Sounds awesome, any chance you can get a shot for us?

HI,

Just managed to find this website as I was doing research on how to replace burnt out cluster bulbs in my AU year 2000 Falcon. I like this led replacement idea, it looks much better and I see that it will cost me a lot less to replace my bulbs(90% of the cluster bulbs are blown).

I have a few questions from reading this thread, the led bulbs that the OP showed and recommended from eBay have different style bulb holder? How will this fit the cluster or do I have to remove the burnt bulbs from the holder (possible?) and put in the led replacement. The bulb holders are twist type, both grey and black ones are the same (twist and pull to remove the holder from the cluster)

Here are a few pics I took just now:







As you can see the bulb holder thing does not match the (T5?) led the OP mentioned in the first page shown below:



Questions before I order anything from eBay.

1. Are the T5 leds mentioned in this thread, plug and play or do I need to modify them?

2. The bulb holders(Grey and Black) do not match the T5 bulb holder, how do I replace the burnt bulbs with these leds?

Any information will be much appreciated, I have already taken out the cluster to get my experience up before I buy anything, doesn't seem too difficult, just need some assuring from the FordMod members here on my thoughts above.

Cheers,
Mike.

I found these on the net:

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.5820

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/10-x-T5-286-Whit ... 414f4079bb

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/10pcs-T5-Wide-An ... 2eacdcabf9

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Pack-10-White-LE ... 414d46cfc9

Do these look ok?

Mate, those LED's pictured, they slot into the bulb holders in the cluster, if you can get the original bulbs out (bloody hard lol) then you'll see the end bits are the same, the wedge type fitting. All the LEDs mentioned here are plug and play.

Update, one has already died. Can't win.

When more start going I am just going to move back to incandescent as it's a real hassle to take out the cluster.

Take out a EF/EL cluster, then you will know AU's are piss easy in comparison.....

i sell leds pon ebay but i used these ones for my au as the au had a shallower area for globes then ef el etc
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... MEWNX%3AIT

I put blue LED's in my missus' AU I and solved the issue of the red needles not illuminating by 'carefully' scratching off the red paint with a utility knife blade. You just need to hold each needle so you don't bend or snap it as you go.

Angle the blade at about 45%-60% and DRAG it - don't push it along. The red coating comes off quite easy and the needles look great illuminated in vivid blue to match the display. I put the led's in a few months ago and still going strong (got them in a pack of 10 for about $2.99 incl postage on ebay)

(Incidentally, I covered the speedo fascia with Carbon Fibre vinyl while I had the lense off - mainly to hide that bloody annoying blinking coolant level warning light that doesn't go away even with a new $80 coolant level switch installed ). Will try and take a photo tonight and post it in case anyone's interested.

Last edited by aj1964 on Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:18 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Sorry - deleted - duplicate posting lol.

OP here. Definitely looks more compact, I mentioned some time ago in this thread that the Jaycar T5's were too long and fouled in the AU cluster.

Was also interested in these: http://www.dealextreme.com/p/0-1w-t5-2- ... pack-34609

My cluster has 3 or 4 of the Autobarn LEDs blown now, the speedo/tacho is dim and the temp/battery gauges are totally dark (except for when one LED occasionally flickers). So DO NOT buy them from Autobarn.

The only thing I can think of is that the people putting together these T5s must be overdriving the LEDs so that everyone marvels at how bright they are... but that reduces their lifetime significantly. I've been doing electronics for 25+ years, I had never seen an LED flicker until I started fooling around with these stupid car cluster replacement types!

heres my cluster with removed orange filter for odometer and gears windows as well. i have also done my c.control.

Futuraclassic, did you convert the climate control to LEDs? VERY interested in doing this since there are blown globes in mine, and AFAIK they're tiny little incandescent globes that are soldered in (same as the headlamp switch?)... no idea where to get incandescent replacements, let alone the LED equivalents. Please tell me you know!

of course i do, i have been selling them on ebay for awhile now. at the moment i am waiting on a new batch to arrive. yes i did the c. control with leds, just replace the globes with them as with my dash. odometer and climate however are a little more tricky. i had to completely dismantle both to get to the orange filter in them. used nail polish remover to clean the orange off. used a cloth or cotton buds etc. and after rubbing only 10 secs it starts comming off. use a clean cloth to get it all off and white. then replace and you have a new odometer and climate waiting for whatever colour you want in there. worked a treat for mine. looks alot brighter then the pic though.

i sell leds for ef el au ea eb ed as well. i have the ones for t bar surround , dash footwell in front and back etc. if u have any questions dont hesitate to ask. i have stripped just about every cluster from ea to au and i have a good knowledge of the leds. Paul

Hey Paul

The climate control/trip computer looks great in matching blue. Can you read it clearly in the daylight?

Also, you mention the odometer looks brighter than in the pic. Is it dazzling or too bright at night?

I'm wondering if I could get the same effect by removing the orange from the diffusers and spraying them with a transparent blue auto paint
AJ

Paul-

I have an AUIII so the LCDs (odo, climate, trip) are black on white rather than orange on black, should be no need to fiddle with filters in this case...

Are the LEDs you sell for the CC and trip computer a straight swap for those tiny globes - with an integrated resistor - or did you need to fool around with soldering an inline resistor?

Here's the globes I'm referring to... this is from the headlight switch, do the CC and trip computer have the same tiny globes with the little blue filter boots over them?