Blue Dash

[fammer570]

Hey everyone

Im trying to give my 2000 crv the balcked out with blue interior lights look. Im about half way there except the dash is my next problem. The orange isnt really fitting in. Just wondering if there is another blue dash out there or if anyone has any tips on making it blue.

Thanks!

Mike

[2RedV's]

Hey everyone

Im trying to give my 2000 crv the balcked out with blue interior lights look. Im about half way there except the dash is my next problem. The orange isnt really fitting in. Just wondering if there is another blue dash out there or if anyone has any tips on making it blue.

Thanks!

MikeSearch eBay for Indiglo dash or similar terms. I have seen some CR-V's with the Indiglo dash and it looks ood.

[bward216]

Can I see some pics of what you got done, I am interested in doing the same. I have a blue radio faceplate, and blue radar...not much. I'm hoping to do more, what have you done

[GTCB-chris]

im interested in doing the same

[electric V]

There are some blue\green guage kits on ebay but they are only for the A/T.

Can one just paint the dash. It is fairly easy to take the dash out but is there a specific paint for those plastics that wont smell like a carcinogen?

[Jwood70]

There are some blue\green guage kits on ebay but they are only for the A/T.

Can one just paint the dash. It is fairly easy to take the dash out but is there a specific paint for those plastics that wont smell like a carcinogen?

I think the question was asked about the gauge lights, not about painting the dash.

There are ways to change out the lights with led's or using other colored lights.

[GTCB-chris]

yes, i want to change the dash lights out

[Jwood70]

It would be cool.

[GTCB-chris]

yeah, im trying to find the lights and the instructions. but nobody seems to see what we are wanting

[Jwood70]

I get what you are talking about. I know that some of the guys on the VW forums have changed their LEDs behind the tach and replaced them.

[electric V]

sorry I didn't mean the dash I ment the guages:p. The dash is simple enough to take apart and I was thinking that it would be easy to paint the guages and place them back in.

There is a post that 12sec (i think) put up about were he got lights for his scion. I will search for the post.

Edit: Here's the post http://www.crvoc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5023

[Jwood70]

sorry I didn't mean the dash I ment the guages:p. The dash is simple enough to take apart and I was thinking that it would be easy to paint the guages and place them back in.

There is a post that 12sec (i think) put up about were he got lights for his scion. I will search for the post.

Edit: Here's the post http://www.crvoc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5023

Yeah, I know about those, but most of their lights are light bars. They have the leds there, but they are killers on shipping.

[CR-V's Cousin]

You Guys mean like this?

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01283.jpg

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01328.jpg

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01329.jpg

[Jwood70]

You Guys mean like this?

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01328.jpg

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01329.jpg

I believe that something like this is exactly what we all mean. Sweet interior.

[GTCB-chris]

i love the blue, and thats exactly what i want, a blue dash cluster, please let us know where and how you go thoes, for rirght now i have a StreetGlrow product that just shines a blue ight on it, thanks,
-chris

[Radar24]

I believe that something like this is exactly what we all mean. Sweet interior.

By just changing the OEM LEDs with blue colored LEDs?

Are they soldered in or 'twist in' modules that look like small bulbs?
Either way it sounds like a lot of work as there are multiple LEDs in different locations. Requiring a lot of disassembly.

It would look good in a Glacier Blue Cr-V.
Dam, I should have gotten blue ‘Wet Okole’ covers instead of gray that does not match the interior.!

Details, details!

-RG

Blue Leds are not that bright? I like the dash really bright!

[CR-V's Cousin]

For first gen V's, it looks like there's a ton of lamps just in the cluster alone.

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/ImageStreameraspx-1-1.png

They seem to be very similar to the lamps in my Element.

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01307.jpg

And here.

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01290.jpg

With that, here's what I did to those.

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01314.jpg

And

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01316.jpg

The last pic is of a diffused LED with the resistor built in. As I am an Element owner, I've not seen, nor have any experience disassembling a CR-V's dash. I'm in SoCal, if anyone wants me to hack, sorry, help disassemble their dash.
That is just the first gen cluster. Outta time now. I will look at the other bulbs, and other years when I have time.

[Radar24]

MyCRV's cousin,
LEDs with built-in resistor seem more rugged and practical. Surely more expensive interfacing directly to 14V nominal rather than a typically 2.6v LED plus series resistor (there is a wide spread in LED voltages when on).

So the light colored socket is the OEM bulb socket that screws into the flexprint/plastic or fiberglass PCB?

The black module has a replaceable LED one has to assemble or is it throw away. LED life is much longer than bulbs but over voltage spikes can lead to over current and POP!. Paper weight instantly while bulbs can better handle V-spikes.

I realize the long sockets are different and a special case. Where do they go? In the center console?

Finally any light output (candle light or equivalent units) for bulb versus LED comparisons. Is it available.

Oh yes. The LEDs are non dimmable? So it is on as long as the dimmer in the dash ODO reset button is set bright enough? As it is dimmed the voltage should drop so at a point the LED will quickly turn off. While the bulb is more linear in response to the button rotation.

Not a problem, I just would like to know.
We always drive with max brightness and do not see much use for any other lower level brightness.

In order to change brightness with LEDs the series resistor needs to be changed so the LED current changes. With increasing current comes shorter life. LEDs needing a current source rather than a voltage source like a bulb. Depending on how the dash is setup of course. It could have a varable current source instead of a voltage source but I rather doubt it. :confused:

-RG

[CR-V's Cousin]

RG,

I can tell by your questions that you already know what to do. I would like to answer each question in detail, but simple don't have time. I'll be back, so in the mean time, check out unique-leds.com and allelectronics.com. the 5mm built in resistor LED's at allelectronics are a bargain. I've spent hours looking at every LED vendor on the Internet. These are top picks.

[Radar24]

RG, I can tell by your questions that you already know what to do. I would like to answer each question in detail, but simple don't have time. I'll be back, so in the mean time, check out unique-leds.com and allelectronics.com. the 5mm built in resistor LED's at allelectronics are a bargain. I've spent hours looking at every LED vendor on the Internet. These are top picks.

The .com sources are great. Particularly AllTronics.com is a bargain but where do you get the black led mounting housing that plugs into the instrument panel OEM sockets shown in the picture below.

Or is that just a black bulb socket in which a 5mm 12V led is plugged after the leads are folded up and trimmed (possibly cyanoacrylate crazy glued to hold the wires in place) so that they touch the housing spring loaded contacts intended to touch the wires on the standard bulbs. Where do you get the LED black mounting housings?


http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01307.jpg

[Radar24]

RG, I can tell by your questions that you already know what to do. I would like to answer each question in detail, but simple don't have time. I'll be back, so in the mean time, check out unique-leds.com and allelectronics.com. the 5mm built in resistor LED's at allelectronics are a bargain. I've spent hours looking at every LED vendor on the Internet. These are top picks.

The .com sources are great. Particularly AllTronics.com is a bargain but where do you get the black led mounting housing that plugs into the instrument panel OEM sockets shown in the picture below.

Or is that just a black bulb socket in which a 5mm 12V led is plugged after the leads are folded up and trimmed (possibly cyanoacrylate crazy glued to hold the wires in place) so that they touch the housing sping loaded contacts intended to touch the wires on the standard bulbs. Where do you get the LED black mounting housings?

Or are those the wires folder over & barely visible on the ends of the black housing instead?

-RG


http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01307.jpg

[CR-V's Cousin]

RG,

Do you see illustrations 1 and 3 in the exploded view?
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/ImageStreameraspx-1-1.png

They look like the gray and the black neo-wedge bases in my photo, correct?
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01307.jpg

I took the tiny neo-wedge incandescent bulb out, and replaced it with an LED. That's all I did. These LED's are the built-in resistor types. If you really want to be blown away, check these out.
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01353.jpg

I wasn't satisfied with the light output of the LED's with the built-in resistor, so I bought some extremely bright 5mm LED's and soldered my own resistor. That's when the sh*t hit the fan. I fried my instrument cluster. Don't worry, you can learn from my costly mistake. Remember the leads bent over on the bottom, they were too long, and shorted together. Now you won't have to make that mistake, I wish.

Well, your kinda up to date with my progress. The new cluster finally arrived today. I will attempt one more time to achieve my blue instruments. I'll keep you posted. Richard

[CR-V's Cousin]

MyCRV's cousin,
LEDs with built-in resistor seem more rugged and practical. Surely more expensive interfacing directly to 14V nominal rather than a typically 2.6v LED plus series resistor (there is a wide spread in LED voltages when on).

Well, as you know, the LED's with the built-in resistor are NOT more expensive when you go the right vendor. Practical yes, but not as bright as I had wished.

So the light colored socket is the OEM bulb socket that screws into the flexprint/plastic or fiberglass PCB?

Correct. Same as in your CR-V.

The black module has a replaceable LED one has to assemble or is it throw away. LED life is much longer than bulbs but over voltage spikes can lead to over current and POP!. Paper weight instantly while bulbs can better handle V-spikes.

Don't confuse the black and gray. Again, the exploded view of the CR-V's cluster shows two different part numbers, but the illustration looks the same. Same with the Element. The difference between the gray and the black is a different wattage incandescent bulb. LED's use a resistor to limit the current. Besides, if your CR-V has voltage spikes, you have much bigger problems than burnt LED's.

I realize the long sockets are different and a special case. Where do they go? In the center console?

Look at the exploded view. Don't illustrations 16, 22, and 23 look like the ones in my photo?

Finally any light output (candle light or equivalent units) for bulb versus LED comparisons. Is it available.

Are you Military? You seen like a very smart individual. I have always read that there is no conversion from incandescent (candelas) to LED (lumens). Well, here ya go. http://led.linear1.org/lumen.wiz

Oh yes. The LEDs are non dimmable? So it is on as long as the dimmer in the dash ODO reset button is set bright enough? As it is dimmed the voltage should drop so at a point the LED will quickly turn off. While the bulb is more linear in response to the button rotation.

Yes, you are correct. However, there is a slight dimming effect of the LED's when you "dim" the dash lights.

Not a problem, I just would like to know.
We always drive with max brightness and do not see much use for any other lower level brightness.

In order to change brightness with LEDs the series resistor needs to be changed so the LED current changes. With increasing current comes shorter life. LEDs needing a current source rather than a voltage source like a bulb. Depending on how the dash is setup of course. It could have a varable current source instead of a voltage source but I rather doubt it. :confused:

-RG

Don't worry so much. Like you said, who wants dim?

Now, with that, I did build a dimmer for my ambient floor LED's
http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01276.jpg

The circuit is here: http://www.cpemma.co.uk/555pwm.html

I'm sure you have more questions. I'll be here. Richard

[CR-V's Cousin]

Still First Gen

Heater Control:
http://www.thehondapartsstore.com/herson/jsp/catimgs/13s100_b17.gif

Switches:

http://www.thehondapartsstore.com/herson/jsp/catimgs/13s100_b1110.gif

[GTCB-chris]

ha i went cheap, got my buddy to steal me ( i dont condone shop lifting, he just enjoys it) some dimable mood lights from auto zone, the flat ones, not the little things that look like thoes deer whistle things. it looks kinda ok, just at night turn my dimmer all the way down for my dash lights, still looking into getting a new dash cluster, or lights atleast

[Radar24]

Don't confuse the black and gray. Again, the exploded view of the CR-V's cluster shows two different part numbers, but the illustration looks the same. The difference between the gray and the black is a different wattage incandescent bulb. LED's use a resistor to limit the current. Besides, if your CR-V has voltage spikes, you have much bigger problems than burnt LED's.Now, with that, I did build a dimmer for my ambient floor LED's
Richard,
I am confused with the black and gray housings. I understand they are different wattage. What you have not told me is how the black ones sprouted LEDs in them. Not a trade secret or patent to protect or a diode seed you have to water? It is a diode and a piece of plastic with copper contacts for gods sake. :D

Well, regulators have nominal voltage that might vary slightly with temperature and possibly charging current. Insignificant changes for all intents and purposed if the regulator is working. I have no experience with the CR-V alternators to say one way or the other about changes with current are to be expected to one degree or another.

If you turn on the headlight and fog lamps simultaneously or any other high current load there will most definitely be a spike in the alternator output. The fans introduce noise too. The regulator does not react instantaneously. Thus all the filtering done to keep audio clean by audiophiles. Or even a separate battery for those really fanatical. The spike is greatly filtered by the big sink of a battery for sure which acts as a big capacitor sort off.

But since no wire has zero impedance, resistance and zero length, the spikes will show their nasty noisy head everywhere.

I’m not talking hundreds of volts. I’m not sure but a few volts for microseconds are certainly feasible. On the other hand load dump while boosting a dead battery using another vehicle can generate considerable spikes of sufficient voltage to kill unprotected semiconductors. Easily many times the nominal 14 volts.

And yes I have a military design background that is somewhat dated. I have not worked since ‘95. Things have gotten smaller, faster and have more functionality but it is still the same electrons and semiconductors connected by copper wire just as it was 13 years ago that make things work.

A lighting expert I am far from one. But I can tell when it is too dark too see well! :)

-RG

[Radar24]

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/DSC01276.jpg

The circuit is here: http://www.cpemma.co.uk/555pwm.html

I'm sure you have more questions. I'll be here. Richard

Where did you get this led? Hou much light does it put out relative the flexible strips below:

BLUE 12V 24" LED STRIP LIGHT (http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/LS-24B/BLUE-12V-24-LED-STRIP-LIGHT/1.html)

http://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/image_cache/image_product.height.80;return_image_path.1;width. 80;modified.1207857237.LS-24B.jpg (http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/LS-24B/BLUE-12V-24-LED-STRIP-LIGHT/1.html) For accent lighting on cars, computers, displays of all kinds, this flexible, adhesive backed strip is very bright and easy to use. Ultrabright surface-mount leds are embedded in a clear rubberize... http://www.allelectronics.com/mas_assets/theme/allelectronics/images/moreinfo.gifRead more (http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/LS-24B/BLUE-12V-24-LED-STRIP-LIGHT/1.html)
CAT# LS-24B $27.95 each


Thanks,

-RG

[CR-V's Cousin]

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/neo-wedge.jpg

http://i422.photobucket.com/albums/pp301/NightBlackPearl/neo-wedge1.jpg

I bought these strips, http://www.theledlight.com/flexible-ledstrips.html

http://www.theledlight.com/img-ATG/black-flex2.jpg

Then, I found the very same strips for much less. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250297274031&category=58019

http://i20.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/fb/0b/623b_1.JPG

[Radar24]

CR-V's Cousin,
I think I can figure it out after that hint.

No sense in trying to reinvent the wheel again every time.
Now all need some warm weather so I do not turn into a Popsicle.
Thanks.

-RG