Fitment of LED for check engine lights

Sean Krupa

Sean Krupa

Moderator
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

I didn't have a problem with fitment. Looks like you have a similar bulb to what I got. Idk if you want to install those. For some odd reason, my Check Engine light is illuminated a tad. You can hardly tell, but its on. I don't have a CEL, just something with the LEDs that makes it tweak out.

I don't feel like taking the cluster again just to fix that, just letting you know, incase you put yours all back together and you see the CEL dim.
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

Sean Krupa said:
I didn't have a problem with fitment. Looks like you have a similar bulb to what I got. Idk if you want to install those. For some odd reason, my Check Engine light is illuminated a tad. You can hardly tell, but its on. I don't have a CEL, just something with the LEDs that makes it tweak out.

I don't feel like taking the cluster again just to fix that, just letting you know, incase you put yours all back together and you see the CEL dim.
Click to expand...

I wonder if I leave the check engine light a regular bulb and just use LEDs in the rest....
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

RealFastV6 said:
This is what I used (your link isn't working so I'm not sure what you're linking to).

http://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/instrument-cluster-gauge/pc74-led-bulb-instrument-panel-led/219/

I don't think you can use an LED on the check engine light or check gauges light though. When I tried it just never worked correctly. I ended up leaving those two incan and using LEDs on the rest.
Click to expand...

Fixed the link. I have the same thing, but the brighter version.
 
RealFastV6

RealFastV6

@jb_and_his_coffee
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

Sean Krupa said:
I didn't have a problem with fitment. Looks like you have a similar bulb to what I got. Idk if you want to install those. For some odd reason, my Check Engine light is illuminated a tad. You can hardly tell, but its on. I don't have a CEL, just something with the LEDs that makes it tweak out.

I don't feel like taking the cluster again just to fix that, just letting you know, incase you put yours all back together and you see the CEL dim.
Click to expand...

Have you tried tripping it to see if it actually lights up, and\or does it light up when you put the key in the ignition and turn it to ON without cranking?
 
RealFastV6

RealFastV6

@jb_and_his_coffee
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

hatrik8 said:
Fixed the link. I have the same thing, but the brighter version.
Click to expand...

I seem to remember the fitment being a little "finicky". Almost like the board is a hair too thick for the slot in the light. Just firmly push down and twist and it should take.
 
Sean Krupa

Sean Krupa

Moderator
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

Ya it lights up when I turn the key on. I also like the LEDs for the cluster turn signal arrows. A lot brighter!
 
Mephisto

Mephisto

These trucks are cursed
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

I had the same issue with mine... they were a lil bit of a bitch to get in there. I used some pliers on the base, pushed down and twisted, and it was good to go.

I also had the same problem as Sean with the eff'n CEL being barely lit up. Kind of annoying so i pulled the cluster back out and replaced the CEL with the OEM bulb and it's good to go. I guess there's just a tiny bit of current going through that circuit and with the LED requiring less power to run, it's just enough to get it to light up a little bit. The incandescent bulb needs a lil more juice I guess. In actuality you don't even really need LEDs in place of those smaller bulbs, they're never on to notice a difference, and I never use my turn signal because the eff'n windshield wipers turn on every time I use it. :squint:

You're better off replacing the interior lights with LEDs. That helps out huge! Not only in the visibility factor but in the "oh shit I left the door open for a couple hours while I was working on the truck, and the geniuses at GM didn't think to make a switch to turn off the dome lights and now my battery is dead" factor. Those incandescent interior lights eat up battery juice quick.
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

Mephisto said:
I had the same issue with mine... they were a lil bit of a bitch to get in there. I used some pliers on the base, pushed down and twisted, and it was good to go.

I also had the same problem as Sean with the eff'n CEL being barely lit up. Kind of annoying so i pulled the cluster back out and replaced the CEL with the OEM bulb and it's good to go. I guess there's just a tiny bit of current going through that circuit and with the LED requiring less power to run, it's just enough to get it to light up a little bit. The incandescent bulb needs a lil more juice I guess. In actuality you don't even really need LEDs in place of those smaller bulbs, they're never on to notice a difference, and I never use my turn signal because the eff'n windshield wipers turn on every time I use it. :squint:

You're better off replacing the interior lights with LEDs. That helps out huge! Not only in the visibility factor but in the "oh shit I left the door open for a couple hours while I was working on the truck, and the geniuses at GM didn't think to make a switch to turn off the dome lights and now my battery is dead" factor. Those incandescent interior lights eat up battery juice quick.
Click to expand...

I did order map light bulbs, dome light bulb, and courtesy light bulbs (for the floor). They look nice.

Do you have to take out the console to change the bulbs for the shift indicator?
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

RealFastV6 said:
I seem to remember the fitment being a little "finicky". Almost like the board is a hair too thick for the slot in the light. Just firmly push down and twist and it should take.
Click to expand...

Mephisto said:
I had the same issue with mine... they were a lil bit of a bitch to get in there. I used some pliers on the base, pushed down and twisted, and it was good to go.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I'll just use a bit more force to put them in on the gauges.
 
Mephisto

Mephisto

These trucks are cursed
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

hatrik8 said:
Do you have to take out the console to change the bulbs for the shift indicator?
Click to expand...

nope! just the 2 screws in the cup holder... lift up the panel and you can get to the 2 bulbs on the bottom... The bulb holder twists out just like all the others.

i did those red too to match my gauges.
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

I was able to get all my LEDs in except the replacements for the map lights. The map lights are 192 and I have 194 that are too big to fit inside the lenses. Anyone replace those with LEDs before?

I also left the regular bulb in for the check engine light.
 
fauXGT

fauXGT

Brick Pilot
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

hatrik8 said:
I was able to get all my LEDs in except the replacements for the map lights. The map lights are 192 and I have 194 that are too big to fit inside the lenses. Anyone replace those with LEDs before?

I also left the regular bulb in for the check engine light.
Click to expand...

I put in LEDs in the mirror map lights. They did not fit pushing into the regular way, too wide. So I popped the clear lens out and pushed them in from the bottom. Then snap the lens back in. These were the short five LED ones.
The 1141s under the dash I need to find different ones. They are that extreme white that has blue tint. I replaced all including the back dome with LEDs.
 
InvisiBill

InvisiBill

Active member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

Mephisto said:
I guess there's just a tiny bit of current going through that circuit and with the LED requiring less power to run, it's just enough to get it to light up a little bit. The incandescent bulb needs a lil more juice I guess. In actuality you don't even really need LEDs in place of those smaller bulbs, they're never on to notice a difference, and I never use my turn signal because the eff'n windshield wipers turn on every time I use it.
Click to expand...

Just to second that this is the reason it's on a bit. When I swapped in LEDs on the Ninja, it made my neutral light flicker even just shifting from 1 to 2 (for those of you not familiar with bikes, neutral is halfway between first and second).

There's not much real improvement by switching those warning lights to LEDs other than reliability. Another option is to get a "load equalizer" resistor and add it to the circuit (though I'm not sure how easy that would be on these PC-mount ones). Normally, the load resistors are added to LED turn signals to avoid the fast-blink issue (again, the LEDs use less power than regular bulbs, so they appear to be burned out as far as the blinker is concerned). That should make the LED have a load more like a regular bulb, so the tiny bit of current wouldn't be enough to overcome the resistor and illuminate the LED.


Does anyone happen to have a good list of how many of each size and color are needed for a full LED conversion? It's been too long since I've been in a SyTy dash...
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

fauXGT said:
I put in LEDs in the mirror map lights. They did not fit pushing into the regular way, too wide. So I popped the clear lens out and pushed them in from the bottom. Then snap the lens back in. These were the short five LED ones.
The 1141s under the dash I need to find different ones. They are that extreme white that has blue tint. I replaced all including the back dome with LEDs.
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. I didn't think to pop it in from the bottom. I'll try getting the clear lens out and see if they fit that way.
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

InvisiBill said:
Does anyone happen to have a good list of how many of each size and color are needed for a full LED conversion? It's been too long since I've been in a SyTy dash...
Click to expand...

For the dash:
qty 8 194 for the blinkers and gauge back lighting
(I got mine off ebay, but you can get them at superbrightleds.com for a lot more they come with new sockets)
http://www.superbrightleds.com/search/led-products/pc194/

qty 7 pc74 for the check engine lights.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/search/led-products/pc74/

See Sean Krupa's post

http://www.syty.net/forums/showthread.php?p=841542&highlight=led#post841542
 
fauXGT

fauXGT

Brick Pilot
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

hatrik8 said:
That's a good idea. I didn't think to pop it in from the bottom. I'll try getting the clear lens out and see if they fit that way.
Click to expand...

A small flat blade screwdriver :tup:
The shift lights are the short ones also.
 
hatrik8

hatrik8

Donating Member
Re: Fitment of LED for check engine lights

fauXGT said:
A small flat blade screwdriver :tup:
The shift lights are the short ones also.
Click to expand...

I was able to get my ebay 194 leds in from the bottom with the lens off of the map lights.

They fit in the shifter indicators without issues.
 
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