Gauge lights, bulbs?

[Kachess]

I have a 95 5speed Ranger and the only lights that work on my gauge cluster are between about 50 and 80 on my speedo. I still have highbeam, 4x4, and those type of lights. Could this be a fuse or are there just a bunch of bulbs that are out. Also, how hard are they to replace? anything helps. Thanks.

 

[94STXRanger]

The bulbs are 194s and arent to bad to replace. i did some on my 94 which is a diff dash but yours should be similar. Remove the plastic piece around the cluster, which may include removing things like radio, ash tray, 4x4 switch and whatever else. And probably plastic of steering column. But remove that and there are probably screws holding the cluster in. Remove them and disconnect the connectors for the lights and then the speedo cable which can be a b^tch. Not sure what else is behind yours but after that you should be able to get to the lights. Be careful with all that electrical on the back. The bulbs are in little twist out holders. Remove them and replace the bulbs.

 

[94STXRanger]

O and if these bad boys all went out at once you might have some other issues. Or if it was one at a time you might have bad luck. The day after i replaced mine another went out lol. What a PITA.

 

[Kachess]

thanks man. They were all out when i bought her so hopefully its all good. thanks again.

 

[Captain Ledd]

Some of my lights are burned out, gonna replace them all with these guys once it gets warm out again:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/mini-wedge.html

and the the info page about them:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm

 

[94STXRanger]

No problem man. With those things^ we will be able to see your glowing face a mile away lol.

 

[Captain Ledd]

it depends on the LED, there's alot of them that are stil the basic light as an indicator lamp, they really don't emit enough light to light an area. and then the new ultra fancy ones like in the Mag Lights can almost light up a street.

They work with your normal dimmer switch anyways, so if they really are super bright (as the name admittedly implies) just turn down the dimmer switch a bit. I'm willing to bet though that these aren't the crazy-stupid bright ones though, and they're made to emit it in all directions so it isn't as intense a light coming out directly towards you.

 

[94STXRanger]

will they just plug and go? I thought LEDs took a lot less amperage to light than a normal light. Wouldthey handle the amps they get in there?

 

[Captain Ledd]

will they just plug and go? I thought LEDs took a lot less amperage to light than a normal light. Wouldthey handle the amps they get in there?

yup, they got little built in resistors to keep the current down. here's the little spiel about them:

"The Single-LED bulbs are 12 Volt Super Bright LED bulbs which will replace T3-1/4 (#194/168) filament bulbs found in many automobile and water craft applications. Inverted cone clear lens causes the light to emit from the sides as well as the end. Built in current limiting resistor and diode to protect the LED from reversed polarity installation. These bulbs are polarized so if you plug them in and they don't light, turn them around in the socket and they will light."

 

[94STXRanger]

Huh thats cool. If i could get them easy they might be worth a try

 

[Captain Ledd]

4th one down

$0.79 for some, Amber and Red. +$0.60 for other colors, still not that bad considering how long they should last.

And I just found out they have black light ones!?!??!?!?!

 

[94STXRanger]

^In that case we could see your smile a mile away!