W123 Painted Cluster needles and Retrofitted LED's
 

Needles used Testors Tangerine Orange and Testors Paint thinner 3:1 ratio. The paint thinner helps avoid brush marks caused by the thick paint.

https://i.imgur.com/Sk10aMn.jpg?1https://i.imgur.com/HFjYclh.jpg
From left to right:
1)Blue- High Beam
2)Red - Battery
3)Amber - Brake pad wear sensors
4)Red - Parking Brake

Not shown:
5) Amber - Seat belt
6) Amber - Glow Plugs

The prism / fiber optics are both Amber. Also replaced the turn signals, Octopus, and Hazard light switch with Leds.

The cluster small bulb 74's are a ***** because the original bulbs are soldered onto the plastic twist off cap. Had to solder my own wire to the new LED's and solder them to the metal connections that hold the plastic cap to the cluster board.

https://i.imgur.com/lvm6fio.jpg
https://d114hh0cykhyb0.cloudfront.ne...wedge-base.jpg


If anyone has a spare cluster plastic lens/cover, and or the indicator icons...shoot me a PM.

Looks great.

One thing though. You will have to keep the 3 W incandescent bulb in the battery light. It needs this for the alternator to charge properly. The electrical characteristics of LEDs are incompatible with the voltage regulator.

Jaybob, could not a regulator of sorts fix this?

Can anyone tell me what the benefit to putting LEDs in idiot lights is?

No.

I am not sure if LED bulbs give off more or less heat. If more heat, there may be a concern with distorting the indicator icon films.

Has anyone been able to find out which is the best product among those listed here?
https://11must.com/best-clamp-meters/

Thanks,

Could you elaborate for sake of my own ignorance? How does a 3w bulb allow the alternator to charge? (My car is a 1983 300D turbo , if that changes anything)

I will look into this. Thank you for the warning

The 3w bulb provides resistance which is needed to allow the alternator to charge. Mercedes automobiles are very sensitive concerning the wattage of bulbs used in the tail and stop lights also. Not using the correct wattage bulb will disable the cruise control.

Spare Binnacle Lens
 

Your gauge needles look great ! .

When asking for parts, always give your location, you'll be pleased by the response from folks you didn't even know lived near you that have parts.....

Pardon me, my electrical engineering know-how is next to nothing.

I meant, couldn't we add a resistor post LED to create the same effect?

Edit: love the safety hat orange too OP!

Not doubting you as the German engineers are not all that adept in regards to how electricity works in fact, they treat it as though it has some "mystical" properties beyond mere human comprehension, but I am questioning whether the use of a front/rear/tail light marker LED bulb would have any effect on the cruise control.

I can see the stop/brake light bulb having an effect but the marker/tail?

I don't think the lighting circuit is involved with the cruise since it can be engaged without the lights but I've been wrong many times before.

Thank you and for the tip

I mis-spoke. . The stop light bulb resistance is the bulb that will have an effect on the cruise control, not the tail light bulbs. This issue has been discussed many times on this forum. Refer to posts by James Dean, the forum cruise control expert.

Only LED brake lights will affect the cruise control, I found this out the hard way and with help from the forum here. The tail lights, reverse lights and blinkers will not affect it (although the blinkers need resistors to blink correctly).


To the OP - I would take a night drive to see how bright the new LED bright light indicator is. I had to put the original incandescent bulb back in because it lit up half my car.

@JayBob

Is the recharging ability of the alternator affected because of LED polarity or something else?

The LED on my Battery light is non-polar, just like the 74 bulbs.

Only able to find 3-4 threads from him. Non bulb related.

EDIT: The correct username is JamesDean , no space.