|
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
First and for most, I would like to clarify a few questions I have been
asked. The gauge cluster and HVAC controls you will see in the following
pictures or the first pictures are not aftermarket, not reverse-glo, not
special edition or anything else. My gauge cluster and HVAC controls are
the ones that were installed in my car from the factory.
Q. Now you might be asking, why do my gauges and controls look "bluer"
or "brighter" than all of the other "stock" gauge clusters and HVAC controls?
A. I swapped out the stock "incandescent" bulbs in my cluster and controls
with super bright "LED's."
Q. So what's the difference in the incandescent bulbs and LED bulbs and
why does it make it appear blue?
A. Behind our clusters and HVAC controls lies a blue film (the film behind
the number and dial cut outs are blue). An incandescent bulb emits a yellowish
light (like most household bulbs that are incandescent). When you mix
this yellowish light with a blue film, you get a green hue showing through
the numbers of our clusters and dials of our controls. NOW, when you take
the stock incandescent bulbs out and swap in their places the super bright,
pure white LED's and mix it with the stock blue film, you get a BLUE hue.
So white and blue = blue. Hopefully you get what im saying. That is why
my gauge numbers and HVAC controls are now BLUE and not the stock green.
What you will need
7 Super Bright White LED's - Socket 194/168 (sockets are the same,
just different numbers)
I bought my LED's from here (mine are the WLED-x5 Wedge Based Bulbs)
For 1999 - 2004 Mustangs you need 74-xHP3. The "x" denotes a color code so for example if you order green it'll say 74-GHP3.
A T-15 Torx Screwdriver
A 2 mm (i believe that's what it was) allen/hex wrench. YOU ONLY NEED
THIS IF YOU HAVE AN AFTERMARKET HEADLIGHT KNOB!
An 8mm Socket, Socket Wrench and a few LONG extensions. YOU ONLY NEED
THESE IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON DOING THE HVAC CONTROL LED SWAP!
OK, so lets get started!
Step
1
Start with your untouched
gauge cluster.
Remove the two T-15
Torx head screws.
Step
2
STOCK HEADLIGHT KNOB
"You need to pull
a retainer clip outwards (away from the shaft) and then pull this knob
off gently." - MustangWorld.com
Aftermarket Headlight
Knob
Remove the 2 mm Allen/Hex
screw in the side of your Headlight Knob Switch
Step
3
Once you have the
knob taken care of, carefully remove the gauge clusters bezel (clusters
surrounding piece). It will be stubborn more than likely but it should
come out, just try not to break it! After the bezel is out, unscrew
the four surrounding bolts to remove the cluster itself. They are again
T-15 Torx headed bolts.
Step 4
Tilt the cluster by bringing the bottom out first. (like you would be putting the gauge faces pointing upwards)
Step 4.1
Remove the black connector that is connected into the back of the cluster. Carefully pull it straight back and out.
Step 4.2
Notice the white connector on the opposite end of the gauge cluster. Just like the black connector, remove the white connector the same way. Carefully pull straight back and out.
Step 5
Once the two connectors are unplugged from the back of the cluster, carefully pull the cluster out. (It helps if you have the wheel tilted as low as it can go). From there, flip the cluster over and notice the 5 black TWIST style sockets. Untwisting the black sockets to the left will unlock them and allow you to pull them straight out.
Step 6
Notice MY already installed LED.
To replace the bulbs with your new LED's, simply pull the stock bulb out and replace with the LED. Put all the sockets back into the holes and get ready to reinstall the cluster!
So CONGRATS, we are halfway done with the swap! See, its not so bad right!?
REINSTALLATION of the Cluster
Step 7
Start by re-inserting the white connector the the back of the gauge cluster. Do not force it in, it will go in if you have it aligned right. It will require a bit of pressure but not 100% strength lol.
Step 7.1
Then go to the opposite side of the cluster and reinsert the black connector. Rules are the same as the white connector.
Step 7.2
Reinsert the Cluster with the gauge faces pointing upwards again and slide the bottom up and back to insert the cluster in its original position.
Step 7.3
ATTENTION! I would now suggest that you reconnect the negative battery cable to ensure your newly installed LED's are all working! Once you verify they are all on and in working condition, go back and DISCONNECT your negative battery cable.
Step 8
Screw in the 4 T-15 Torx headed bolts to hold the cluster in place (be careful not to drop the bolts behind the cluster, you may not get them back!)
Step 9
ATTENTION! Don't forget about the HEADLIGHT KNOB! I've done this and reinstalled everything and its annoying to think your done and then notice your missing a headlight knob! Go ahead and pull out the headlight knobs shaft to the ON position and THEN install the gauge clusters bezel.
Step 10
Reinstall your Headlight Knob with your 2 mm Allen/Hex wrench or simply push your stock knob back on (i remember having to adjust the retaining clip inside the knob when I had mine so you may have to play with it)
Step 11
Reinstall the two T-15 Torx headed bolts into the clusters bezel and vwalah! or walah! or.... you get the point.
So, we have no completed the gauge cluster LED swap! If you are continuing on and doing the HVAC control LED swap, now is a great time to have a coke or a beer ;)
LED HVAC CONTROLS SWAP
Step 1
Here we start with a stock HVAC control head unit. If you have a DVD player, make sure you fold the face down before unplugging the negative battery cable.
Step 2
Here I undid my shifter knob so I can remove the shifters bezel and boot.
Step 2.1
Once the shifter bezel and boot is taken off of the main console, unplug the cigarette lighter.
Step 3
Continuing, unscrew the two T-15 Torx headed screws securing the bezel.
Step 4
After taking out your stereo's head unit, take your extensions as well as your 8mm (i believe that's what I used) socket and socket wrench.
Unscrew the 8mm headed bolt that secure the bezel in place inside of the dash. (It is directly behind the stereo head unit. Follow the long black plastic piece)
Step 5
YAY! Our bezel can now come off after a few pulls around the perimeter of the bezel! Like the gauge cluster bezel, be careful not to break it! The bezel will be stubborn but should come out with a bit of strength!
Step 6
Here is the long black piece attached to the bezel and the hole that the 8mm screw goes in.
Step 7
After the bezel is removed and carefully set down to avoid scratches, take your T-15 Torx screw driver and unscrew the four bolts holding the HVAC controls in place.
Step
7.1
Once the four bolts
are removed, carefully pull out the HVAC control unit and look for the
2 black TWIST style sockets. (These are exactly the same as the gauge
cluster sockets)
Step
8
Twist out the sockets, replace the bulbs, and reinstall.
ATTENTION! I would suggest replugging up the negative battery cable
and making sure the LED's work like before. Once you verify they are
working, go ahead and unplug the negative battery cable again. After
doing that, reinstall EVERYTHING in REVERSE order! Reconnect your negative
battery cable, pull the headlight knob and again, VWALAH! You should
now be greeted with a nice blue gauge cluster and HVAC controls!
That's it! Not to long of a job but it can be aggravating. However,
the results definitely speak for themselves! Hope my HOW TO was easy
to follow and you got the output you desired
After shots!
DISCLAIMER - I am not responsible for any problems (cluster failures, HVAC failures, shortages, electrical issues, personal harm to you or anyone else, etc...) from YOU attempting to do this LED swap. MY HOW TO article is to simply guide you through the process and help those that are unsure. I assume no responsibility if anything were to go wrong. However, I am responsible for all POSITIVE outcomes. =] This swap is very simple, just need basic knowledge and tools. You have been warned! If you wish to proceed, please continue, be safe and have fun!
By: Trey - "TxCobrA98"
www.sn95forums.com
hey guys i have 2002 ford mustang v6 and wan to ask watch bulbs would fit in my gauge?????
Man I got these put in my 97 cobra and everything assembled but NONE lit up!! Anyone have any experience with this??
I'm sure these will work, but none are lighting up at all for me on my 97 Cobra. Any ideas?!?!???!
where did u get the ford cover for the mach 460 cd player? looking to take it out but no clue where to buy a cover from ....
Alright that is freakin amazing and WAY simpilar than i thought it would be.
if i where JUST to install red LEDS how would it looks?
and how would i go about removing this blue film if it wouldnt work?
Hey guys i have a 99 mustang cobra svt I'm trying to change the light bulbs to L.E.D.s right now my instrument cluster gauge look's green but its hard to see at night what L.E.D.s light bulbs would i need i want to make my instrument cluster gauge look Blue ..Thank you
is it possible to change the shifter lights since there also green like the hvac and cluster. i want to change out all the lights to get blue but i dont want to have the shifter lights P,R,N,D,2,1 to be green still. any one know how to do this?
you have to take out the entire console to get to it. i replaced mine with a regular non LED ultrabright bulb from autozone but it didnt do much difference i plan on trying the LEDs. but yeah i had to remove the entire console to get to the indicator light. once removed just feel beneath the indicator and it should just twist out...
and does anyone happen to know if the shifter tells you what gear youre in like is there a color indicator in there cuz i just bought my 96 mustang gt and wasnt sure i just feel for the 3rd click. idk if the guy broke it or what cuz there is a cracked piece on it. id love to know so i can know if its fixable or not.... thanks!! and do i have to replace all the bulbs in there cuz all my interior lights seem kinda dim compared to others ive been in or what can i do to fix it? im uncertain on what to do.... when i got it i was told it got a new battery
Some stuff he's wrong about, and some stuff he doesn't show.
First of all, the tint behind the numbers are green.
Thats why it looks green when the lights are on.
In order to get rid of the green, you must take the front plastic protective bubble off of the cluster, this will expose the needles and the face-plate.
Here's the tricky part.
You have to take the needles off.
If i were you, I would let your car run for a while, get warmed up, and sit at an idle. Do this in a controlled environment like a garage. Take a picture of where the needles sit at, down to the very tick mark.
Keep this picture.
Now, using a razor, or very pointy, flathead screw driver, begin peeling the black face-plate up.
Once this is done, take some medium grit sandpaper and sand all the green off behind any numbers, letters, lines, etc.
Put the face-plate back onto the cluster, and reconnect any wires.
Turn the car on, let it idle, and warm up. Now reattach the needles in the same location as in the picture, reassemble the protective bubble, then just insert whatever color LED lights you want, and enjoy!
The green tint is only on 01-04...the 99-00 cluster has no tint. I have done 30+ of these mods and its always been the case. As far as the rest of your post, great job on the "how-to". It will be very helpful to those with the tint.
actually your wrong, the tint is blue, but when the ugly yellow bulbs come on and mix with the blue tint it turns green.
as the subject says, i want my guages red. how will i be able to do that?
you need to take the cluster apart and take the black plates off the motor housing and scratch off the blueish green coating and then install red leds in the cluster. now be sure to mark where your arrows are pointing before you take them off so when you put it back together the gauges are true and equal
If you find there are bulbs that cannot be replaced a translucent colored material may do the trick..
I have a 99 and plan on taking on this project very soon so I will take plenty of photos.. My odometer is loose as well so I will be re soldering that.. im trying transparent blue over the odometer and one other mentioned area.. I'm going for darker blue and buying an aftermarket CD deck as well. I'll let you all know soon.
I was pretty excited to try this on my fox body. i figured since the sn95 has a blue film that gives off a green hue from the standard bulb, that it was probably the same for my fox because the stock gauges light up green. So i bought a bunch of these LED's for the job. I did the whole swap only to be disgusted to still have that ugly green light. Note for you fox body guys that wanna try this. Save your money because our gauge clusters have a green film so these LED's won't do s 
Well, it's that time of the year agin... changing the bulbs behind the cluster again. Had to order another batch of 7 as the HVAC is long dead and it's still too cold to go aout and spend the time on that one. Dash takes all of 10 minutes to do. Love the look but it's getting annoying. Still not ready to go back to regular bulbs though.
So Jesse... you've done this before and had your LED's die on you? How long do they last, just a year? The incandescent bulbs behind my gauges have lasted 20+ years, would hate to have LEDs fail so quickly.
Yeah, I'm getting about a year out of each set. I even contacted the place I got them from and they were a little less than useful. They told me that I seem to be the only one they've heard of. I've seen other posts on different forums about the same problem though and I verified that it is not all the same seller. Seems to be a Mustang issue. Luck of the draw I guess. But like I said, the look behind the dash cannot be beat. I won't go bak to regular bulbs. Instrument console takes 10 minutes to do. Center console is a tad longer because of that bolt at the back but the mod is so worth it.
Good luck!
And, as a quick update, one behind the gauges just started flickering again today. Don't know what's wrong but my car seems to eat these bulbs on a regular basis. And the time between swapping seem to be shortening.
I have a 2004 mustang 3.9liter V6.. What size led will i need. I allready no i need to file out the green lens. And i want a dark blue color?
If the 2001 cobra supposedly has a green film behind the cluster. Would it be safe to say if I use a yellow led I'll achieve dark blue? Also, if that's so would it match the HVAC color?
Thanks
yellow and green dont make blue. i am sorry. yelow and blue make green 
Hello
I'd like to do this but, was wondering what size I need for my 01 cobra and should I install a reflector behind to reflect the light? Also, if my car has a green film couldn't I just buy yellow lights then I would have a dark blue? Or get white lights and get different films to adjust to the appropriate color I'm looking for? I just want a dark blue color light and want it to be much brighter as well.
What part numbers did you use for the led's in your gauges on the pillar?
Quick Question ?... Where did you get that Cap under your radio ? The cover that says FORD under your radio !!!
I have a 03 gt and I want the red led's for the gauges but I don't know how to fim out the green tint can anybody tell me how?
You may have to grind it away
great how to..i envy people like you!!! thx
You might want to know that if a lense color is blue you should use a blue bulb. Same goes for brake lights. Use red bulbs for red lenses. A colored lense is attempting to filter out everything but that color. So if you really want BLUE, use blue bulbs even though the lense tint is blue. I know it sounds counterintuitive...
I have a 2002 v6 mustang, will the red 74-redHP3 work with the green backing flim on the guage? Or will it make some sort of off yellow or orange color? GREAT HOW TO BTW!!!!!!!!
ok, confirmed. i have 03 gt and bought the super bright white LEDs size 74. they fit BUT the glow was still green. so those of us with 03's at least have to file the green film out then purchase blue leds.
hope this helped
i have an 01 v6 and im wondering what bulb sizes i will need. im thinking its 5 of the x5hp3 and 2 of the 74... am i correct? also i want my dash to be blue... what color of film do i have?
ok, so on the 99-04, i can purchase the white led and the glow will still be blue? or do we have to get the blue leds?
I've got a 99 GT and purchased 7 of the 74-CWHP3 LEDs. Just as a heads up they worked just fine for the Gauges but they are TOO SMALL for the HVAC bulb holders. The LEDs that you use for the HVAC are the same as the ones used in the install guide above (WLED-x5), this was the case in my 99 so I assume this applies to all 99-04 cars. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the information!
I did this mod to my 99 GT and the 74 bulbs worked for the main lights, but I want to swap out the O/D light, the wheel spin light, the turn signal lights, and if possible the color of the odometer because they are still green. and the main 6 gauges are blue. For the TC button, fog lights, and rear defrost, i busted open the switches and removed the blue shield on the bulbs so that they are all orangish white and not green, but I just need the bulb size for the smaller indicator lights in the 99 and ups gauge. Does anyone know what I am talking about? The lights the light up the parking brake, theft, abs, O/D wheelspin, engine coolant, service engine, etc. What size bulbs are those? If someone can answer this, you are the man!
Donny, did the dimmer work on your 99 after the LED switch?
I have a 1999 Mustang Cobra and I was wondering if the dashboard dimmer worked with the 74-BHP3 bulbs. Should I install white or blue bulbs????
Thank you
Mike
instructions were great everything went in ok. i have one problem. the left side of my gauge cluster doesnt light up and it is not the bulb since i tried switching the bulbs in and out as well as the whole socket set up. Any sugestions on what the problem is or how i can fix it? i think its the board its self. please email me if you can help me. alexp@wpi.edu
Did you try switching the direction you placed the LEDs into your cluster? If you don't allign the positive/negative terminal of the bulb with the corresponding positive/negative terminal of your cluster then it won't illuminate.
I tell you this was a great write up. I have order my LED's and I hope to see them turn out as great as yours. I have a 98 Cobra and man it just sucks trying to see the gauge at night. I can not wait. I will post some pix if I can. thank you so much for your time and effort. Also, is the HVAC worth the work. It straight look like some time maybe a couple of beers and I will be good.
Nice write up, but I read somewhere that the 00-04 Mustang gauge film is green not blue and that you would have to dremel the green film off and replace it with blue film in order to get blue lights. Is this true? I would like to do this, but don't want to go into that much work.
Yeah bro it's true u have to file off the green flim on those
Hey guys wassup. I saw that some guys were commenting on what size bulb they need for a 99 Cobra, 00 GT, and 04 GT. Well Im here to tell you. I have a 2003 Mustang GT and I saw that you guys said the bulb that the man above was posting for his 98 cobra wasnt working in the 99-04 mustangs. The reason why is because our (99-04) clusters are electrically controlled theirs (94-98) are mechanically controlled.
Anyways the bulb size for a 99-04 mustang is a 74-GHP3 you can get it from the above website that he posted. Your bulb size may not have a "G" in it mine has it because I ordered bulbs that were green so for example if you order blue bulbs for your car it'll say 74-BHP3.
HOPE THIS HELPS!!
-CHASE A
03 GT
i hav a 02 v6 and i wnt to make the backlight red on the gauges and ac unit how do i get the light red and where cn i buy the bulb?
Super write up. Ordered the bulbs of e-bay and going to tackle this as soon as they arrive.
Hopefully this works exactly the same on my '96.
Just wonder about the factory Mach 460 sound system and a way to change the bulbs on this to match.
If anybody knows, please give info.
Thanks
hey i thought you could change the Mach 460 lights, but you cant, so i just went ahead and bought a Kenwood CD player with the blue lights so it would match, i took the 460 radio and CD player apart and there is no way to change the lights they are actually on the main circuit board..hope this helps
Great write up but i am having a bit of a problem, i purchased the same bulbs you have and ran into a problem, the bulbs in mine are smaller, i have a 2000 GT would the Cobra's be different? do you think the 74-xHP Wedge Base LED Bulbs will work instead of the ones you have? thanks
They work on my 2002 GT. I ordered the 74-xHP in blue, and it came out almost an aqua color, but definitely an improvement if you're looking for blue. I don't know if using white would've made a difference, but when the result after blue lights is aqua, it's safe to assume the gauges in our mustangs have a somewhat greenish tint. Mine don't light as bright as Mike's but definitely do the job.
Also forgot to mention, the Wedges he recommends work on the A/C knobs, and my dimmer worked until i changed my gauges, but after that swap, the dimmer stopped working
First off great write up. I purchased the WLED-B5 (194) wedge base bulbs. When I removed my instrument cluster gauge I realized the bulbs seemed bigger and would not wedge into the socket base. Do you know what bulbs I need? Thank you in advance.
What color LED is that??? Looks great!!!!!!!!
I noticed you have exactly what I am looking for to cover up the lower din slot. If I may be so bold as to ask, where did u purchase this from? Or if you custom fabricated it. I basically am looking to find a site where I can purchase that type of plate, because a pocket replacement doesn't really float my boat. Thanks!!!
Sincerly,
Paul
P.S. The LED lighting is an awesome customization!!!
Hey, this is a great write up, I've been trying to do this myself for a while, I ordered some 194/168 bulbs, but when I took the gauge cluster off I found the bulbs on my 2004 GT are smaller ones then the 194/168. Do you know by any chance what other size bulbs Ford might have put in? Thanks.
Did you use Cool white Natural white or wram white?
Thank you for a well explained walk-through. The pics were an excellent aide as well. I stumbled across this site while searching for a clear plastic bezel for my 94 GT and thought that this would be neat to try. I wish I had done it sooner. The outcome is amazing.
Thank you again.
Oh and yes, the factory dimmer still works. 
Just a quick update. Almost one year later and I'm changing the bulbs. Don't know if they were a bad batch but they've been flickering for a while and now half the cluster is dead. Bought them from the mentioned supplier and I'm buyig from them again. Just order spares if you do buy from them. They've messed up both times and not shipped the correct amount. First order was missing two, second time one.
A/C controls are definately worth the time to do. Just wish there was a way to match the rear defrost switch as well. Integrated on board and near impossible to change. It's an automatic so I have the lights at the shifter but waayyy too much work for one bulb.
Overall, it's a world of difference and I won't go back to the stock lights. Rather change them every year if I have to.
And HEY! to all you vert owners... don't forget the map lights!!! Nothing ruins things more than to throw them on and get a yellow hue over everything.
Does the factory dimmer still dim these?
Yes the factory dimmer will still work 
VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR BOTTOM STEREO INSERT. Please tell me where you got it or how you made it I don't want a compartment there email is dcbmxer02athotmail.com looking for inserts for that all over please email me!!!
AWESOME ARTICLE DUDE THANK YOU I SHALL BE DOING THIS IN THE NEAR FUTURE! my real goal was to get red glow but the blue film impregnated into the cluster makes it hard without going aftermarket but thank you it looks amazing!
I want to start off by saying THANK YOU for your detailed explanation in swapping out the LED lights. My cluster is looking better than ever before. The only thing left is to color my needles Red. However, I am also in the process of installing my aftermarket radio and I have customized it to go where the AC controls used to be which is right under the vents. I then moved my controls to the bottom. However, I now have an opening and I noticed you had a cover for that (Where you had the FORD logo). If you don't mind me asking, where were you able to get the cover because I have been having a hard time finding one. Everyone has the tray but that just doesn't do it for me. Please let me know. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank You.
Sincerely,
A big Fan.