauges, the bulbs are held on the outside of the gauge by the retaining bracket and shine through the blue plastic len covers onto the face. I think the old style bulbs did the same thing but were so dim, you didn't notice.
Click to expand...
Rob, that makes total sense. I forgot you have different oil/water and fuel gauges then the later models. Different design.
Which by the way I like the earlier gauge face design better. Said in a whisper so my BJ8 can't hear that.
 
Here‘s a side by side of the original and LED bulbs.
 

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Bob, Several years ago I tried a similar single direction led bulb and all it did was light up the back of the dash. The lights on the small gauges have to emit light out the sides in order to reach the face.

Roger, how do the lights attach to the newer BJ7 and BJ8 small gauges? Do they insert in a hole in the back of the can like the big gauges?
 
That seems like a more elegant solution. It's more like a homestyle can light than the bare bulb approach of the earlier cars......
 
Bob, do you think using aluminum foil around the back of the water/oil and fuel gauge to limit the light bleed may help? If it’s safe... not sure if it would be an electrical issue. Maybe some other type of flexible material.
 
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The 'hot' terminal is the pointed one at the base of the bulb; everything else is either isolated or grounded, so no issue with safety. I have 'lighted footwell' in my BN2, but don't drive it much if at all at night. Maybe use a filler like an RTV?
 
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