Author Topic: Changing U13 Dash LEDs  (Read 7442 times)

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Offline Alister

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Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« on: Aug 5, 2005, 12:07PM »
After seeing pics of Rake's excellent red LED modded dash, i'm wondering if it's easy to do on the U13?
According to Rake and Benzor, on the Pintaras you just have to sand off the green covering on the speedo/tacho and replace the LEDs?
Is it pretty much the same procedure on the U13?
Cheers.

Offline Rake

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #1 on: Aug 5, 2005, 01:07PM »
The green stuff is basically just to filter the light from regular globes to make it green coloured. It's on the back side of  the black guage faces (Thin piece of plastic with the dials/numbers on it)

So this is what I sandpapered off, and replaced with a coat of modelling paint. You could probably also use cellophane.

The LEDs are different - because I repainted the needles white, they became very dim at night, so I put LEDs underneath the base of them to compensate. (Stock needles must have some special stuff on them which reacts to light much better than paint).

I don't know much/anything about the U13 dash. but I'd imagine that, being from Nissan and being of a similar vintage (Only one revision up), I'd think it would be the same/similar.
« Last Edit: Aug 5, 2005, 01:09PM by Rake »

Offline Alister

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #2 on: Aug 5, 2005, 01:28PM »
Thanks for the reply Rake...
So if you sand off the green filtering, the guages will be white?
I may try it out however i'm not sure how the remove the guage cluster.

Offline Rake

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #3 on: Aug 5, 2005, 01:32PM »
Spot on!

I havn't had the privellege to pull apart a U13 dash, sorry! :P

Offline Leopard-Man

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #4 on: Aug 5, 2005, 02:57PM »
Alister are you saying your dash lights up green????? ??? mine lights up white normally anyway!
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Offline Ka-Bluey

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #5 on: Aug 5, 2005, 03:25PM »
I think its more of a greenish white.
I'd like mine to be reversed  ;)
 

Offline BennyGee

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #6 on: Aug 5, 2005, 03:59PM »
hrm, yeah
my dash leds are as white was white can be.

and i like it that way.

It aint a skyline, but itll sure take your excels out.

Offline Alister

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #7 on: Aug 5, 2005, 05:25PM »
Alister are you saying your dash lights up green????? ??? mine lights up white normally anyway!

Mine seems to light up greenish white but nowhere near as green as my dads Camry.
I wouldn't mind modding them to Red or Blue :)

EDIT - Just checked then, they are yellowish white, wouldn't mind pure white, red, or blue.
« Last Edit: Aug 5, 2005, 06:31PM by Alister »

Offline Leopard-Man

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #8 on: Aug 6, 2005, 11:49AM »
I think its more of a greenish white.
I'd like mine to be reversed  ;)

Nah mine are definitely white, not greenish white or yellowish white. Like Benny's mine are white as white can be! I wonder why it differs? Quite strange really considering Alister owns an LX too.
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Offline Ka-Bluey

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #9 on: Aug 6, 2005, 11:51AM »
They may be white but they're not the A4 paper white, thats what i call white.
Guess they're all the same just look different to different people.
 

Offline Rake

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #10 on: Aug 7, 2005, 02:11AM »
Maybe theres no real green colouring to the guages... Or only some cars had it. Hmm...

The off-white colour would be simply because of the plain old incandescent bulbs I assume is used.  You gotta remember the U12 dash has no LEDs. Mine does, but I put them there. Now I can't speak for the U13 but as above, I'd imagine it would be the same scenario. Blue/White LEDs havn't been around for very long and even if they were around when the U13 was built and sold, they would've been stupidly expensive, thus unfeasable for Nissan to fit.

Offline Leopard-Man

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #11 on: Aug 7, 2005, 05:33PM »
Maybe theres no real green colouring to the guages... Or only some cars had it. Hmm...
The off-white colour would be simply because of the plain old incandescent bulbs I assume is used.  You gotta remember the U12 dash has no LEDs. Mine does, but I put them there. Now I can't speak for the U13 but as above, I'd imagine it would be the same scenario. Blue/White LEDs havn't been around for very long and even if they were around when the U13 was built and sold, they would've been stupidly expensive, thus unfeasable for Nissan to fit.

Thats true, but mine are not even off white really, i would say they are white, maybe not quite paper white but not far off it.
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Offline Rake

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #12 on: Aug 7, 2005, 10:34PM »
Prolly just decent globes in it then.

Offline Leopard-Man

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #13 on: Aug 8, 2005, 05:40PM »
yeah  ;D
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Offline Alister

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #14 on: Oct 1, 2005, 11:26PM »
I bought a U13 SSS Attesa dash to play with...
Dash illumination is via T10 wedge bulbs (same used for the number plate illumination) covered with a blue rubber covering.
This blue covering just makes the light appear whiter but still to some degree a bit yellow. I've got one of the dash globes in one of my number plate lights and the standard bulb in the other one.
Can take a pic for comparison if anyone is interested.

Plan to mod my dash illumination to blue using blue LED parkers.

Offline P-Unit

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #15 on: Jan 6, 2007, 07:40PM »
My dash was the stock off whitish color,

went down to autobarn and got 4*T10 superbright wide angle LEDs and popped the straight in, looks nuts, the needles go red too, takes about 10 minutes from start to car put back together. PM me if you need any more info on ripping out the dash, Ive done it a few times now.

Offline LUP15

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #16 on: Jan 7, 2007, 11:10AM »
got a pic of your dash p-unit? the needle on the u13 attesa have an orange coating on them... how did you make yours go red? or were they already red to begin with...
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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #17 on: Jan 7, 2007, 08:52PM »
They were orange to start with but when you put in the red LEDs they glow red, I'll find a pic and pop it on for ya.

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #18 on: Jan 7, 2007, 09:35PM »
I apologize for replying to my own post and for the poor picture quality from the camera phone, but you get the drift...


Offline LUP15

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #19 on: Jan 8, 2007, 12:55PM »
lol yikes, really bad pic, but as u said get the drift hehe. i c u got red leds hence the red needles hehe

does the dimmer actually make the leds go up and down in brightness still?

cheers for the effort +karma for u :)
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Offline Alister

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #20 on: Jan 8, 2007, 02:58PM »
lol yikes, really bad pic, but as u said get the drift hehe. i c u got red leds hence the red needles hehe

does the dimmer actually make the leds go up and down in brightness still?

cheers for the effort +karma for u :)

If they are LED t10 wedge globes, then yes the brightness switch still works but the range isn't as much as using standard t10 globes.

Offline fez200

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #21 on: Jan 10, 2007, 03:13PM »
i just went through the same with my attesa u13 dash. i bought some T10 wedge LED (blue) off ebay.

getting the dash out was fun. NOT. the LEDs went in sweet.
once fitted and tested the dashboard is now quite dark, but blue.

maybe i have to sand off that green coating as stated before by a member.

i cannot really see my dials very well either, they appear orange and does not look good against the blue.

maybe you could buy a glow paint for the dials. may look good with the dials...any ideas???
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Offline JelloBello

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #22 on: Jan 10, 2007, 05:39PM »
I don't think the HNU13 have any colouring in their plastic like the U12's...otherwise how could it be white light as stock? ....maybe higher wattage/better quality bulbs are the answer?
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Offline fez200

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #23 on: Jan 11, 2007, 07:01AM »
the original HNU13 dash has blue coverings on the T10 bulbs.
without these coverings the dash is not white
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Offline Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #24 on: Jan 11, 2007, 07:49AM »
I'm pritty sure the hnu13 has no green, the reason for the blue rubber things on the globes is to make the light appear more white, I tryed installing new globes without the blue rubbers and it made the dash light up yellow. I have just ordered some red led t10 globes that have like 5 leds in each globe facing different directions to spread the light. Currently even with new globes the dash dosnt light up very bright, Im hoping this will increase the brightness a bit, Ill let you all know how it goes.
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Offline fez200

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Re: Changing U13 Dash LEDs
« Reply #25 on: Jan 11, 2007, 09:24AM »
post up some pics when finished wolf. !!!

im still wanting to know how to make my dials stand out.
with the blue background the dials are hard to see in the dark.
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