zoned019

Alright, I've wanted these for some time now, and they would complete the "look" I'm going for (I've got the F2 Evo door sills and I have the Type R bumper from Chris)

The thing is, after looking at some pics, I noticed that some of the idiot lights are missing. In particular, the Check Engine light.

Pictures (thanks HKC):




Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do so I still have these lights? The CEL is pretty important to me.

Maybe make some sort of cut out in the gauges, and use LEDs? except then it would look like crap in the daylight ... hmm....

Thanks

DTN

It may be diffficult, but you could use a LED with a resistor on it, drill it through the gauge faces, use a LED mount, and just have the LED alone sticking through. It would be a good indicator. Bring the wires back through the back and attatch them to a standard twist-in connector for the stock bulb.

majik

You could cut out circles from the guages and cut/paste the old idiot light labels from your OEM gauges. They're flimsy and transparent - you could replace the bulbs with blue or use LEDs, or just find some thin blue transparent paper or plastic to put behind the CEL.

Really, the color wouldn't matter. A CEL should only be a temporary light, and you want it to jump out at you.

DTN

That would look ugly on the front of a nice set of F2 gauges. Using a LED holder would cover up the nasty cuts.

optimoprime

^^^+1 just use LED holder and put it in the plastic gauge surround, that way you get the gauges lookin nice and OEM but you still get a bright light to tell you about CEL lights. only this way you dont do damage to the gauge face

zoned019

Or I could finally finish my carputer project and buy one of Jay's OBD2 -> USB cables..lol.

Besides the CEL, what other lights are missing from HKC's picture? Looks like 2 or 3 of them between the Door Ajar and Battery lights, CEL, Low Oil, and....?

DTN, that's a good idea about the LED holder. A small subtle LED, so it wouldn't even be noticeable unless it was on..

I'd really like if there was some way to have it still say "Check Engine," but I'm not sure if that's possible..

Oh, and DTN, just so you know, once I get these gauges, you're going to be the one installing LEDs in them wink1.gif

HyundaiKitCoupe

no prob. it was well worth the picture. i have to say though man, those gauges are tinted, so in the daytime LED's look like ____ back there but at night it looks great. i don't know why the hell the CEL and oil lamp are missing, going to have to just trust the car then but usually when one of those bulbs are out they shine through.

i would recommend to rub some spots off the back with goof-off so when the bulb does go on it'll shine through. or you can change the bulb to an LED so it points straight at the back of the gauge and creates a blemish.

they're not normal gauges, and they won't come out as good and easy as normal gauges--so BE WARNED. you have to resolve some problems to make it look good. if you give them away to DTN, he'll see for himself but if you do the LED's yourself then you'll find out how much of a pain...

I'd love to have those nice clean gauges like on the new hondas. but led's with those f2 tint are just hard to figure out.

majik

my BROS gauges don't have a Cruise Control area, but I can see when the light is illuminated through the gauges if it's nighttime. When you start the car and the CEL is on, can you see a faint light through the gauges? Would you consider rubbing some alcohol or nail polish remover on the back of the gauges to make it thinner, to allow the light to shine through?

DTN

I've got a set of LED backlighting for your gauges if you need them. I'd send the entire cluster for $100

Ericy321

Dont modify the gauge face whatever you do. Carputer sounds cool though!