Gauge Lighting: Changing color
01-20-2005, 03:24 PM
#21
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3
i am a full time speedometer tech READ THIS FIRST!
...OK...just so you guys know....the proper way to remove a pointer from most guages is done like this......grab pointer by center cap and twist counter clockwise and pull at the same time......DO NOT EVER PRY ON POINTERS WITH SCREWDRIVERS AND SUCH....you risk the chance that you will angle the pointers shaft AND BREAK IT CLEAN OFF!......i know this from years of experience....if you want to color your guage faces...the best way is to buy light diffusers for the back lighting....these are basically little multi colored condoms that you slip over the bulbs....very cheap and will give excellent quality lighting FOREVER!....check them out thru north hollywood speedometer (1-818-761-5139)or most any good speedoemter repair/parts house........by the way...anyone who doubts my intentions or expertise can check my website at www.speedometer.org.........
03-06-2005, 01:10 AM
#22
Senior Member
Scikotics
SL Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: www.scikotics.com
Posts: 7,374
Do you know what size diffusers (condoms) I would need for this? Also, is there a good place on line to get them? I want to do this while I am changing out speedo face and I would like to have everything ready. Thanks in advance.
03-06-2005, 07:29 AM
#23
Senior Member
SL Member
Team N.V.S.
Originally Posted by FrankenScion
Do you know what size diffusers (condoms) I would need for this? Also, is there a good place on line to get them? I want to do this while I am changing out speedo face and I would like to have everything ready. Thanks in advance.
03-07-2005, 04:12 PM
#26
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Aliso Viejo, Ca
Posts: 241
People that have done it in red, it fades to pink after a few days, the regular sharpie blue, fades too.. I had great luck with the Turquoise sharpie - it never faded in my xb, same with the light blue in my friends xb.. but It works if you dont want to solder leds 
03-16-2005, 10:24 PM
#27
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 1
Color LED's using model paint
I have used model paint (like the model paint from walmart or michaels) to color my led's.
Using only one drop of paint for the 3 LED's was more than enough paint and afer 3 months, this has not faded in the least.
I have only tried blue, but dark blue gives a deep blue (almost dark purple), and normal blue looks good.
Also for the people out there that only read pictures (like me), here is an update to the original.
Using only one drop of paint for the 3 LED's was more than enough paint and afer 3 months, this has not faded in the least.
I have only tried blue, but dark blue gives a deep blue (almost dark purple), and normal blue looks good.
Also for the people out there that only read pictures (like me), here is an update to the original.
03-18-2005, 10:52 PM
#28
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3
YES THIS IS TRUE!
...well i have learned that i was quite wrong about using light diffussers....the proper way to change the color is too either solder in different color led's (very easy for me to do but hard for the average joe) or to do like the other post says and get some quality model paint....i submit to the wisdom of ccheline and his photo!....
03-22-2005, 03:39 PM
#30
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 3
.......OK....this topic has really intrigued me so i went out to my own xb and took the speedometer cluster out and disassembled it FOUR times.....the first times i painted the led's red with very nice model paint...but the paint was such good quality that the light BARELY shines thru at night...IT LOOKED CRAPPY....then i hit on a idea...i cut some clear red plastic (which i got at tap plastics for a couple bucks) in the same size as the speedoemter faceplate...i then put it betwen the faceplate and the led's...IT LOOKS AWESOME!!!....it lites up a very deep red at night...i am very satisfied and i believe that this is the best way to do it...i will try to post pix later!....
01-06-2006, 05:08 PM
#33
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 232
Ok just to let everyone know, i did this mod and i drive an '06. Well as i find out the 06's do not have a needle stop. I repeat they do not have a needle stop. After i found this out i lined the needles up and as soon as i plugged it back in and put it all back together and turned on my car, They clicked and fell. So i took it apart again. turned on my car, and after they fall they get tight so u can line them up i guess. WELL to my suprise after i drove the car they stayed. when i got back into my car about 10 mins later and went for a drive as soon as i started it they fell again! 
So what i did was let my car run, lined them up yet again, and put the gage back together and back in with it running and when i turned it off and back on it seemed like they were staying, but im not sure quite yet, so if anyone experienced a problem like this or knows i did something wrong could you please let me know if not i guess only time will tell.
So what i did was let my car run, lined them up yet again, and put the gage back together and back in with it running and when i turned it off and back on it seemed like they were staying, but im not sure quite yet, so if anyone experienced a problem like this or knows i did something wrong could you please let me know if not i guess only time will tell.
01-06-2006, 08:03 PM
#34
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 232
Im an idiot and im sorry I didnt understand that you had to keep spinning the needles to reset the stop. after i figured that out it works great anyway the best thing to use besides replacing the led's is to paint them with Candy color Lexan body paint the candy paint you paint R/C car bodies with. I used Candy purple and it looks like the color of a black light i used about 3 or 4 coats too. ( the more coats the darker the color) What a great mod after you understand it 
I didnt understand that you had to keep spinning the needles to reset the stop. after i figured that out it works great anyway the best thing to use besides replacing the led's is to paint them with Candy color Lexan body paint the candy paint you paint R/C car bodies with. I used Candy purple and it looks like the color of a black light i used about 3 or 4 coats too. ( the more coats the darker the color) What a great mod after you understand it
01-29-2006, 01:55 AM
#36
Senior Member
SL Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Asheboro, NC
Posts: 432
Re: Another idea
Originally Posted by jarocho
Maybe you can use a colored tape or film? You can find this stuff at any art supply store. Thinking about trying this.
01-30-2006, 09:01 PM
#37
Member
SL Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 84
I just did mine... took me 20 min. and I thought I broke the tach... so FYI... the tach needle snaps when it goes in all the way. lol. (and if it's not supposed to snap, I broke it and am totally screwed when I try to take it apart again). BUT... it looks good! I used an Orange sharpie, and it turned out great... i'll have to take it apart tomorrow I think to make it a little darker, but other than that it's awesome!
EDIT:
I went back, took it apart and added a second layer... I also had to fix my tach problem cause it was about 300RPM off. lol.
First try:
Second try:
EDIT:
I went back, took it apart and added a second layer... I also had to fix my tach problem cause it was about 300RPM off. lol.
First try:
Second try:
