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[93 Accord EX Coupe] LED Gauge Cluster Conversion Issues

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    [93 Accord EX Coupe] LED Gauge Cluster Conversion Issues

    Hey guys,

    Here with another different issue.

    I just recently opened up my gauge cluster to replace the indicators (ABS, Brake, turn signals, etc.) and gauge cluster bulbs to LEDs (not including the gear position/doors opened bulbs). All the bulbs I changed were the size 74's and the three 194's.

    I put all the LED's in the same direction (I'm keeping the polarity consistent throughout the board since on the board itself, it doesn't indicate which side is positive or negative).

    After putting the cluster and connecting all the wires back in the dash however, only some of the indicator lights work. The left turn signal, highbeam, and check engine light lights up. Same with the three 194's.

    All the others won't light up (especially when I try to use the right turn signal).

    Any ideas what might have gone wrong? I'm pretty sure if the board was short-circuited, none of those lights would turn on...
    ------------

    I also want to note that I took apart the dimmer switch to clean it since it felt sticky, but I'm pretty sure I put it back the right way. What's also interesting is that after I put back the dimmer switch, I have to turn counter-clockwise to brighten the lights (whereas before I took out the dimmer switch, you had to turn clockwise to brighten the lights).

    One last thing I want to note is that for the middle 194 bulb in the gauge cluster, I am able to swap the polarity and the LED will still light up, which is weird because the LED only allows current to flow in one direction. If it lights up in one direction, and I swap the polarity, it shouldn't light up, but it does.

    Maybe I should check the Fuse Boxes first? Maybe I just need to swap the polarity of some of the indicator bulbs to see if they work?
    Last edited by Aojiru; 01-09-2017, 04:42 PM.

    #2
    I know for a fact that not all of the spots are aligned the same direction.. so lining them up facing the same direction will mean some are inserted backwards. Most LEDs are "polarized" (especially ones as small as 74's) so it matters which way they are installed. You'll need to flip them around and try again. Regarding the 194 that is reversible and still lights, it sounds like you got non-polarized versions of that where direction does not matter. It is common to see 194's offered in this configuration because the size allows more room for the electronics inside.

    Do you have a link to the LEDs you bought?


    - 1993 Accord LX - White sedan (sold)
    - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (wrecked)
    - 1991 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
    - 1990 Accord EX - Grey sedan (sold)
    - 1993 Accord EX - White sedan (sold)
    - 1992 Accord EX - White coupe (sold)
    - 1993 Accord EX - Grey coupe (stolen)
    - 1993 Accord SE - Gold coupe (sold)
    Current cars:
    - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Wagon - Daily driver
    - 2004 Chevrolet Express AWD - Camper conversion

    Comment


      #3
      Hi cpmike,

      Yes I do!

      Here's the link for the 74: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...rofit-car/228/

      Here's the link for the 194: https://www.superbrightleds.com/more...t-car/206/921/

      Thanks for helping me on this issue!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by cp[mike] View Post
        I know for a fact that not all of the spots are aligned the same direction.. so lining them up facing the same direction will mean some are inserted backwards. Most LEDs are "polarized" (especially ones as small as 74's) so it matters which way they are installed. You'll need to flip them around and try again. Regarding the 194 that is reversible and still lights, it sounds like you got non-polarized versions of that where direction does not matter. It is common to see 194's offered in this configuration because the size allows more room for the electronics inside.

        Do you have a link to the LEDs you bought?
        Hi Mike!

        I just checked the specifications of the bulbs you asked about. Regarding the polarity of each type of bulb, on the website it said-

        (For the 74 bulb) Polarity Sensitive: Yes
        (For the 194 bulb) Polarity Sensitive: No

        That cleared up the whole 194 swapping polarity situation!
        I didn't know it was possible for the 194 LED to light up with disregard to polarity, which is interesting.

        Thanks for helping me on that!

        Now onto finding out the polarities of the indicators lights...

        Comment


          #5
          Hey Guys,

          I've finally figured out my issue. As cp[mike] pointed out, not all the spots are aligned in the same direction.

          So what I did was change the direction of the bulbs that didn't light up, and now all of them lights up!

          I put up a guide here to hopefully outline what the polarity on the board should be: http://imgur.com/a/ZvJzV

          Let me know if I need to change anything!
          -------------

          Now that I got my lights to work, for some reason, my seat belt light won't turn off, even after I turned off the car and took my key out of the ignition.
          The seat belt light goes off only on the second key turn (and possibly when the engine is running, I can't test right now because I think my battery might be dying), but first key turn it turns on.

          Any ideas??
          Last edited by Aojiru; 01-11-2017, 07:24 PM.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Aojiru View Post

            Now that I got my lights to work, for some reason, my seat belt light won't turn off, even after I turned off the car and took my key out of the ignition.
            The seat belt light goes off only on the second key turn (and possibly when the engine is running, I can't test right now because I think my battery might be dying), but first key turn it turns on.

            Any ideas??
            Hi everyone, here's a quick update.

            Because I changed my indicator lights to type 74 LED bulbs, it was causing the issue listed above. I want to also note that during this time, the CEL and other lights also stayed on (such as the ABS and cruise control lights) when the key turn was on 2nd or "ON".

            I changed all the indicator lights back to the incandescent type 74 bulbs and everything is now working fine. All the lights are lighting up when it should be.

            Therefore, I believe you can change every other light on the gauge cluster to LED's except the indicator lights.

            That's it for my update! Thanks everyone for helping.

            Comment


              #7
              Hi Everyone,

              It's been awhile since I started on this project. I wanted to ask a question in regards to the gauge cluster indicator lights.

              Are there any type 74 bulb brands that fit in the Toshiba V-2 socket?

              I'm looking for the incandescent type. The Sylvania 74 is a little bit oversized, so the bulbs tend to slip (or pop) out of the socket.

              I also had no luck from using an off-brand 74 bulbs from O'Reillys.

              Please let me know,
              Thank You

              Comment

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