Date:         Thu, 12 Sep 2002 20:43:43 EDT
Reply-To:     Rogerspace2@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Roger Reynolds <Rogerspace2@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Update: Dashboard light filters (LED dash lights)
Comments: To: paradigm@allegraprinting.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Just to update everybody.  I got around to replacing the instrument lights
with super bright LEDs a couple of weekends ago and am very pleased with the
results.  Much cooler (looking and temp) than the stock lights.  I installed
the LEDs in to some old twist-in instrument light bases after removing the
glass bulbs.  Then I added a resister in series (actually just goes between
one lead of the LED and one "lead" on the twist-in base) that becomes part of
the new light unit.  All I had to do then was replace the old lights with the
new ones I made wait for night to come.

Total cost is about $3.50 each and I figure they will last a long time.  I'm
going to try out a different color for the warning light symbols just for
fun.  I'll try to get some pictures of the new lights soon and write up what
I did. (Would anyone be interested in hosting this modification on their web
site? I don't have one).

By the way, I checked with my local VW dealer about purchasing the lights
that are used in the new Passats (a cool purple color) and was told that the
lights are integrated into the instrument backlight panel and there are no
replaceable lights so you have to buy the whole thing.  You don't want to
know what it costs, it will just make you angry.

Roger
'89 Westy