speedometer light replacement

[Gangman036]

I just put in the 194 B SuperBright SYLVANIA bulb in "BLUE". I'm super stoked and waiting to see how it looks at night.

Remember...1 very small screw in the mileage reset knob (almost eyeglass small ) and my 03 has a screw on the back side of the speedo housing, close to the headlight housing not the bottom of the speedometer housing. Speedo housing came right off. Pull (gently) on the rubber light socket and install the new bulb.....nothing. Pulled bulb out spun it 180 and put it back in.....we got light !! Thanks for all the post on this "dim gauge lighting" fix.

                                                       Ride Safe !!!

[da prez]

  I had the same issue as to turning a bulb 180 degrees. I did not know a plug in bulb was directional.
  Others doing replacement , check before reassembly.

                                        da prez

[mike72903]

Curious how the blue LEDs work for you.  I put blue LEDs in and the gauges are almost impossible to read at night. 

[Gangman036]

They are not as bright as the stock light.....but are still readable for me. I may switch to the superbright "white" ones later. These look good with my blue led's on the motor.

[mark81]

I used the same ones a while back. Much brighter than stock

Click on link for video of gauges
http://s1361.photobucket.com/user/marksdowers/media/20160817_224619_zpssr384phy.mp4.html

[mike72903]

Mine are pretty bright but there seems to be something with the blue that makes it difficult to distinguish the numbers on the gauges from the color being cast over them. May just be my particular 70 year old eyes. I find more and more I'm just not comfortable riding in the dark.

[da prez]

  I used a LED and it is good at night. It to was directional.

                                       da prez

[cogsman]

Have a look at one of my posts. I replaced both speedo and tach with blue LEDs from http://www.stillookin007.com/

[WintrSol]

Mine are pretty bright but there seems to be something with the blue that makes it difficult to distinguish the numbers on the gauges from the color being cast over them. May just be my particular 70 year old eyes. I find more and more I'm just not comfortable riding in the dark.

Optical experts will confirm that, to discriminate fine details, blue light is the hardest, while amber is the easiest. The older you get, the more pronounced the effect becomes, so you are exactly right. I used the white LEDs, because I don't care for the look of amber, and see the numbers just fine.

[MarkT]

From a previous thread, reposted:

The numerals and scale are translucent.  Transmit green if you give it white light.  I bought a bunch of different color wedge 194-type LED "bulbs".  All have 5 emitters - 1 up and 4 out every 90°.  Colors I tried are red, blue, ultraviolet, and white. Didn't try green because the numerals and scale being green, that would eliminate the contrast if the face is also lit up green.  The gauges are definitely set up to favor white.  I got all the bulbs from Super Bright Leds at https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/miniature-wedge-base/194-led-bulb-5-smd-led-tower-miniature-wedge-retrofit-car/206/#/tab/Reviews

The bulbs are rated at 5500-11000mcd depending on color (except the UV, much less).  The white ones I settled on  are 8000mcd or 75lumins.  FAR brighter than the incandescent OEMs, and they will never burn out.  After testing other colors, white was by far the most visible.  

Here's the best color - white, has slight blue tint.  This is taken with the 300w overhead shop light on - not in the dark and they are well illuminated internally.  Max brightness; the pot helps by reducing it.




Installed a pot to dial up/down the instrument lights.  Had the right pot on hand; like to do chromatherapy until I get it perfect.  Put the pot right below where the fuel selector was so I can reach and turn it easily with gloves on.

[WintrSol]

FAR brighter than the incandescent OEMs, and they will never burn out.

The may not burn out, but they can fail. I've had them go out one LED at a time, and all at once. Probably a mechanical failure from vibration, but without access to a lab, the actual reason is unknown.

[MarkT]

Yep.  I've been making LED circuits for years now.  Failures have always been the connections - broken wires or cracked solder joints.  Life expectancy of the LED's themselves is measured in the hundreds of thousands of hours.  Broken wires and other connections can happen with most electrical devices depending on the technology (probably less likely with printed circuits rather than hand-soldered). But in relation to old-school incandescent bulbs - there's no comparison in reliability.  Unlike incandescents - I don't carry any LED replacements in my repair kit.  And all of the lights on Jade are now LED, except the headlight and H4 spots.  The LED H4's I've tried, just don't focus right with reflectors made for tungsten.  I've decided I have a light solution, so haven't gone to Josh's Daylighter setup - though it seems to be a great idea. Maybe I don't want my bikes to look like a harley from the front.