Instrument Cluster Lights

[SHUMIF1]

Are there any LED replacement bulbs for the cluster that light up the speedo, tach , temp and fuel guages ? I replaced the D bulb but those i just mentioned seem to be in a metal bulb housing .

[cduluk]

What are you trying to do?

The meters (speedometer, tach, gas gauge and engine temp) are all illuminated by a single CCFL (miniature cold cathode florescent tube). The individual pilot lights are bulbs.

[SHUMIF1]

I was thinking " if able " to change the back lighting on those guages, would you have a pic of those CCFLs to see what they look like or not possible to change the color ?WOW just saw your RX300 led upgrade WOW. i am a bodyman for 28 yrs and love good workmanship, AWSOME. I like stock with a little twist.

[cduluk]

I was thinking " if able " to change the back lighting on those guages, would you have a pic of those CCFLs to see what they look like or not possible to change the color ?WOW just saw your RX300 led upgrade WOW. i am a bodyman for 28 yrs and love good workmanship, AWSOME. I like stock with a little twist.

Thanks for the compliments! Unfortunately though, you can't do anything to change the backlighting, as the entire cluster is designed "around" the thin CCFL.

Here are some images:

Here's the inside of the cluster, showing the CCFL tube.

As you can see, the clear acrylic behind the gauge face has little "grooves" and "wedges" to reflect light from the CCFL to illuminate the lettering.

[SHUMIF1]

cduluk.. thanks for the pics . i just got a hold of a spare cluster , i guess i will take it apart and see if i can mess with it and see what i can do to change the color....hmmmmm. i love a good challenge

[cduluk]

cduluk.. thanks for the pics . i just got a hold of a spare cluster , i guess i will take it apart and see if i can mess with it and see what i can do to change the color....hmmmmm. i love a good challenge

What color are you trying to make it? I did some extensive experimentation in changing out the CCFL to get a more "pure" white output. The CCFL illuminates with a yellow "hue" and it only gets worse with age.

I ran into a lot of problems. First, the clear acrylic behind the faceplate is about 1/4" thick, and is specially designed to collect and forward light from the CCFL to all of the numbering and lettering. Moving the CCFL even a few millimeters from center will create "hot spots" in certain areas. You'll also notice that behind the tach, there are two layers of the acrylic, to collect light coming from the CCFL 180 degrees around. So, simply replacing the CCFL with an "LED strip" won't work since you need a 180 degree viewing angle. I tried to create a custom strip of LEDs, and even rotated them to optimize directional control of the light. After a LOT of trial and error, i got it to work and i got all of the hot spots eliminated.

Then came the next problem; how to get them illuminated. The CCFL runs at dangerous levels of electricity, and there's no way to get 12V from it. I tried, but i couldn't get it to work. The only solution was to illuminate the new LED unit to the cigarette lighter, as this would supply 12V whenever the car is ON. The only issue is that the dimmer switch would no longer work. The dimmer only controls the CCFL and the center console lights, which only come on at night (but the cluster needs light whenever the car is ON).

And the last issue; longevity. With over 100 LEDs wired in the cluster (even with appropriate series setup and proper voltage regulation and resistance) the amount of heat created by the LEDs caused them to burn out prematurely. If i ran them at any less voltage, they wouldn't be bright enough. I got about 6 months before LEDs started flickering, and at about the 1 year mark the remaining working LEDs were too dim to illuminate anything.

So i tried switching to SMDs, which ended up being too dim despite a greater quantity. Also, i couldn't get a good enough viewing angle out of them. Hot spots were horrible and couldn't be corrected. It might look like an easy task, but even for someone like myself with intense experience, achieving proper intensity, longevity and even distribution of light with the clear acrylic was not achievable. At least not with 2009 technology...

If all you're after is a color change, i'd merely suggest finding a tinted film (in the desired color) to replace the smoked cover to the cluster. Removing the smoked cover and replacing it with 1/8" clear plastic tinted in a film in the color of your choice will maintain intensity while changing the color. After all my experience, that would be my best suggestion.

And one last note: don't remove the needles!!! Unlike Lexus' modern clusters (whose gauge motors have "stoppers") the gauge motors in the Rx300 cluster are not easily calibrated. In fact, it's practically impossible to get the needles calibrated once removed.

[SHUMIF1]

Cduluk.. thanks for all your info on the cluster you sure do your homework. I am basicaly trying to make the area on my 300 that you painted on your 400 a blue , i like the ocean blue look but was the area on your 400 originaly clear or white that you painted blue? Since i work in a body shop paint is easy for me to get a hold of so i can play with diferent shades of blue. Was the blue you used transparent enough or were you just careful enough not to put too much on not to block out the light ? I thought about a clear lens but that would make the cluster a lot brighter than the console if i had to dim it down a little . I also thought of putting a blue plastic sheet behind the black faceplate and befor the clear acrylic. What kind of power is needed to light up the CCFL tube or how much is brought to the tube ?

I love your key mod ,very cool .

Thanks again,

[cduluk]

Cduluk.. thanks for all your info on the cluster you sure do your homework. I am basicaly trying to make the area on my 300 that you painted on your 400 a blue , i like the ocean blue look but was the area on your 400 originaly clear or white that you painted blue? Since i work in a body shop paint is easy for me to get a hold of so i can play with diferent shades of blue. Was the blue you used transparent enough or were you just careful enough not to put too much on not to block out the light ? I thought about a clear lens but that would make the cluster a lot brighter than the console if i had to dim it down a little . I also thought of putting a blue plastic sheet behind the black faceplate and befor the clear acrylic. What kind of power is needed to light up the CCFL tube or how much is brought to the tube ?

I love your key mod ,very cool .

Thanks again,

Ahh i hear you. Can you be more specific with what you're trying to achieve?

I drew up some quick sketches; are any of these close to what you're looking for?

This is OEM:

This is with the "tick" marks tinted blue:

And this is with a "ring" of blue along the perimeter of the tick marks (similar to the blue rings in the 04-09 Rx330/350/400h:

With my Rx400h, the left and right meters had a white "ring", and the center speedometer was a bit different with white "between" the tick marks. Lexus achieved this look by installing acrylic "rings" on top of the gauge face, with light coming up from beneath, being forwarded through the acrylic and bounced off of the gauge face. For the center speedometer, i simply painted the white area "between" the tick marks with light blue paint (i tried several shades to determine the most efficient) and changed the white SMDs out to blue ones.

Unfortunately, the Rx300 cluster doesn't have this feature (with the acrylic rings on top of the gauge face), so this look (in image 3) wouldn't be easily achievable. You'd have to have some specially made and do some funky wiring.

The look in image 2 above can however be easily achieved; the only issue is that adding a blue tinted film behind the gauge face would render the tick marks practically invisible during the day. The gauges are hardly bright enough as it is, and any tinting (especially blue) would hurt the intensity significantly.

Let me know if any of the sketches i made are close to what you envisioned; if not, can you be more specific? I'll come up with some ideas on how to make it happen! :)

And as far as the CCFL, i never measured the voltage and/or current going through it, but i know it's in the hundreds. And even after hours upon hours of trials, i couldn't find the inverter nor the source voltage line. Believe me, i tried everything!

[SHUMIF1]

Thanks for the artwork , Image 2 "ticks marked blue" is almost what i was going for , the speedo and tach are nice but the fuel i was thinking of maybe fading red at "E" into green at "F" and water temp maybe blue at "C" into red at "H".

I removed the tinted plastic in front of the cluster and will mold a clear one in place of it, i haven't found the right plastic yet but am looking. I thought of just putting a tinted plastic in front of the CCFL but then the whole cluster would be blue and that's not really what i want.

Damn, i should just give you my car and pay you to do everything cluster , LED interior upgrade and headlights....lol

If you don't mind me asking on the RX300 blue LED center console , where did you mount the LED's for the top cup holders ? I understand if it;s a trade secret.lol

[cduluk]

Thanks for the artwork , Image 2 "ticks marked blue" is almost what i was going for , the speedo and tach are nice but the fuel i was thinking of maybe fading red at "E" into green at "F" and water temp maybe blue at "C" into red at "H".

I removed the tinted plastic in front of the cluster and will mold a clear one in place of it, i haven't found the right plastic yet but am looking. I thought of just putting a tinted plastic in front of the CCFL but then the whole cluster would be blue and that's not really what i want.

Damn, i should just give you my car and pay you to do everything cluster , LED interior upgrade and headlights....lol

If you don't mind me asking on the RX300 blue LED center console , where did you mount the LED's for the top cup holders ? I understand if it;s a trade secret.lol

Hmm, in that case i'd suggest finding a blue (or green, red) tinted film that you could cut and wedge between the gauge face and the clear acrylic behind the gauge face (only behind the "tick marks"). That's definitely the easiest and most cost effective way to achieve what you're describing. ^_^

I like your idea of replacing the smoked cover to the gauge cluster. Try to find a sheet of 1/16" or 1/8" clear acrylic plastic (which you can easily heat and bend to the right shape), then go to a place like Autozone or Advanced Auto parts and get a roll of window tinting film (look at each to find the right %) which you can tint the clear plastic with (just be sure to bend the plastic and mold it to the bezel before tinting). The only issue there is avoiding air bubbles... I've tried it before with pretty good success after trial and error. Also be sure to keep the same curvature of the cluster cover, as if the angle is off even a few degrees, you'll get glare.

You're making me miss my Rx300!! :( I loved that car, especially working with the gauges and LEDs. If you want, i can do the cluster mods for you; i wouldn't charge you, i'd enjoy the project!

Oh also, i know you mentioned that you bought another Rx300 cluster; did you make sure that it's the same year range as yours? The 99-00 clusters are different than the 01-03 clusters (even though they look very similar). Not only that, the early '01 model clusters retained the old 99-00 gauge needles (but have the new 01-03 electricals). The needles for the 99-00 and early '01 clusters are deformed and look pretty funky at night. See the pics below:

And another tip; when taking the cluster apart, make sure not to touch (with your fingers) the actual gauge face. Also, make sure you don't get it wet; even with fresh water, saliva or any fluid. The surface is coated in some weird paint that cannot be cleaned. Any fingerprints or water stains don't come out...

All the memories are flowing back!

As for the center console flip-up cover LEDs, i had them mounted under the arms, one at each end. It was difficult to wire them, but the results looked great!

[SHUMIF1]

I was even thinking of changing my whole faceplate to get that bright LED glow of some of the newer models but that would be ton of modification. like your 400 but,since you said not to take off the needles there goes that idea. I have the same feeling on leave it stock but modify it so it looks factory. I think im just going to do the tick marks for now.

I would pay you no dought, i would never take that for free. Being someone that works with his hands i know the time, patience and skill it takes. And your skills are worth it.

What arms are talking about on the center console , the ones on the seats or cover for the cupholders ?

[SHUMIF1]

I just saw your wood grain cup holder tutorial and saw what arms you were talking about. AWSOME... You sure are talented.

[cduluk]

I was even thinking of changing my whole faceplate to get that bright LED glow of some of the newer models but that would be ton of modification.

Ahh, you mean something like this? :whistles:

I made this 02-06 ES/Rx300 "hybrid" cluster with the intent on installing it on my RX300 back in 2009, but i ended up selling the Rx300 before i finished. As you can see, i had to cut and bring the three "sections" closer together to fit in the RX300 dash. I also had to cut and replace the actual gauge faceplate icons to add the VSC and SNOW icons that the ES lacked. I also had to remove the 4-3-2-L icons for the shifter as the Rx300 didn't have these functions. I lengthened the gauge needles (to the center) like i did with my Rx400h cluster, i also changed the needle color from red to white. If you look on the back you'll see the RX300 main cluster circuit board. I had to wire all the pilot lights to the gauge face in all the right locations, and i did the same for the gauge motors. The gauge motors for the RX300 cluster are unique so i had to transplant them into the ES gauge faces. This would have looked really nice in the Rx300 had i been able to finish in time!

...but,since you said not to take off the needles there goes that idea.

Definitely, avoid removing the needles at all costs. The ONLY way to calibrate them correctly after removal is to "estimate" engine temp, tach, and fuel level, and for the speedometer you have to drive at what you "think" is about 40mph, and press the needle in place while you're driving, making sure to insert it so it's facing the 40mph mark. It's a horrible task.

I just saw your wood grain cup holder tutorial and saw what arms you were talking about. AWSOME... You sure are talented.

Thanks for the compliments! It took a lot of work, but the results were amazing!

[SHUMIF1]

OMG, IT NEVER ENDS....LOL How awesome is that. I feel like an amateur saying i found some nice shades of colored film to put behind the tick marks. As soon as i have some time I'll put it together and post some pics. I'm still looking for some clear acrylic in place of the shaded faceplate.

[cduluk]

OMG, IT NEVER ENDS....LOL How awesome is that. I feel like an amateur saying i found some nice shades of colored film to put behind the tick marks. As soon as i have some time I'll put it together and post some pics. I'm still looking for some clear acrylic in place of the shaded faceplate.

That's great!! Definitely post some pictures of the results! :)

[SHUMIF1]

cduluk... here is a pic of befor and after my cluster i was working on , i only changed the hash marks and a few other colors here and there. not as awsome as your project but it came out ok.lol

[cduluk]

That looks GREAT!!!! Awesome job!

How did you get those results?

[SHUMIF1]

Thanks,

I found the right shade of blue plastic i was looking for and glued strips to the back of the face plate. I put back the original smoked plastic cover back and it wasn't to dark.

[cduluk]

That's great! Simple and best solution for sure. I love the results :)

[SHUMIF1]

Thanks, when i have time i will convert all the ugly green interior lights to white or blue to match the center display.

[cduluk]

Thanks, when i have time i will convert all the ugly green interior lights to white or blue to match the center display.

It's funny you should mention that; i just did that conversion in my RX this week! All of the lower "green" lights are now all white LED. I should have done it 4 years ago!

I know on the Rx300 radio, the green you see comes from small green SMD (surface mount diodes) which are easily torn off and replaced by white SMDs. I'd suggest Osram LWT6SC and Osram LWV18C for this application, each two different sizes. For pretty much everything else you see that's green, it uses a larger bulb (with a green rubber cap) that you'll need to make "custom" conversions for, as the bulbs aren't generic sizes you can buy pre-made LED bulbs for. I'd suggest wiring three of the surface mount diodes in series and adding a 300 ohm 1/2 watt resistor to each set.

[SHUMIF1]

Thanks, the bulbs with the green caps you mentioned ,can i just remove the green cap ? i know the light ring around the ignition key had a green cover and i removed that one .

[cduluk]

Thanks, the bulbs with the green caps you mentioned ,can i just remove the green cap ? i know the light ring around the ignition key had a green cover and i removed that one .

You can definitely do that, but then the lights will be the color of standard "bulbs" rather than the crisp white of LEDs. Bulbs have a yellow-ish "hue" while white LEDs are more of a pure white.

[SHUMIF1]

Sorry for the long delay for a reply, did this a few months ago. Hoping to do my radio and window controls soon.

[SHUMIF1]

forgot that i posted the pics already .....ooooops