Recommended Led's

[cj_wig]

Can anyone recommended some good LED Bulbs that are bright. I'm looking at changing the bulbs in the speedo to blue and added bright white ones to the bulb holders in the footwell on my mk1 focus. There are loads on eBay, but i was wondering what other people have used and worth getting

[cressws1]

The colour of your speedo is not determined by the colour of a bulb it is a coloured film on the bits that light up (all the numbers, dashes etc). I looked into changing the whole film myself and a few on here will tell you horror stories involving losing mileage etc so I decided against it. All the other bits and bobs (clock, heater controls, air con switches etc) can be changed for LED's but the speedo is different.

[artscot79]

Can anyone recommended some good led bulbs that are bright. I'm looking at changing the bulbs in the speedo to blue and added bright white ones to the bulb holders in the footwell on my mk1 focus. There are loads on eBay, but i was wondering what other people have used and worth getting

prsonal;ly leave the dash lights well alone it sounds easy change a few bulbs till you puty it back in and it isnt working then you need to get a second hand one the mileage is wrong etcetc i assume you have the facelift model mk1.5 focus ie no indicators in the bumper otherwise unless retro fitted you dont have footwell lights any leds will do but be warned they do not switch off so the leds will be on constantly due to the fact they can run on little current personally i wouldnt want my car all lit up like a xmas tree all night but thats me ive found interior leds on my focus and my passat to be not worth the hassle

[cj_wig]

i'm not changing the mileage displace bulb just the ones for the rev & speedo gauge. As for the footwells yes it's a face lift and the holders are already there as i've had bulbs in them and they do turn off once the car is locked or after a minute when the door is closed

[cressws1]

The colour of the speedo and rev counter is nothing to do with the bulb.

[ford focus edge]

On the back of the dial face theres like goo thats painted on the back of the dial face thats the colour, the bulbs are the usual crappy white jobs i tried to change this and ended up about 180 out of pocked due to busting the dials, getting them replaced and then the mileage corrected as well as the price of the coloured face really mate just dont bother if you really hate the colour of the dials buy a vw there the best for interior night lighting.

[cj_wig]

already had a vw golf

[artscot79]

already had a vw golf

okay to change the speedo colours heres what you have to do this is for the speedo dials and the main display changing the bulbs will do nothing as they have nothing to do with the dash colours

Take out the three Philips Screws holding the dash bezel in

2) Remove the connector for the Trunk/Hatch Release Button 3) Remove the four small bolts holding the cluster into the dash

4) Using a small screwdriver, pry black lever open to release the cluster from the electrical connector. 5) Remove the cluster from the Dash

6) Pop open all four tabs to release the lens from the gauges 7) Using a TORX Screwdriver, undo the three TORX screws holding the gauges in the cluster.

8) Pull the gauge face firmly out of the cluster. You'll see some light bulbs and the LCD Display left in the cluster. 9) Using the small screwdriver, very carefully pry the black bezel off that surrounds the Raised LCD Odometer.

10) Pull the top of the LCD forward to expose the material on the back of the Display. With a fingernail or small screwdriver, peel the green tint off the back of the LCD. Keep the Green Tint, Move the Gauge components aside.

Wrap the wires around each metal tab and secure them with electrical tape or optionally solder. Make sure these wires do not touch each other and that they're very secure.

You may want to cut the plastic tabs that are on the top behind the LCD because they'll get in the way of our new electroluminescent material. Then, place the new material behind the LCD just like the old piece was. Secure it to the top of the plastic housing with electrical tape so it is out of the way of the connection for the Tach.

Put the three TORX Screws back in the Gauge face. 14) Snap the lens back onto the cluster. Secure the cluster in the dash with the four small bolts.

Re-Install the dash bezel. Remember to hook up the trunk/hatch release connector!!!

then

Remove the three Philips screws in the upper part of the sweeping

dash. Pull it loose.

2) Pull the wire harness off of the trunk release button behind the dash

insert.

3) Disconnect the rubber top of the steering column cover from the dash

insert. Put the dash insert in the back

seat.

4) use a 7mm hex bolt driver to remove the 4 bolts on the top and bottom

corners of the gauge unit

5) pull the gauge unit out far enough to locate the snap tabs on top

and bottom that hold the clear & black gauge front to the white gauge

back.

6) Use a flathead screwdriver or your claws (fingernails) to pull the

four tabs open. Remove the front (black & clear) of the gauge unit.

7) I had better luck installing the gauge face after pulling the gauges

out of the white housing, so I could work with it and not have to

disconnect the wire harness from the gauges. Locate the 3 TORX

(Star-shaped) screws on the front of the gauges, and un-do them, and

pull up on the black gauge face. You will not damage anything this way.

8) I pulled out the "pegs" that limit the sweep of the tach and speedo

to aid in gauge face instertion.

9) Use electrical tape to cover the exposed thin wiring going to the

face insert.

10) Slip the face over the needles. Line 'em up and you won't have to

dissect your gauges. A little force is mandatory to get it to all line

up right. Hold the face up to the light to line up things like the

upshift arrow.

11) Use some electrical or masking tape VERY SPARINGLY around the edges.

There is very little clearance after you put the black and clear cover on.

Hold it up to the cover to check. This tape will keep it lined up the way

you want it. You may also use double-sided tape under the overlays to

help hold them firmly down against the original cluster.

12) pull up on all four needles just a bit. use gentle but firm force.

none of the needles came off the spindle. I pulled all mine up about a

millimeter (thickness of a penny) to clear the thicker gauge face. You'll

thank me for this step, and if you pull a needle off the spindle, you

never read this step. :) You'll have to use the Instrument Cluster

test mode to get your car idling and install your needle at the RPM

shown on the digital readout. Then you'll have to drive at 20MPH while

placing the needle on to point at 20MPH. Not fun.

13) move the electrical-tape-coated ribbon wire out of the way, and plug

the face plate back into the lighted white casing, and replace the three

TORX screws. Replace the "pegs" for the tach and speedometer. flip the

needles to the original positions (0 MPH and 0 RPM) They're magnetic, so

they can spin around and around and around all day long with no adverse

affect.

14) start the engine. I know that it's not put together yet.

15) Play with the needles. Rev it. Drive around. Make sure the needles

aren't sticking or dragging on the new face. If they do, pull 'em up a

bit more. Make sure they're calibrated (see other postings) if you wish.

Maybe make sure your upshift light is lined up still?

16) Snap the front cover back on. Make sure all 4 snap connectors engage.

Examine the face for showing tape and anything strange. If everything

looks good, snap it together.

17a) For setting the indiglo's up to operate with only the provided

brighness control: tap the positive wire of the transformer into #47.

use a fuse piggyback, or just pull the fuse out, and jam it in while

pushing the fuse into position.

17b) For Wiring it to dim with your stock dimmer control AND the one

provided with the set: Reach up inside the fuse panel and remove the

wire harness from the back of the headlight switch. Find the wire

that's Orange with a blue stripe (not black) and splice the red wire

to this orange/blue one.

18) I grounded the black transformer wire to a screw I saw next to the

fuse box.

19) I mounted the indiglo controls to the "flap" thing under the fusebox

access panel.

20) Fish that pesky indiglo wire out and plug it into the farthest plug

on the transformer.

21) wrap up excess wire and hold it out of the way with zip ties or

something.

22) turn on headlights. Make sure indiglo works. Helpful to pull under a

tree or into a garage. Change the color & brightness.

23) If they don't work, your set is defective or you didn't follow my

instructions, or these instructions are wrong.

24) if they work, put the 4 seven-millimeter bolts back in the four

corners of the gauge assembly taking care tomove the indiglo wires

out of the way. Short Circuits - BAD!

25) Get the dash insert out of the back seat and get it close to position.

26) tuck the rubber part of the steering column under it

27) attach the wire harness for the trunk release

28) snap the dash insert firmly into place and put in the 3 screws to

hold it in.

29) Wait till dark and have fun!

the footwell lights turn off with standard bulbs they will not with leds in them as led are low voltage so they will continually stay on

or get a zetec and take the dash from that

[MrrNoName]

nice post artscot79 B) I love it when people actually take time to give a really helpful and detailed response.

Personally I wouldent bother cj_wig, if it aint broke, dont fix it :P

Could end up in a costly situation

[cj_wig]

well i'll have a look as i've got two sets of clocks anyway

[MrrNoName]

well i'll have a look as i've got two sets of clocks anyway

oh kewl, fair enough :P

[bigdaz86]

jesus thats alot of work for a new light colour??? be interested to see if you manage to do it?