Changing the colour of lights of the dashboard (DIY)

iraghava · 29th June 2007, 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankitahuja

Guys any idea about the OHC's instrument cluster bulb? Does it also have a capless LED like the Suzukis?

The OHC's cluster has a normal bulb so this upgrade can't be performed on it. I tried it when my dashboard was opened up to extract my cellphone from it!

ankitahuja · 29th June 2007, 02:01

Damn Ishan thats bad news! Normal bulbs as in? Don't they come in a different colour?

Have to take some serious advice from you so will call you on Saturday if you're free?

EDIT: Also, is it a pain to open up the panel in DIY mode or is it better to get this opened from a mechanic? Regardless of a different colour, I need to change the bulb then as the illumination in my car is way too dim now.

v1p3r · 29th June 2007, 02:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankitahuja

Does it also have a capless LED like the Suzukis?

Suzis don't have capless LEDs. They have capped bulbs.

iraghava · 29th June 2007, 02:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankitahuja

Damn Ishan thats bad news! Normal bulbs as in? Don't they come in a different colour?

Have to take some serious advice from you so will call you on Saturday if you're free?

EDIT: Also, is it a pain to open up the panel in DIY mode or is it better to get this opened from a mechanic? Regardless of a different colour, I need to change the bulb then as the illumination in my car is way too dim now.

Well Ankit welcome to the underlit cabin world of OHC's! It's not just your car that has dim illumination but it's a problem with the whole generation of cars, so don't be too worried.

Problem is since the bulbs are normal ones with filaments, fitting ones with more illumiation is not really possible. But a brighter one can be fitted in the cabin light which I've had done recently, you could do that if you want.

And you can call me on saturday no issues, I'll be in Delhi most probably.

HAFI · 29th June 2007, 09:35

hey mine is palio..removed the instrument panel..but found that there were no caps for the bulb..instead the rear of the panel is covered with a green filament..it gives it the green light..how will i replace it??

speedzak · 29th June 2007, 10:45

Hafi, I think you mean a green film behind the panel. Right?
You can replace that with a different colored film and You're done. It has to be cut same as the original one.

moralfibre · 29th June 2007, 11:55

Zak, is the green film easily removable from the panel?

zakaaaaasss · 29th June 2007, 12:07

Thought this would be useful for Daewoo Matiz owners planning such DIY. u can refer my post :

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/425989-post28.html

Quote:

had taken off today from work also wifey and kid were out....so had around 2 hours for DIY.....time for action.....

got my power screwdirver kit and headed towards matiz....got the center cowl out....since earlier i had opened the center console for steroe DIY, this time i did it rapidly enough...

got 4 screws off and the speedo was out.....

the whole unit is so easy to fit/remove and also all the parts like the front curved plastic glass, the black cowl are easily accessible.

then cleaned them with cotton cloth...headed towards the rear part of speedo...

got the small bulb holders for center sppedo, the fuel guage and temp guage out...removed the blue rubber cap and cleaned the bulbls and fitted them back..

.then reassembled the speedo console and tucked in all the parts that i had removed.

moralfibre · 29th June 2007, 12:24

Nicely done zakaaaaasss. I was going to mention that it would be fairly easy to do this in the Matiz because the front console can be removed very easily with a philips screwdriver. How about trying different colours for illumination?

manikjeet · 30th June 2007, 00:28

finally the night pic

its a little greenish but its actually whitish yellow see the odo metter

ps thanks abhi for the pic

speedzak · 1st July 2007, 02:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Zak, is the green film easily removable from the panel?

Honestly, I don't know about Fiat cars. But normally, it should be diffficult due to all the wires and circuits between the film.

@Manik. Your last pics makes it looks similar to stock green ones. Ain't blue looks more appealing?

manikjeet · 1st July 2007, 03:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedzak

@Manik. Your last pics makes it looks similar to stock green ones. Ain't blue looks more appealing?

the pics don't show the true colour of the lights its a whitish yellow

will click more pics with flash off

i love the blue of the speedometer of your car so i have asked the guy to get bluer bulbs

faithless_1984 · 1st July 2007, 03:12

Is it possible to change the intrument cluster bulbs of a santro xing ?

Absar · 1st July 2007, 09:14

Hi. Great DIY but complicated in some cars. Has anyone tried to remove the speedo or cowl (i dont know what its called) in the ford ikon? The ford ikon doesn't have backlit light, but projection beam from the front top. I've seen the bulb. Its a small tubelight shaped bulb, but of same color (yellow). In front of the bulb, there is a green film that changes the colour to green and hence the green light. I want to change that film. So could anyone direct me to how to remove the cowl / speedo? I could find only one screw, and that is on top ceiling of the speedo. Is the a/c covering linked to the cowl of the speedo?

A

jesal · 1st July 2007, 11:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by manikjeet

finally the night pic

its a little greenish but its actually whitish yellow see the odo metter

ps thanks abhi for the pic

bro i still cant understand the color on the same. white blue or green. get a digicam and click mate please. cheers

29th June 2007, 02:01	#32
ankitahuja BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 922 Thanked: 95 Times View My Garage	Damn Ishan thats bad news! Normal bulbs as in? Don't they come in a different colour? Have to take some serious advice from you so will call you on Saturday if you're free? EDIT: Also, is it a pain to open up the panel in DIY mode or is it better to get this opened from a mechanic? Regardless of a different colour, I need to change the bulb then as the illumination in my car is way too dim now. Last edited by ankitahuja : 29th June 2007 at 02:04.
	() Thanks

29th June 2007, 09:35	#35
HAFI BANNED Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: cochin Posts: 296 Thanked: 0 Times	hey mine is palio..removed the instrument panel..but found that there were no caps for the bulb..instead the rear of the panel is covered with a green filament..it gives it the green light..how will i replace it??
	() Thanks

29th June 2007, 10:45	#36
speedzak BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: India Posts: 4,347 Thanked: 27 Times	Hafi, I think you mean a green film behind the panel. Right? You can replace that with a different colored film and You're done. It has to be cut same as the original one.
	() Thanks

29th June 2007, 11:55	#37
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,510 Thanked: 14,147 Times	Zak, is the green film easily removable from the panel?
	() Thanks

29th June 2007, 12:24	#39
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,510 Thanked: 14,147 Times	Nicely done zakaaaaasss. I was going to mention that it would be fairly easy to do this in the Matiz because the front console can be removed very easily with a philips screwdriver. How about trying different colours for illumination?
	() Thanks

30th June 2007, 00:28	#40
manikjeet Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: chandigarh Posts: 1,618 Thanked: 295 Times View My Garage	finally the night pic its a little greenish but its actually whitish yellow see the odo metter ps thanks abhi for the pic Last edited by manikjeet : 30th June 2007 at 00:33.
	() Thanks

1st July 2007, 03:12	#43
faithless_1984 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,575 Thanked: 327 Times View My Garage	Is it possible to change the intrument cluster bulbs of a santro xing ?
	() Thanks

1st July 2007, 09:14	#44
Absar BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Madras Posts: 560 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	Hi. Great DIY but complicated in some cars. Has anyone tried to remove the speedo or cowl (i dont know what its called) in the ford ikon? The ford ikon doesn't have backlit light, but projection beam from the front top. I've seen the bulb. Its a small tubelight shaped bulb, but of same color (yellow). In front of the bulb, there is a green film that changes the colour to green and hence the green light. I want to change that film. So could anyone direct me to how to remove the cowl / speedo? I could find only one screw, and that is on top ceiling of the speedo. Is the a/c covering linked to the cowl of the speedo? A
	() Thanks