Updated LED Interior Lighting Thread for 99+
- Thread starter Doc3g
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My backlighting for the cluster is the 6000K white. It's not as blue as you are used to w/ cheap lights that say the are in the 6K range.
Well, depending on the manufacturer of the bulb, the polarity can be reversed. As far as what is positive vs negative in the bulb holder, from my pictures, it would be positive on the side w/ the "V" and negative on the side with the "2." However, it is so much easier to just grab any 12-volt power source and a set of alligator clips and check that the bulb works in the holder before installing.
You can get a 6 pack of 12V barrel batteries for $6 on amazon, or an actual benchtop test battery for $15. Alligator clips are $3 at Autozone or $5 for a set of 10 test wires with clips on amazon, so, for a $20 bill, you can have a complete 12 V test setup that takes up the same space as a cup of coffee and be able to test 12V accessories whenever you want.
Also, another good tip is to keep some of your incandescent bulbs. I'm finding that the "D" indicator on the dash is sort of annoying at night being so bright. I also often run with my O/D off and it is a bit obnoxious as well. I plan to probably switch the O/D off to a green light to see if it helps and I'm going to try an amber light for the "D" indicator. However, if neither is to my liking, I might just throw the old incandescents back into those two spots.
Devbot
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Hazard has no lights. He already listed the rear window light, read more carefully, very bottom. Neo Wedge T3 bulb.
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The hazard does have a light. It's also a Neo Wedge T3 bulb, but I don't recommend swapping it to an LED. The bulb doesn't point out towards the front, it points 90 degrees off from the front of the switch (It points up if you are looking at the dash rather than towards you), so an incandescent works fine in there, but an LED will be much dimmer because most of the light is going in the wrong direction. When I did mine I tried swapping it to an LED, and it was almost impossible to tell that it was illuminated. Even with the incandescent it's not bright.
Rear defrost, ECT, and rear window share 2 bulbs. Both are Neo Wedge T3's. I think the rear window switch has it's own and then rear defrost and ECT share the other one, but it might be the rear defrost by itself with the ECT and rear window sharing the other.
The only things in the center that wouldn't be a Neo Wedge T3 as far as I know are the ash tray light (I believe this is a 74, but it's been a long time since I did this), the light around the cigarette lighter (Bulb is built into the connector so needs an OEM replacement part), and if you have the auto climate control the back light for that is two Neo Wedge T4's (The climate controls knobs and buttons are two separate Neo Wedge T3's in addition to the T4's for the back light).
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Devbot
New member
Only Limiteds came with neowedges in the climate controls since it's one integrated unit. Every other car has 74s there, one in the middle and top right corner
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Devbot
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Got in my car this morning, gave my dash a good smack like the Fonz and it came on, thanks for the tip :thumb:
Devbot
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Trying to do these today, how do you know which way to put in the bulbs? To be more specific, how do I know both what side of the socket and which trace on the circuit is positive/negative? It doesn't really matter how well the socket tests on a pair of alligator clips if you put it in backwards, and not all traces all labeled.
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with the cluster on your workbench as I have it in the picture (where Toyota is upside down), all of the sockets should be seated so that you can read them, ie:
Toshiba
V-2
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So, to clarify, the bulb sockets should be inserted so that when read, they are the opposite of the Toyota writing. With the Turn Signal bays at the top is another way to describe it. In this position, you should be able to read Toshiba on the socket.
Honestly, if I was going to stick with incandescents, I would probably just spring for them at the stealership. My set lasted 23 years and about 90% of them were still going strong, so it's hard to argue with that sort of quality.
If you mean the ring around the cigarette lighter, that is actually a built-in bulb and needs to be ordered from the dealership. The other option, which I'm taking, is simply buying a bulb holder for a 74 base and doing a little engineering to replace that factory bulb socket with an aftermarket one so I don't have to deal with the limitations of having an incandescent.
My Cluster backlights are VLED's. I tried the SuperBrights for fun and they definitely have hot spots. The output and angle of dispersion on the VLED's are simply better. If I could only afford VLEDs in one spot, it would be the cluster backlights.
