Gauges and stereo Q'S

GWing · Post by **GWing** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:05 pm

Hey guys i just have 2 questions about my new 02 neon! Here we go:

#1: I was wondering how good the stock CD player with the 5 disk cd changer is. Can it read MP3 CD's? Can you hook a amp up to it?

#2: I hate my factory gauges. and was wondering what are some good ones out there i looked at black cat ones n they r alright but r there others? Also i found these online on ebay and was wondering if there was a way to make them turn on when i turn the lights on so i dont have to always turn them on manually with the supplied button.

thanks all!

Ntyvirus1 · Post by **Ntyvirus1** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:47 pm

stock cd player wont do mp3s as far as gauges do u mean the main cluster or like aftermarket stuff?

moparman00 · Post by **moparman00** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:10 am

Ditto with ntyvirus on the stereo....

as for the gauges, if you just want different lights, try superbrightleds.com for leds to replace the current bulbs, and search here on the forum for tutorials on changing the gauge cluster light color with leds, there are a few....as for the actual gauge faces, you can get overlays, such as the speedhut ones, that cover the stock design (white)

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:08 am

Speedhut makes overlays if you are talking about the factory cluster.

Http://autolumination.com/srt4.htm sells kits for the SRT-4, which minus the boost gauge LED will work on the neon if you want to change the color.

The stock CD player isn't all that bad, but cannot read MP3 CDs or MP3 Data discs, and it doesn't have an out for an amp.

c987long · Post by **c987long** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:04 am

LilSparkPlug wrote:
Http://autolumination.com/srt4.htm sells kits for the SRT-4, which minus the boost gauge LED will work on the neon if you want to change the color.

does the kit replace all the bulbs in the cluster or a few, does it also change the odometer?

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:11 am

It changes all of the bulbs in the cluster. There are six total. You would have to buy two additional blue single 194 LEDs if you wanted to do your turn signals as well. I wouldn't recommend blue bulbs in these however because you can't see them.

www.byvampdesign.com sells the odometer film. Thats another thing that you cannot see at all unless its dark out.

GWing · Post by **GWing** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:22 pm

thnxs for info about the stereo! as for the gauges im talking about the cluster gauges. I dont like the look of the factory gauges. But i do like the look of the black cat one here:

what i want to know is if there are any others out there like this? i found factory white gauges on ebay (i have boring black) but not liking them at all.

As for LED's in the cluster i got a set orders from vamp for the gauges, HVAC, odometer, signals, and dome light..

Oh and another thing is the ebay over lays like this:

Is there any way to get them to turn on when the lights come on. Like instead of pushing the button all the time?

Srry for the un-clearness of the first post .

Ntyvirus1 · Post by **Ntyvirus1** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:07 pm

if u already bought the leds then i wouldnt use the overlays. i know at least with the speedhut ones that they make their own light so changing the leds would be pointless.

GWing · Post by **GWing** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:18 pm

ok so ill go with no overlay. but is there other places to get gauges like the ones at black cat?

srtgtr34 · Post by **srtgtr34** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 6:23 pm

Good luck with the leds when you get them 2 and a half weeks after they are ordered. You could have saved about 20+ bucks by buying the leds through companies like superbrightleds.com for the cluster and autolumination for the hvac and dome lights and you would have gotten better results....

2005.Neon.SXT · Post by **2005.Neon.SXT** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:24 pm

The second set of overlays you have posted (not the black cat ones) is what I have. They're wired to always be on, even without lights turned on. But since you're not doing overlays... why am I commenting -.-

And LSP, don't you mean "byvampdesign"?

Ntyvirus1 · Post by **Ntyvirus1** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:37 pm

superior spelling ftw

nineball · Post by **nineball** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 9:12 pm

srtgtr34 wrote:Good luck with the leds when you get them 2 and a half weeks after they are ordered. You could have saved about 20+ bucks by buying the leds through companies like superbrightleds.com for the cluster and autolumination for the hvac and dome lights and you would have gotten better results....

x2

my vamp lights work when they want to, if they want to. it's always a guessing game which part of my dash will not be lit up at night. at the times when everything is working it looks great but that hardly ever happens. the wiring on my hvac bulbs was ultra thin and broke very easily as well.

depending on your goals you may be able to add an amp to the factory sound system. if you are only after installing a sub then you can use a LOC (line out converter) and run that back to the amp in the trunk for the sub. if you want to amp everything there are expensive products like the jl audio cleansweep but it would be much easier and cheaper to buy a new radio with the features you want (mp3, usb port, sd slot, ipod, etc).

Fuzzyneon · Post by **Fuzzyneon** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:18 pm

you can use a line output convert to wire amp to factory radio they break alot and never sound as good as pre outs but its cheaper thena new radio lol!

nineball · Post by **nineball** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:21 pm

i would only suggest using them for a subwoofer amp. the sq is too poor on most units to run everything through it.

LilSparkPlug · Post by **LilSparkPlug** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 9:48 am

Oops, just edited that. Yes that is what I meant. Forgive me I've been sick as hell the past few days.

Fuzzyneon · Post by **Fuzzyneon** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:39 pm

nineball wrote:i would only suggest using them for a subwoofer amp. the sq is too poor on most units to run everything through it.

yes and again there garbage i hate them but still cheaper then a new radio ive gone through 6 in my old car then bought a dirt cheap radio with preouts lol

lilnicko11 · Post by **lilnicko11** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:58 pm

LilSparkPlug wrote:Speedhut makes overlays if you are talking about the factory cluster..

Thanks LSPKPLG....i wanted to get a new one for my acr!! now i know where to go

nineball · Post by **nineball** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:04 pm

Fuzzyneon wrote:yes and again there garbage i hate them but still cheaper then a new radio ive gone through 6 in my old car then bought a dirt cheap radio with preouts lol

again, like anything else related to car audio, you cannot generalize and say that all locs are garbage. if you are only spending $5-20 on a part how can you expect good results?

jetas · Post by **jetas** » Fri Feb 13, 2009 1:01 am

nineball wrote:
Fuzzyneon wrote:yes and again there garbage i hate them but still cheaper then a new radio ive gone through 6 in my old car then bought a dirt cheap radio with preouts lol

again, like anything else related to car audio, you cannot generalize and say that all locs are garbage. if you are only spending $5-20 on a part how can you expect good results?

Very true. if you want good SQ you CANT go cheap. U really do get wat u pay for. But i have heard my share of "systems" running off the stock HU and they dint sound bad but they were in no way at all clear.