Has anyone attempted to open up their defi gauge and changed the LED?

All my gauges but one light up great. On my EGT its really dim near top end of the scale and was thinking shall I open it up and see if I can replace the LED...

Has anyone tried this??

 

I asked a similar question about 18 months back, with a view to painting the needle centres black, the better to match the classic dash.

At the time, the consensus was that it probably COULD be done, although no-one had done it that answered MY thread, but if you got it wrong it was a VERY expensive learning curve.

In the end, my needle centres are still white, but if I knew how to get into the gauges, would be black tomorrow

Out of interest, which LED are we on about, lighting, red warning or green?

 

I've got a classic with white dash clocks so went for the matching defi's with white face and green illuminations.

I've only just fitted my gauges and if it doesnt bother me too much when driving at nite I'll probably leave it... but if it does bug me then I'll take the plung and open her up

If I do it, I'll put feedback on here so anyone else like urself can see how I did it... or how not to do it, lol

 

That's what mine are: white face, green illumination.

You don't say what LED you think has gone?

 

I think Daz Davies changed the LED's in his dash to match his gauges ... have a look at his project thread. Not what you were asking about, but another option at least.

 

yes, I've opened a couple of Defi gauges now, if you are careful and take your time it can be done without damaging anything or leaving a mark

as for changing the LED, they are very small surface mount ones and you may struggle to find an exact replacement

there is a video guide on YouTube for opening them to change the illumination colour

 

What's it under?
Thanks.

 

i tried once and to be honest i didnt like the way you had to do it so i stopped before i went too far. its not the case of undoing a few screws. you actually have to prise open the band that holds the face to the cover.

 

Found it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax30tq_cu2U

Crazy yanks again

Doesn't look TOO bad though, I might have a go.

And here's how to put it back together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x53R...eature=related

 

Thanks for the youtube vid... I think I'll pass on that tho.

Those LED's arnt too hard to come by and not very difficult to solder in, altho getting the exact right colour would be a mission and I gotta have everything matching.

Damn, I'm just gonna have to live with the dimness

If you try it alcazar post pics of it step by step and a b4 and after

 

Won't be worth it mate: mine will only have the bezel/face glass off, the needle centres touched in with satin black, and back together.
Won't be done before september now either.

Depends how much time I have free/how bored I am/what the weather is like in september

 

I can now open and re-close a Defi gauge without any evidence

the LED's are white though, the colouring of the display is done by filtering the light through (in this case green) coloured pigment on the back of the display face where the numbers are printed (if you get what I mean)

so you can only really change the colour on gauges that come white from the factory

 

What I thought. Mine shine green numbers on a white field in the dusk and dark green on a pale green field in the dark.

I shall be changing the needle centre colours one at a time.

 

I see so its just a case of replacing with white LED's...

I was looking at my EGT gauge last nite and all my other gauges look bright and sexy, but that EGT one could do with more than 1 LED being changed...

How brave do I feel...

 

Mmmmmmmm, unsoldering an resoldering LEDs isn't easy, especailly surface mount ones.

I wonder if Defi, in Japan would undertake it? Might be worth trying to contact them? Or via a dealer?

 

the risk of ******* it up is massive TBH and you'd need to get a matching SMD

you could send it to Tein for repair who are Defi's UK agent?

 

If you can get the unit apart I could do the SMD rework for you no problem..

 

I didnt realise that, this sounds like a good option.

sc_sjo - if Tein do the whole job then I'd prefer that option, but if not then I'll consider biting the builet and removing the board to send to you for the SMD rework

 

Looking at that You tube vid yesterday, the whole bit with the LED's on it unscrews and comes away.

 

I know but there's 1 or 2 bits where you gotta pry and yank and bits fall off and that scares me, lol

 

Nah, how hard can it be?

Just think to yourself, "This is probably put together by some little 12 year old girl in Taiwan, with no proper tools. If she can, I can!".

 

lmao

 

Laugh all you like. It's what I tell myself when trying to rebuild starter motors, alternators etc, when you need three hands and help

 

Did you ever paint the centres black?

 

Nope, just can't be bothered with it.
Might have a go when/if the warm weather comes.

 

Ive got a set of STI Genomes but I have a blobeye spec C so has the red dash with the sweep. The Genomes light up green so am I right in thinging my only option is to replace the surface mounted leds with red ones?