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Topic: Interior illumination bulbs (Read 4216 times) previous topic - next topic

Interior illumination bulbs

anyone know if there are brighter bulbs available, that'll plug right in and work, for say the instrument cluster and such? We have a dimmer  so being overly bright wouldnt' be a problem but there's times I wish the bulbs were capable of putting out about double the lumens (and yes, double the heat but at their size/power usage, this shouldn't matter). All my bulbs are starting to go out so I'm curious if you guys know of any brighter alternatives.
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #1 –
i havnt found brighter alternatives, but what i did, is i made reflectors out of aluminum foil for the inside of my cluster

you could probably also use some of that shiny aluminum tape
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #2 –
hmm...make much of a difference? Most of the bulbs point outward so it seems like gains would be minimal (compared to if the bulb was sideways). Too lazy to take the cluster apart now, but I'll give it a try later (just had it out a few days ago - now the battery gauge is working ;) )
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #3 –
it seemed to help, but it could have been one of those "mental mods"

i might try some of that aluminum tape next time i have my cluster out, especially when i go 140mph speedo and 7K tach in my red bird
It's Gumby's fault.

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #4 –
They make led 194 bulbs that are super bright and in a whole bunch of different colors.

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #6 –
Very well actually,they project quite a beam,have them for my lisc plate lights.

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #7 –
Yes there are brighter lamps that will replace the std #194, #168 being one of them. But before you go stickin' in a bunch of different bulbs remember these two things...

1.. Since they are starting to fail, your original lamps have likely aged to the point they are not as bright as they once were(especially if they are blackened).

2.. Brighter bulbs generally draw more current(not leds), so your dimmer reostat will likely over heat and possibly burn out...

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #8 –
the one that went out 2 nights ago (dimmer nob/headlight switch) didn't get any brighter with a new bulb

is the rheostat that weak that it can't handle a few brighter bulbs?  :shakehead
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #9 –
Tom, I think most of the current that passes through the rheostat is due to that coil on the back of the cluster. IIRC, there are only four cluster illumination bulbs (in a TC cluster, anyway). Even doubling the current draw probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

That being said, the cluster is made of a plastic that melts at just above the temperature of a 194 bulb. If you've ever had one apart you'll see that they are quite often actually melted in some places where bulbs are used frequently (around the turn signal indicators, high beam indicator, and check engine light if this has been on for a long time). I don't know if I'd put anything hotter in there, but LED's would be good.
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #10 –
Cold,low current draw,never burn out,what more can you ask for.

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #11 –
Quote from: dominator
Cold,low current draw,never burn out,what more can you ask for.


a light pattern similar to bulbs
1988 Thunderbird Sport

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #12 –
Carm, i just rechecked The '88 EVTM and it shows the current path directly from the dimmer, to the lamps then ground(OK it feeds through fuse #13). All together there are 13 lamps so if all were replaced, I'm doubting the dimmer could handle it(then there is the issue of heat from the lamps as you mentioned) Maybe the dimmer can handle more current, I dunno. I'm happy with the stock bulbs in mine...

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #13 –
I've noticed before that the EVTM does not seem to acknowledge that coil thing, but as you're well aware, the coil thing is there. It's there because the bulbs alone would not draw enough current to allow the wirewound dimmer to work. The current would be small enough that no matter what position the dimmer is in the bulbs would be at close to full brightness.
 
I'm looking at the EVTM now, and there are only three illumination bulbs in the base cluster and two in the Sport/TC cluster, according to it. This isn't right, of course - there are five in the Sport/TC cluster. I know this because I happen to gave a gutted cluster right here, a victim of one of my many ongoing and unfinished projects:
 

All of the other bulbs in the cluster are for indicators, not illumination. The other bulbs you're seeing in the EVTM are for illumination outside the cluster, such as for the headlight switch, radio, HVAC controls, etc.
 
Here's a pic of the coil I'm talking about:
 

I'm sure you've probably seen this shunt with a burned look on the printed circuit board around it. The sucker gets HOT! You can't make it out well in the photo, but that shunt is attached in parallel to the light in the top (the one right next to it).
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Re: Interior illumination bulbs

Reply #14 –
Yea Carm you're correct.... I had a brain lapse and kinda forgot about the load resistor...

Sinility is gonna be great, I'll get to learn these things all over again.. :D

Back on topic... Since the original purpose of this post was to have brighter lamps, removing the resistor would allow a little more voltage, as there would be no voltage drop through the wiring to the lamps. A switch could be added to open the resistor, reducing the load on the circuit.