Here's an LED instrument cluster conversion I'm just finishing up. This mod sure makes the interior look much newer than a 98. I also made my own lighted "sunset orange" needles. The light leaking out around the hub of the tach and speedo needles bothered me at first but it looks sooo much like a solar eclipse that I'm going to leave it alone (luckily I drive an Eclipse and not a Talon ). The photos do pretty good explaining the process. All it takes is a boat load of patience and a spare dash cluster helps to relieve the stress of taking your dash all apart like this.


Video of latest LED tail light conversion with new dash mounted turn signal monitors and LED instrument lighting conversion.


Right click "Save as" please
http://www.rcaz.com/movieclips/eclipse2.1.mpg



93 LEDs wrap around the interior of the housing. Another 16 light up the four needles with white LEDs using 1206 SMTs.


Checking the fit to be sure nothing hits the gauge movements or mechnical parts.


Testing to see how even the light looks through the overlay.


All the yellow, black and white scraped off the back of the overlays. The strips of LEDs are quite flexible and pre-wired for 12 VDC. You can trim them every three LEDs and cut as required to fit them inside. Cut off pieces can then be wired and used too. I have only found these on ebay from a single vendor in this exact style. They come in lots of colors too. Search ebay for "white LED strips"


Here I'm comparing one lighted needle on the tach with the other needles that barely show up in the photo.


I also experimented with UV light on the needles but didn't care for the look. Monster size wires were just for testing.


These tiny little buggers sit under the needles and were a pain in the butt to make and wire up with .005" coil wire.



I had the dash out again tonight to tweak it a little, here it is with all needles lit and my little solar eclipses shining around the needle hubs.