maritimeblue911
PCGB Member
Is there an LED fitting available anywhere to have brighter warning lights on the dash? Crazy to think Porsche got away with them being so dim?!
can we upgrade the warning bulbs on the dash?
- Thread starter maritimeblue911
- Start date
Yes. There are two ways of doing it - one is to fit an LED strip along the bottom of the light prisms and the other (which I took) is to replace the bulbs themselves with dimmable LEDs - much easier.
Your best bet when you remove the cluster is to get some acetone free nail polish remover and clean all the existing silvering off the light prisms until they are clear plastic. Then either repaint them with silver/chrome paint or (as I did) form aluminium foil tightly around them and then use duct tape to hold it all in place.
Your best bet when you remove the cluster is to get some acetone free nail polish remover and clean all the existing silvering off the light prisms until they are clear plastic. Then either repaint them with silver/chrome paint or (as I did) form aluminium foil tightly around them and then use duct tape to hold it all in place.
maritimeblue911 said:
This came up a couple of weeks ago - did you not have a search??
Also there is a post under the 944 Technical Articles section, skip to the bottom to find the latest method
- Jager LED Gauge Upgrade HOWTO | Porsche Forum from Porsche Club GB
maritimeblue911
PCGB Member
Yes I did - did you not have a read of my post?? I'm just being cheeky - I was asking about the warning lights, not the gauge illumination.dlknight said:This came up a couple of weeks ago - did you not have a search??
I had already done the latter - I just replaced the three bulbs with the warm white leds (below) I had lying around and it made a huge difference - not sure I understand why the faffing with the reflectors is necessary - they aren't dimmable, but you'll only want them at full brightness anyway.
Once the gauges are better lit it makes the warning lights look even more dim but I have replaced them with these in White 6000K
https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/products/b8-5d-twist-led-bulb-286-gauge-dashboard-upgrade-509t-various-colours-1?variant=29930184573037
You need 10 - They are still not crazy bright but passable now, and the overall result is a massive improvement.
Do we know why Porsche didn't bother with the Check Engine light when it's on the dash but not functional?
Waylander
Active member
Blimey thats very bright, I have mine dimmed down with standard bulbs, helps to see at night
If you run a wire from pin 17 which is missing from connector "C" to the K line of the ecu connector your engine warning light will work, if you have a promax chip it will be on all the time, as it senses the rev limit change and the ECU chucks a ECL
I Know this as I did it to my 968, useful for the blink test, but a LED on a couple of wires is just as effective
disconnected now as I have a Promax 7100 chip
If you run a wire from pin 17 which is missing from connector "C" to the K line of the ecu connector your engine warning light will work, if you have a promax chip it will be on all the time, as it senses the rev limit change and the ECU chucks a ECL
I Know this as I did it to my 968, useful for the blink test, but a LED on a couple of wires is just as effective
disconnected now as I have a Promax 7100 chip
maritimeblue911
PCGB Member
Thanks waylander - Those instrument leds *are actually dimmable, contrary to my earlier post. But, at full brightness my dash now looks right, no more dark abyss! Don't know what Porsche were thinking!
Waylander
Active member
Have to say I prefer to look up when driving and not down, then get your iris close in your eyes due the bright lighs, and have your night vision reduced by about 20-30%
that why soldiers on guard duty always have the backs to the fire
this was Porsches reasoning when they went for the low light interior and no lights in the switches, which I find really annoying not being able to find the switches at night, in the dark lanes round here
that why soldiers on guard duty always have the backs to the fire
this was Porsches reasoning when they went for the low light interior and no lights in the switches, which I find really annoying not being able to find the switches at night, in the dark lanes round here
maritimeblue911
PCGB Member
hmm since there’s a dimmer surely we can dial the lights down when we need to, rather than having to put up with seeing almost nothing when driving at night when the streets are lit - and the warning lights have even less of an excuse for being dim, surely - also, the dials on my 911 of the same year are very well lit. Let‘s plan a night at the Oxford Debating Society around this topic
scam75
Well-known member
Must admit I've always been a fan of the dim lights, it's part of the character, in saying that my dimmer switch is up full all the time, lights practically vanish if I turn it down!
Another quirk of mine is the right of the 3 bulbs (yes 3) that light up "parking lights" quite often won't come on until I ping the glass a few times, always satisfying when it kicks into life! I've changed the bulb and cleaned up the connections but it's always been the same. It obviously doesn't want fixed and wants to play games with me!
On another note, have you noticed the light switch and the ashtray light up? Both of mine do so providing all the light of a candle under a brown bag, but they work, as does the not very bright light in my key. Also the demister icon at the top of the central air vent lights up, again, not very bright! Dim lighting is very much a 944 trait for me.
I will say though that the main interior light and boot light are very bright, it's as if the whole thing is designed for subtlety whilst driving, and practicality when entering/exiting or loading/unloading. I would have to say by design.
Stuart
Another quirk of mine is the right of the 3 bulbs (yes 3) that light up "parking lights" quite often won't come on until I ping the glass a few times, always satisfying when it kicks into life! I've changed the bulb and cleaned up the connections but it's always been the same. It obviously doesn't want fixed and wants to play games with me!
On another note, have you noticed the light switch and the ashtray light up? Both of mine do so providing all the light of a candle under a brown bag, but they work, as does the not very bright light in my key. Also the demister icon at the top of the central air vent lights up, again, not very bright! Dim lighting is very much a 944 trait for me.
I will say though that the main interior light and boot light are very bright, it's as if the whole thing is designed for subtlety whilst driving, and practicality when entering/exiting or loading/unloading. I would have to say by design.
Stuart
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