12 replies to this topic

[iPd Cameron]

Hope I'm not newb-ing it up, but searched and couldn't find a clear result...

I've swapped all my interior lighting in my '98 S70 to white LEDs. Only thing kinda driving me crazy right now because it doesn't quite match is the main cluster lights. Since there looks to be green films kinda sandwiched between the gauge faces and the acrylic backing "plate" I have a tinge of light blueish to the cluster lighting.

I just finished disassembling the ECC unit to insert several bright white SMD LEDs directly behind the dials and it's rad and nice and even bright white now. Directly below that I did a Kenwood double DIN a few months ago which I have set to bright white too. With that all matching now the slight blue-ish of the cluster is irritating me more.

Last time I had the cluster out I took it apart to install gauge trim rings and I looked a bit closer at the faces to figure out where the green hue came from when lighting from behind. Looked to me like if you pulled the needles off the faces could lift off. Is that correct? If so, anyone have any experience pulling the needles off and lifting the gauge faces? Is the green film behind the gauges removable? I've removed needles/faces off 240 clusters several times, but not on an S70. What's the proper way to remove the needles so I can lift the faces and get the green out of there?

[T5power]

iPd Cameron, on 26 December 2011 - 11:58 PM, said:

Hope I'm not newb-ing it up, but searched and couldn't find a clear result...

I've swapped all my interior lighting in my '98 S70 to white LEDs. Only thing kinda driving me crazy right now because it doesn't quite match is the main cluster lights. Since there looks to be green films kinda sandwiched between the gauge faces and the acrylic backing "plate" I have a tinge of light blueish to the cluster lighting.

I just finished disassembling the ECC unit to insert several bright white SMD LEDs directly behind the dials and it's rad and nice and even bright white now. Directly below that I did a Kenwood double DIN a few months ago which I have set to bright white too. With that all matching now the slight blue-ish of the cluster is irritating me more.

Last time I had the cluster out I took it apart to install gauge trim rings and I looked a bit closer at the faces to figure out where the green hue came from when lighting from behind. Looked to me like if you pulled the needles off the faces could lift off. Is that correct? If so, anyone have any experience pulling the needles off and lifting the gauge faces? Is the green film behind the gauges removable? I've removed needles/faces off 240 clusters several times, but not on an S70. What's the proper way to remove the needles so I can lift the faces and get the green out of there?

pics or it didn't happen.



but seriously, that green tint i believe cannot be removed. last time i had the dials out, it looked like it was just part of the plastic. i'm sure if you were crafty with something like a laser etcher or something, you could etch off the green film, assuming that there are more than one layer on there. but it seems like if you have a bright enough light emitting through for white, or even just a whole other color (i.e. red, amber, blue...), the tinted film shouldn't be a problem.

[iPd Cameron]

Ha -- when I had the ECC all taken apart I thoght, "I should get the camera and take pics" but I decided to be lazy instead. I had previously installed plug and play leds in there but all the light was focused on the bottom and that was not going to cut it. So I got highlight, adhesive backed smd leds and stuck those in there behind the dials and ran the wires out throgh the now empty bulb sockets holes. Much better now, but like I said, the light bluish of the main cluster is a tad more apparent now.

Thanks for the insight on the faces... I was hoping it would be easier than that, but if the green is part of the acrylic I guess I am stuck getting used to it or getting a lot more in depth which I am not quite ready for yet I think. On 240s it is nice and simple because you can just yank out the film the lights shine through. Oh well.

I also installed some nice red led smd accent lights in the door handle cups and also in the pocket under the ashtray in the center console today while I was installing the R door cards I boght from CJ which came out pretty cool... I have been meaning to put up a project thread here on the car since I have done more and more mods to it, so I will be sure to get some pics in there of the led action.

[Kevin.]

Couldn't you just use a grinder to get rid of the green plastic?

[T5power]

A1C Beiber, on 27 December 2011 - 02:19 AM, said:

Couldn't you just use a grinder to get rid of the green plastic?

you'd end up with a gauge face a la jackson pollock

[Kevin.]

I've never taken one apart so I'm a little lost here... can someone 'splain this to me? Coreh? Eh? Haha

[T5power]

A1C Beiber, on 27 December 2011 - 06:31 AM, said:

I've never taken one apart so I'm a little lost here... can someone 'splain this to me? Coreh? Eh? Haha

the green plastic is part of the gauge face itself. there really isn't any way to remove the green. just to overpower the film with a brighter light. i'm sure there's a way, but cost wise and time wise, you're better off just rigging up a really bright system instead of removing the film.

[JRL]

There's a reason why manufacturers have a slight blue or green (or in the case of BMW) red hues to the lights, a bright white light is hard and tiring on the eyes.
I think you will not like this if you do a lot of night driving.

(the greenish tint is a part of the gauge and cannot be removed, (at least not easily if at all)

[Serge]

JRL, on 27 December 2011 - 03:20 PM, said:

There's a reason why manufacturers have a slight blue or green (or in the case of BMW) red hues to the lights, a bright white light is hard and tiring on the eyes.
I think you will not like this if you do a lot of night driving.

(the greenish tint is a part of the gauge and cannot be removed, (at least not easily if at all)

The blue tint on Volvo gauges is to remove the yellow from incandescent bulbs. So in essence, it makes it less pleasing to the eyes (yellow is not as harsh). BMW and Audi have the right idea with red and orange, it's much easier on the eyes than say bright blue (e.g., VW Jetta gauges).

And yeah, the blueish part can't be removed.

Edited by Serge, 27 December 2011 - 07:01 PM.

[stevensane247]

Check these out, only downfall is its difficult to see needles.

[Dan A]

JRL, on 27 December 2011 - 03:20 PM, said:

There's a reason why manufacturers have a slight blue or green (or in the case of BMW) red hues to the lights, a bright white light is hard and tiring on the eyes.
I think you will not like this if you do a lot of night driving.

(the greenish tint is a part of the gauge and cannot be removed, (at least not easily if at all)

Some manufacturers use white also. I think both of my in law's Lexuses are a cool/bright white. But I don't disagree with you. Red/orange is good for night driving and green is also easy on the eyes.

[BoostedS70]

blue is actualy the hardest spectrum of light on ur eyes. yellow is the easiest and the fastest color for your brain to process thats why caution signs are yellow.

[Serge]

BoostedS70, on 01 January 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

blue is actualy the hardest spectrum of light on ur eyes. yellow is the easiest and the fastest color for your brain to process thats why caution signs are yellow.

Yep. That's why in an airplane cockpit all the interior lights are amber/orange. The only blue is from the artificial horizon