The Light up needle experiment. Not for beginer

[MikeW]

According the OP, yes.

I think wiring it to the cluster lights will be quite the feat, let alone wiring it to VTEC and shifting points.

[blackex]

Hmm. Ill be damned. I take it these are newer model Camrys?

98-99 camry. any late model that have light up needle gauge, I would stick with honda/acura , in my case camry still fit good because it use same size pin.

[MikeW]

Did the cluster still work after you removed the needle?

[blackex]

so basically if you pick up a needle that can be lit up, install it and rig an LED behind the base?

Yep, real simple

[blackex]

Did the cluster still work after you removed the needle?

I guess I will find out when I put it in the car. Its snowing like crazy in nashville, stalling will be on hold for few day, in the mean time I can build
circuit board to house led inside. simple right?

[visualpoet]

Nice project. Keep us updated, I've been wanting to swap out for lighted needles for a while, but haven't wanted to buy up a couple of spare pods to experiment with.

I had a 98 Mazda 626 that had the light up needles. I changed out the cluster bulbs to red and blue, and the tach needle would shift from blue through purple to red as you neared redline. The speedo went from blue to full red at about 75 mph.
This works because the lighted needles have a sleeve that extends past the faces and catches light from underneath. They're usually notched, and the notch allows them to pick up light stronger from that direction. If you ave different colored bulbs in the cluster, the needle will match whichever bulb is in that direction. You could, of course hook up some LEDS behind the faces, but you'd want to make sure they didn't interfere with any of the needles movement. If you paint the backsides of the LEDS black, so they only light towards the needle, they shouldn't affect the other lighting in the cluster, so it should be fairly easy to customize the lighting effects any way you wanted to.

[Mike1357]

That's really cool man. Can't wait for the full fledged DIY.

[cfields2702]

That is Sick Bro. I can't wait for your DIY. Good job

[Accrdwgnguy]

that is badass! I'd love to have amber lit needles in my amber cluster, with the tach needle go red near the redline

[crazymikey]

very cool mod!

Have you thought about converting the gauge cluster lights to LEDs as well?

[blackex]

very cool mod!

Have you thought about converting the gauge cluster lights to LEDs as well?

converting gauge cluster lights to LEDs?

WHY? just messing with you man. I'm way passed that,


Like I said, "NOT FOR BEGINNER" lets just say it will have a switch
hook up to it. Finish project will not be just remove old bulbs and replace with led. That is too simple for me and so not fun.

[JaberCB7]

I decided NOT to try this when i saw this picture

[jin]

wut r u using to light them up? a flashlight?

[crazymikey]

converting gauge cluster lights to LEDs?

WHY? just messing with you man. I'm way passed that,


Like I said, "NOT FOR BEGINNER" lets just say it will have a switch
hook up to it. Finish project will not be just remove old bulbs and replace with led. That is too simple for me and so not fun.

lol. Good point. LEDs are FTW

[NWaccord]

Sick!!! Gonna have to try it! Great jobe