But, I do like the idea of LED's around the exhaust pipes.
Bright Dash Lights?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 8
From: North Carolina
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 126
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From: Harrisburg, PA.
Viagra, the wife wanted me to inquire about getting some Viagra. I told her I would be too embarrassed to go ask about it. So, she went to the local pharmacy to see about it.
She asked the Pharmacist if it worked as she had seen on the TV ads. He told her he used it and went into great detail about its merits. She had heard enough of that and told him so. She said she had one more question about it and asked, "Can you get it over the counter?" He answered , "Maybe I could if I took 2 or 3 ."
She asked the Pharmacist if it worked as she had seen on the TV ads. He told her he used it and went into great detail about its merits. She had heard enough of that and told him so. She said she had one more question about it and asked, "Can you get it over the counter?" He answered , "Maybe I could if I took 2 or 3 ."
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,033
Likes: 11
From: Wausau, WI
Gary, you'd be so stylin' and have all the kids jealous.
Seriously though, I've been following this thread and have the same problems in my truck, dim gauges. It was mentioned earlier to pull the blue lenses and use colored bulbs.
In the turn signals of my car, it has the amber colored bulbs and the coating is baking off and falling off the bulb. They look more clear now and have amber flakes all over inside the housing.
Do the 194 and 168 bulbs have the same problems?
I would like to keep the blue tint, but don't want to be replacing bulbs all the time because the coating comes off.
Great job on all the info guys!!
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Norman, Ar
On the other hand though,,,,I'm thinking you ought to try an old set of the spring type CURB FEELERS......
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
Gary, you'd be so stylin' and have all the kids jealous.
Seriously though, I've been following this thread and have the same problems in my truck, dim gauges. It was mentioned earlier to pull the blue lenses and use colored bulbs.
In the turn signals of my car, it has the amber colored bulbs and the coating is baking off and falling off the bulb. They look more clear now and have amber flakes all over inside the housing.
Do the 194 and 168 bulbs have the same problems?
I would like to keep the blue tint, but don't want to be replacing bulbs all the time because the coating comes off.
Great job on all the info guys!!
Seriously though, I've been following this thread and have the same problems in my truck, dim gauges. It was mentioned earlier to pull the blue lenses and use colored bulbs.
In the turn signals of my car, it has the amber colored bulbs and the coating is baking off and falling off the bulb. They look more clear now and have amber flakes all over inside the housing.
Do the 194 and 168 bulbs have the same problems?
I would like to keep the blue tint, but don't want to be replacing bulbs all the time because the coating comes off.
Great job on all the info guys!!
Btw, when are you headed this way? We are headed out of town for a while and didn't want to miss you. Send me a PM if it is near.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,990
Likes: 6
From: Florida
The other day while trolling the junkyards, I came across this no optioned 1980 F100 Custom that had this pretty awesome flash light mount bolted to the roof.
If you mill up a custom angled mount, you could attach the custom aluminum mount and the flash light mount to the roof, and then you could turn the flash light on and set it up in the flashlight mount. If you place everything just right, it will shine right on your gauge cluster, and you won't have to hold the flash light!
With your experience in 8-page Micro-Analysis, this shouldn't even take long at all!
Just let me know when you want me to send the flashlight mount!
If you mill up a custom angled mount, you could attach the custom aluminum mount and the flash light mount to the roof, and then you could turn the flash light on and set it up in the flashlight mount. If you place everything just right, it will shine right on your gauge cluster, and you won't have to hold the flash light!
With your experience in 8-page Micro-Analysis, this shouldn't even take long at all!
Just let me know when you want me to send the flashlight mount!
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 698
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From: Norman, Ar
I don't think you'll have any trouble with the coating coming off..
There is a lot less heat on the cluster bulbs than the amber turn signal bulbs....
I used some of the blue tinted bulbs(can't remember the #'s) in my cluster in another truck and they lasted several years...
Most of the time the bulbs just turn darker after SEVERAL years use...
Generally, just replacing the bulbs will literally make the difference between night and day.....Trav..
There is a lot less heat on the cluster bulbs than the amber turn signal bulbs....
I used some of the blue tinted bulbs(can't remember the #'s) in my cluster in another truck and they lasted several years...
Most of the time the bulbs just turn darker after SEVERAL years use...
Generally, just replacing the bulbs will literally make the difference between night and day.....Trav..
Elder User - What???
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 714
Likes: 1
From: Moore, OK
But, we already have the switch that puts the full "headlight switch voltage" to the instrument panel lights. It is just that the voltage at the headlight switch is down significantly from battery voltage. And, I forgot to say that the tests I ran which found the voltage down by 1.5 volts was with just the parking lights on, not the headlights. So, as I think about it, the voltage would probably be quite a bit lower with the headlights on, and don't we usually put them on to drive around at night? Duh! Why didn't I run the test that way?
Besides new bulbs, which do dim over time (as you know), have you thought about using real aluminum plenum tape on the back of the bezel? It's easy to trim and wouldn't brown over time like paint. Also, it could be polished if need be.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,728
Likes: 8
From: Cleveland, TN
Do you have the headlight relay kit installed that takes battery voltage from the battery to the headlights instead of running through the headlight switch? Would having that kit installed affect the dropped voltage to the bulbs in the cluster, especially when the headlights are on?
Besides new bulbs, which do dim over time (as you know), have you thought about using real aluminum plenum tape on the back of the bezel? It's easy to trim and wouldn't brown over time like paint. Also, it could be polished if need be.
Besides new bulbs, which do dim over time (as you know), have you thought about using real aluminum plenum tape on the back of the bezel? It's easy to trim and wouldn't brown over time like paint. Also, it could be polished if need be.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
Do you have the headlight relay kit installed that takes battery voltage from the battery to the headlights instead of running through the headlight switch? Would having that kit installed affect the dropped voltage to the bulbs in the cluster, especially when the headlights are on?
Besides new bulbs, which do dim over time (as you know), have you thought about using real aluminum plenum tape on the back of the bezel? It's easy to trim and wouldn't brown over time like paint. Also, it could be polished if need be.
Besides new bulbs, which do dim over time (as you know), have you thought about using real aluminum plenum tape on the back of the bezel? It's easy to trim and wouldn't brown over time like paint. Also, it could be polished if need be.
) I love that stuff and have plenty of it. I think that's a winner, and will try it - maybe tomorrow even.Yes, that would take some load off the switch. But, before you go to the bank with those extra volts, remember I took the readings with the running/parking lights on but w/o the headlights. So, I inadvertently simulated the situation with the headlight relay in place, and that means I would still have had a 1.5 volt drop from the battery to the bulbs.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 4,728
Likes: 8
From: Cleveland, TN
Yes, that would take some load off the switch. But, before you go to the bank with those extra volts, remember I took the readings with the running/parking lights on but w/o the headlights. So, I inadvertently simulated the situation with the headlight relay in place, and that means I would still have had a 1.5 volt drop from the battery to the bulbs.
Sorry I butted in where I was not needed.....
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 8
From: North Carolina
I drove my truck to work today and it was dark when I drove home. I looked at my cluster and it was pretty much the same brightness as the temperature control cluster is. So pretty much like 81-F150-Explorer said, that is the native brightness. I bet you can make yours brighter with aluminum tape covering the insides, as you seem to be planning to do. Let us know if it works!
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
Likes: 48
From: Northeast, OK
I was replying to Yaga1973 about the use of relays NOT causing your issue, I realize you took the measurement with marker lights and instrument lights only... There almost has to be a weak/corroded connection or too small of a wire to cause that much voltage drop..
Sorry I butted in where I was not needed.....
Sorry I butted in where I was not needed.....
I drove my truck to work today and it was dark when I drove home. I looked at my cluster and it was pretty much the same brightness as the temperature control cluster is. So pretty much like 81-F150-Explorer said, that is the native brightness. I bet you can make yours brighter with aluminum tape covering the insides, as you seem to be planning to do. Let us know if it works!
I did drive the truck in the dark this evening and the gauges aren't awful, just dim. I'm hoping that the silver tape will help a lot, but if it isn't enough I think I'll try new, green bulbs.