MStudt
official vendor
Turn the bulb in the socket 180 degrees. The LED's are single polarity bulbs. Pull the bulb out, flip it around, and then install.
WRITE UP: climate control and dash bulbs 2000 limited
- Thread starter shootmymime
- Start date
Turn the bulb in the socket 180 degrees. The LED's are single polarity bulbs. Pull the bulb out, flip it around, and then install.
JRZEE2000TR4LTD
Senior Member
That's strange 'cause in your picture of your leds, none of them have the plastic "wedge" bottom. If I was home I could shoot you some pics. I have spare #24s and the Neo Wedge B. Going by the chart, They are the same kind that I used for my display on my auto climate control. But you said your HVAC controls work so that's a moot point.
About a month ago, I had one of my gauge LED go out. It was blinking on and off. Thought it wasn't resting in the cluster PCB so I hooked some small jumper wires to my battery positive and negative, and tested it and it worked on an off. Found that the tiny little resistor had broke away internally from the LED. I say this so that maybe you could test them before putting them back in the cluster. I'm sure your not putting it all back together again and then turning it on, (that would be stupid) but continually unhooking those five connectors on the back of the cluster is a pain sometimes.
Oh one other thing I just remembered, make sure the connection to the dash dimmer is hooked up also. Made that mistake also and had me wondering what the hell for a few minutes. Good luck!
do you have the correct polarity? LEDs will only light up if installed properly. they are a diode.
and you will let a little rain hold up your modding...cmon man, in it to win it!!
PhdNPrerunners
New member
Thanks for all of the help. The company actually sent me the wrong bulbs like I told them they did in the first place. So now I'll have to wait to finish my LED swap.
im considering changing my dash light to give it a different look but im concern about the high failure rate of the 5050 smd led. it wont be fun pulling the gauge cluster out.
i wonder if the 5050 led that superbrightled is more reliable than the ones i picked up from ebay
JRZEE2000TR4LTD
Senior Member
Well just to be clear, I've had 2 of my LED dash lites fail. It actually wasn't the led's failing it was the solder points on the tiny zener diodes and/or resistor underneath the LED. The dash cluster is actually easy to disassemble, but I shouldn't have to do it in the first place.
well I should say I don't know exactly what part fails but I do know that it flickers or stop working all together. Moving to 3528 leds seem more reliable to me.
JRZEE2000TR4LTD
Senior Member
What is that number representing? How is it more reliable?
shootmymime
New member
yeah my led flicker, the copper flexible circuit paper they touch eventually gets warn off and the connection becomes crap..
what are you guys doing to secure a better connection on the gauge cluster behind the dash?
JRZEE2000TR4LTD
Senior Member
The LEDs failed on mine. I hooked mine up to a battery with some clips and watched it light up but if I moved it at all it went out. Carefully took apart the bottom of the LED where the zener diode and resistor are and one of them was broken away from the solder point underneath the SMD LED. Had 2 like this. Probably could have fixed it with better soldering equipment. (which I could have used to fix that damn auto climate control also)
Boconnor303
New member
Just an FYI for all the future endeavors, I just finished this project on my 2000 Limited and the #74 bulb fit in place of the "required" #24. I spent quite some time comparing website dimensions and measuring bulbs over and over with a caliper, and it worked (in my case).
OP- don't know if its worth editing the original post (doesn't seem like anyone reads it anyway ha) but it may help some in their quest for 74vs24 answers.
ALL of my lights were ordered through VLEDS.com
OP- don't know if its worth editing the original post (doesn't seem like anyone reads it anyway ha) but it may help some in their quest for 74vs24 answers.
ALL of my lights were ordered through VLEDS.com
MTD
New member
Good deal! I just ordered 20 #74 bulbs haha.
seabun
Member
If 74s fit where the three 24s are suggested, that would be good to know, and definitely make ordering and tracking down all the pieces a lot easier. Did you get a chance to install the leds you ordered, and if so did the #74s work for the three gauge bulbs (#24) as well?
And thanks again to the OP, this is a great write-up and just what I need for my install later this summer!:yo:
MTD
New member
Too busy I haven't had time too. I will try tonight if I have time.
shootmymime
New member
Bulbs are directional. If they don't work try turning them 180 degrees. Also be careful you don't keep taking them in and out. That will cause the copper conductor to run away and you will be left with a light that flickers with each bump you hit as it gets a connection then looses it.
Good luck
I hope I don't get flamed for this...but
I see no reference to "Neo Wedge A" or "Neo Wedge B" on any of the sites.
There are Neo Wedge bulbs, but the reference sizes are T3, T4, T5, etc.
I am looking for the Rear Window bulb, which the chart says "Neo Wedge A - 8mm/3mm" and I can't find a bulb that looks as long and skinny as the one I removed from the console on either VLEDS or SuperBrightLEDs.
Is the 3mm T1 LED the one that I should order in place of Neo Wedge A?
I see no reference to "Neo Wedge A" or "Neo Wedge B" on any of the sites.
There are Neo Wedge bulbs, but the reference sizes are T3, T4, T5, etc.
I am looking for the Rear Window bulb, which the chart says "Neo Wedge A - 8mm/3mm" and I can't find a bulb that looks as long and skinny as the one I removed from the console on either VLEDS or SuperBrightLEDs.
Is the 3mm T1 LED the one that I should order in place of Neo Wedge A?
volkinator
New member
Pretty sure I just ordered the 'T3' from superbrightleds. It fit perfect and works great! I just used the mm size after the 'T' and it worked well. Shouldn't have any issues. My rear window light works great! the ECT/defrost one is a bit harder to get in, but I took the cover off and it helped a ton. Switched the whole center over to Amber, and found the light for the shifter letters as well as glove box!
Also, for a reference, I took out my ash tray and replaced it with a scangauge II... the light for the ash tray fits a 74 LED, and I put an amber in there as well. It works perfectly for illuminating the cup holder area and doesn't have any glare into your eyes. In my opinion it works like the little diffused LED's that the new cars put near the map lights to illuminate the tunnel area. works amazing! I'll try to get some pictures to help tonight.
Twan
Senior Member
That is the one I just ordered from superbrightleds on Friday. From the best I can tell, after double and triple checking that should be the one.
JRZEE2000TR4LTD
Senior Member
Yes you want the T3 size. Make sure to get the ones with the exposed surface mount LED and not the ones with the lens on them. They can be somewhat dim especially in those switches because the original bulbs are tall and the LEDs are short so they need to be nice and bright to light up the switches. The ones with you want are marked HP (high power). As volkinator said, you will have to remove the cover on the back of the switches to get to the one bulb. A butter knife is a perfect tool for this. "Some" of the LEDs I've gotten from SuperBrightleds are a little loose in the socket and can come loose and flicker. A little glue fixes those.
