terrible replacement LED 194s for my dash

nyvram

nyvram

New member
just grabbed a pack at advance last night on the way home and thought the LED would really make my gauges stand out.

i can barely see them now even turned up all the way. is there a guide for purchasing LEDs to replace the 194s behind our speedometers? its a pain to disconnect my whole dash just to find out the new lights don't work..its not like i can drive to the auto store with my dash sitting on the kitchen table LOL.

also, the light behind my low fuel icon doesn't seem to be working even after replacing it..is there any kind of known issue of the fuel light suddenly no longer working? i just assumed the bulb was burned out but that doesn't seem to be it.
 
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read through that thread (from 2007!) and while the first few pages have all this info, when you fast-forward lots of people talk about the LEDs burning out after a couple of months and some brands start blinking after awhile.

so now i'm more confused than ever. i guess i should just go back to stock bulbs and forget trying to use LEDs as a brighter alternative.
 
I've done the swap in three separate cars and haven't had any burn out. Bad luck for those people. Id do it still, if you get white ones it really updates the dash to look more modern.
 
i dont have the brand handy..i believe they were in a red package (2 per package...$9.99) and were definitely LED.

bought from advance auto.

i'm going to dig the package out of the trash tonight and take them back.

clearly all LEDs are not created equal. i was hoping there was one particular brand people liked that were bright enough.

i do have a white/bluish look..which is great...but way too dark. you can't even see the top of the gas gauge.
 
update: here is a photo..new LEDs look terrible

1z7243p.jpg


they are "pilot" brand LI-194W.

going back to regular
 
From the photo it almost looks like only the middle one is working.

They're either really crappy or you should try reversing the polarity of the other LEDs...
 
ChildrenOfBodom said:
From the photo it almost looks like only the middle one is working.

They're either really crappy or you should try reversing the polarity of the other LEDs...
Click to expand...

reveresing the polarity..? i noticed the little wire at the base of the new bulbs was opposite of where they were on the bulbs i removed.

also, i had *FOUR* bulbs i replaced. everyone keeps saying there are only 3.

i believe one is behind the 'low fuel' light..right? then one near the hot/cold gauge, one near the tach and speedometer..and one in the upper right above the fuel gauge.

is one of those simply not lit normally?
 
yeah dude you only have one light working in there try switching the LED bulbs around in the socket and then turn your lights on before you put everything back together to make sure they are working. LED bulbs only work one way when you put them into their little socket thingi's

There are actually multiple bulbs back there for all your warning lights, blinkers etc. It's hard to say which one is which because of the year difference but the main ones you need should be right behind the gauge needles
 
GottaBeTRD said:
yeah dude you only have one light working in there try switching the LED bulbs around in the socket and then turn your lights on before you put everything back together to make sure they are working. LED bulbs only work one way when you put them into their little socket thingi's

There are actually multiple bulbs back there for all your warning lights, blinkers etc. It's hard to say which one is which because of the year difference but the main ones you need should be right behind the gauge needles
Click to expand...

LEDs...only...work..one...way!!?!?!? Good lord. I had no idea.

I'm buying the superbrightLEDs..don't want to keep pulling the dash out because those self-drilling screws are starting to not tighten as well so i'm buying some good ones to swap.


NOW..should i go for the blue/white or the white/white? I'm guessing the blue/white will be a more updated look.

Hell, I might as well go ahead & get bulbs for the map lights and overhead lights too while i'm at it. Those are not nearly bright enough now.
 
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