So many choices- what the heck's the difference??

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Wed Dec 17, 2008 11:02 pm

I've been reading up on the LED how-to's and I'd normally just experiment for myself instead of asking so many stupid questions, but I don't have the money to buy a ton of these-

so here are my questions...

I know that you need 194s for the guage clusters and 74s for the hvac console, but what the heck are neo wedge lights and why do 194s look like wedge lights and 74s do too sometimes. And do I need 3,4,5 or 10 mm? and what's the difference between these?

74-xHP Wedge Base LED Bulb

74-x Wedge Base LED bulb

74-xHP3 Wedge Base LED bulb

Sorry for being annoying-

I just don't want to get two different shades or something because they're different or something- that'd suck :/ Thanks!

Donkeypuncher · Post by **Donkeypuncher** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:15 am

Damn, I can't remember exactly how many were needed for the gauge cluster. I know I got the WLED-x5 from superbrightleds.com: http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/bulb_specs.htm The X5 bulbs (5 leds on one wedge) are the ones to get, they emit the best light and fully cover the gauges with a nice blue.

I believe wedge just refers to how the bulbs are flattened at the bottom where you insert them into the twist lock holders on our OEM setup. I highly recommend the blue bulbs, they look like the blue-ish/purple 02-05 vw gauge clusters. You will lose all the red coloring on the tach, fuel, and temp gauge, but that really isn't a big deal since we all know how to read a needle gauge.

I would buy a couple extra bulbs just in case, I had 1 die on me in the first week. It's been 6 months so far and none of the others have burned out yet, so I may have just banged that 1 around too much.

latief · Post by **latief** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:01 am

None of those you selected will workout for the Hvac, watch out....

although it is supposed to be 74, it is a very tight location, and none of those will fit in the OEM sockets in the car....

these are the only ones that fit (without serious modification)

http://www.superbrightleds.com/instrument.html

the neo-wedge ones (first choice in list),, i just cannot remember which one of them i got

Edit: I think it is the NEO4-x that fit ....

jT · Post by jT » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:13 am

you're confused because you're confusing the parts of the bulbs

wedge only refers to the shape of the bulb ... so any "model" or type (194, 74, etc) of bulb can be a wedge (the base of the bulb)..

neo wedge is just another type of base-- like for the HVAC.. with a standard type 74 LED in it

3,4,5,10 mm are obviously the size of the LED (the head of it).. 5MM is, I believe, the size of the cluster led's.. while 3mm is your standard size LED

autolumination.com has all; the bulbs too.. including the HVAC neowedge.. http://autolumination.com/74.htm

if you are going to do the HVAC do NOT get the incandescent bulbs because they are not very bright at all... the cheaper price makes them look good but thats all.. once you see them you'll end up going back and getting the LED ones..

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:23 am

latief wrote:None of those you selected will workout for the Hvac, watch out....

although it is supposed to be 74, it is a very tight location, and none of those will fit in the OEM sockets in the car....

these are the only ones that fit (without serious modification)

http://www.superbrightleds.com/instrument.html

the neo-wedge ones (first choice in list),, i just cannot remember which one of them i got

Edit: I think it is the NEO4-x that fit ....

okay that makes a little more sense- what's partly confusing is that website when you click on the set of lights it brings you to the entire list regardless of whatever one you click on. So are these the ones?

and

Donkeypuncher wrote:Damn, I can't remember exactly how many were needed for the gauge cluster. I know I got the WLED-x5 from superbrightleds.com: http://www.superbrightleds.com/specs/bulb_specs.htm The X5 bulbs (5 leds on one wedge) are the ones to get, they emit the best light and fully cover the gauges with a nice blue.

I believe wedge just refers to how the bulbs are flattened at the bottom where you insert them into the twist lock holders on our OEM setup. I highly recommend the blue bulbs, they look like the blue-ish/purple 02-05 vw gauge clusters. You will lose all the red coloring on the tach, fuel, and temp gauge, but that really isn't a big deal since we all know how to read a needle gauge.

I would buy a couple extra bulbs just in case, I had 1 die on me in the first week. It's been 6 months so far and none of the others have burned out yet, so I may have just banged that 1 around too much.

What did you use for the hvac- that's really my question- i know that the x5's are good, but they don't make that one in a 74 do they? what'd you use for the hvac lights?

Thanks a ton guys

latief · Post by **latief** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 11:27 am

Yes, those are the ones....

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:21 pm

^^ okay thanks-

latief · Post by **latief** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:51 pm

You will need 6 for the cluster (194)

and 3-4 for the hvac (some cars have an extra light bulb socket like mine does) Neo-wedges

z3roneo · Post by **z3roneo** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 3:59 pm

For your Hvac... look into speedhuts design...

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 4:19 pm

z3roneo wrote:For your Hvac... look into speedhuts design...

huh? the website? it only has cluster light stuff.

Danteneon · Post by **Danteneon** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 5:26 pm

http://www.speedhut.com/custom_gauge_di ... er-459.htm

ZeroChad · Post by **ZeroChad** » Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:45 pm

Ooooo. That is sweet. I may have to go for one of those.

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 2:49 pm

tempting, but idk how that'll look. would it look just like regular lights? think I just wanna swap out the light still.

I was wanting to get the Cool White lights like Crystal used, but I can't find a 74 in that color- it just says "white." That wouldn't be the same would it? And if I just got blue in the 74s, it wouldn't match the Guage clusters in the Cool White would it? :/

latief · Post by **latief** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:53 pm

Both white(cool white) and blue will shine through blue.

the difference is that the blue will be deeper on with the blue leds, but you will not see reds....

with the white leds, they will still shine blue, and you will see the red parts of the h-vac, but the blueness is not as cool as the blues...

i tried both, and seriously the difference is not that much either way. i would recommend going with the white ones though...

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 4:09 pm

latief wrote:Both white(cool white) and blue will shine through blue.

the difference is that the blue will be deeper on with the blue leds, but you will not see reds....

with the white leds, they will still shine blue, and you will see the red parts of the h-vac, but the blueness is not as cool as the blues...

i tried both, and seriously the difference is not that much either way. i would recommend going with the white ones though...

yeah i know that- but the problem is that I can't find cool white (74s or neowedge- whatever) for the hvac. Where can I get some?

latief · Post by **latief** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:03 pm

if superbright leds does not have them, autollumination should

Edit: the white ones they have are the cool white ones even though it does not say it, these are the ones i got so you should be fine

Sykora · Post by **Sykora** » Fri Dec 19, 2008 9:14 pm

latief wrote:if superbright leds does not have them, autollumination should

Edit: the white ones they have are the cool white ones even though it does not say it, these are the ones i got so you should be fine

yay! thank you thank you! I finally can buy them

yay

Ntyvirus1 · Post by **Ntyvirus1** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:11 pm

is it the 8mm, the 10mm, or the 12 mm base for the hvac?

srtgtr34 · Post by **srtgtr34** » Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:19 pm

Ntyvirus1 wrote:is it the 8mm, the 10mm, or the 12 mm base for the hvac?

It is the 10mm. or type b as autolumination has it catagorized.