DO I hve to use resistors on a guage swap? or can I just use LEDs?

 

Yes you need new resistors

 

On the gauges no... on the hvac, yes

 

yea no need for resistors on gauges...lots of resistors for hvac

 

$7.00 worth of resistors and power supply regulator for the HVAC (if you buy the kit anyways).. none are needed for the gauges. Some swap the leds on the gauges to make them brighter, but personally I find it makes them too bright and distracting. I also made the HVAC mod to match the brightness of the gauges when swapped without the resistors.

So in short, just swap the leds on the gauges, but you NEED the resistor and 10V regulator for the HVAC.

 

I purchased the red ones from ledmod.com, and they didnt need resistors, but for the other colors you do need them.

 

Dave "engifineer" Stated it perfectly. You do not "need" the resistors at all for the gauge cluster.

However when doing two tone swaps, I do use them to give it a boost in output or when doing solid white gauges. Helps kill some of the eggshell color on the all white swaps because of the oem gauge faces.

Also correct, an all red swap does not need any resistor kit for any portion. None for the gauges or HVAC.

And all red swaps look HOT

 

^^ you're just saying that about the red swaps so you don't have to do more work

be careful though... overdriving the leds more in the gauges will reduce the lifespan... though granted we're still talking hundreds of hours compared to the thousands that it should last for.

 

Overdriving? Have you measured the leds on the cluster when lit with & without the resistors? Not quite overdriving anything, not even on the hvac with Daves layout which is driving them just bairly harder than the cluster with the resistor mods. Guys either way they will last the life of the vehicle, actually most likley if installed correctly outlast the vehicle if it could make it 1,000,000 miles.

 

ok thanks for all your help.