924Board.org

[Osiris]

Have to fix my speedo so I'm going to be inside my gauge cluster and, like most of our cars, the gauge lights are pretty dim. I have 3 questions--- 1) what OEM bulbs does our cars use 2) are there any better aftermarket bulbs or bulbs from another model that are brighter 3) are there any other tricks to brightening up our displays?

Peace. Out.

I have a '87 924S.
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Keep a Chevy motor in a Chevy
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'87 924S 50K miles black/black

[Min]

Some people have stuffed high output led's into the old bulb location. Looks pretty good.

Min
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Custom means it didn't come from a box.
1980 n/a with EDIS and Megasquirt II Injection. 7 different colors and counting.

[D Hook]

If you don't switch to LED's and decide to stay stock, you can replace the darkened bulbs with new. I don't know if I'd up the wattage though. The increased heat may do some damage to the wiring and/or the speedo itself. I know others have done it though.

If you look at where the gears for the speedo sit, in relation to the bulb, you'll see it's very close to the gear that always breaks on these cars. The additional heat, IMHO, can cause the plastic gear to get brittle and be more prone to failure. I've used a piece of foil to create a heat barrier on my speedo to prevent this but you have to take the speedo apart to do it.

Try replacing just the lamps first, especially the darkened ones. You should see a difference. Also do a dillegent cleaning of all your ground wires while you have the cluster out. Shine a light back there and you'll see a ground crown (about 8 brown wires all connecting to a circle of male spade connections attached directly to the sheet metal of the car). Take these off and polish the connections. Your gauges will read more accurately and you'll be surprised at how much brighter things will be for you! That's the best tip you'll get on these cars is to clean and reseat every connector you come across on the car. Protecting them with dialectic grease will prevent the corrosion from coming back.

Also, if you haven't already, check your grounds from the battery to the body and to the engine and add additional if you need to. The body acts as a ground so you need a solid, clean connection to the engine/body to provide the best flow for everything to work as it should.

There was a board member selling LED's that will plug right in but I haven't seen him around for awhile. I wanted to buy a bag of 50 but after his offering, he never got back. I'd still buy some, if he comes around. Maybe he'll see this post?
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'80 924 n/a SOLD

[m8782538]

adding a new earth to the guages sometimes also works, you can add a thick earth feed from the existing and run it so another earthing point, there is one just behind the centre speaker grill.

[Osiris]

anybody know which replacement lights will work? Or where to look it up.
_________________
Keep a Chevy motor in a Chevy
Keep a Porsche motor in a Porsche
Keep a Ford motor in the dumpster

'87 924S 50K miles black/black

[Desolation]

I need to know the same thing, I'm prolly gunna take one of the bulbs up to an auto store and ask em if they can tell me what to use.
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1977 924 - sold
1989 Mustang
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[Osiris]

Anyone done this and can tell me what bulbs were used?
_________________
Keep a Chevy motor in a Chevy
Keep a Porsche motor in a Porsche
Keep a Ford motor in the dumpster

'87 924S 50K miles black/black