Hey, that looks cool but definitely not for me. I always run with my dash lights as low as I can get them and still read the gauges at a glance. Learned that trick while flying, the bright dash lights inhibit your vision outside.

You are absolutely right. I seem to remember that aircraft use red lights in their instrument panels in order to save the blue-green photo receptors in the eye for detecting lights outside the cockpit. Is this right?

I tried using red LEDs but the visibility of the guages wasn't good. Same with blue lights which were 'bloddy awful' as the Brits might say.

Most of my night driving is in the city where you get bright lights all around and the dash needs to be well lighted to compete.

As you can see in my answer to the previous post, there may be a way to include a dimmer control feature. Perhaps I'll try that although I'm a bit tired of pulling out the cluster for now.

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1986 300E
1993 Volvo 940 Wagon
1984 Volvo 240 (daughter's)
1976 Dodge 1/2T pickup, gas hog

The panel lights are typically white but there can also be a red "dome" light that can be brought into use to read charts, etc. Also a red lens flashlight is highly recommended.
Good point about the ambient light. Most, if not all of my night driving is a 40 mile commute through rural NW Oklahoma on two-lane roads. I can definitely see where brighter dash lights would enhance visibility in city night-driving.
Another thought, and I have absolutely no facts to back this, but a guy might be careful about switching the led off and on rapidly. Even though the flashing isn't consciously detectable, it might be like the subliminal advertising in days gone by and it seems I read something somewhere about flashing lights inducing nausea. And for another aviation reference, flying with the propeller arc passing over the sun is known to cause nausea from the rapid flashing even though it's virtually undetectable (2 blade prop at 2400 rpm is 80 flashes per second). It's been quite a while since ground school and training so I might be delusional on this. Anybody else?

hey how long did the whole mod take?

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1994|040|W124.036|E500
http://www.mbworld.org/forums/image....ine=1216527951

im intrested in this as well, but only if i still have the capacity to dim the lights when needed.

i generally turn off the lights as much as possible when driving at night, especially when im driving long distances. my eyes get "tired" from the glare. ill even put on sunglasses to reduce glare from oncoming traffic.

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'O=00=O'
bmw 2002.
long live the legend

I would be very interested in detailed photos/part #'s etc. I was going to pull the cluster out of one of my 126's and think I will give it a shot. The brighter lights have never bothered me. Thanks for the post. PM me if you would prefer. Steve

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64 European Coupe Brilliant Silver with Red interior 4 Speed Sunroof
87 TDT 286k
87 SDL 195k
83 SD 202k
83 SD 201k
83 D 286k
02 R1150RT 32K
00 122HP FLSTF
07 KTM 250SX

"Danger takes many forms"

There seems to be some interest in this dash modification so I'll post a "how to do it" thread as soon as I can. Got to get going on Christmas shopping or I'll find it's too late. (Typical male)

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1986 300E
1993 Volvo 940 Wagon
1984 Volvo 240 (daughter's)
1976 Dodge 1/2T pickup, gas hog

It may even be a good Idea to put together kits like Brian has done with his EGR blockoff plates. I'm sure there will be enough interest in them.

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1980 500SE/AMG Euro
1981 500SEL Euro
1982 380SEL
1983 300TD
1983 500SEC/AMG Euro
1984 500SEC
1984 300TD Euro
1986 190E 2.3-16
1986 190E 2.3
1987 300D
1997 C36 AMG
2003 C320T 4matic

past: 1969 280SE 4.5 | 1978 240D | 1978 300D | 1981 300SD | 1981 300SD | 1982 300CD | 1983 300CD | 1983 300SD | 1983 380SEC | 1984 300D | 1984 300D | 1984 300TD | 1984 500SEL | 1984 300SD | 1985 300D | 1986 300E | 1986 560SEL | 1986 560SEL/Carat | 1987 560SEC | 1991 300D 2.5 | 2006 R350

It would be hard to estimate how long this job might take. I experimented around with different lights, etc. I also was working on modifying a Volvo 240 cluster too.

Not counting the time to R&R the cluster, and if you had all parts on hand, I'd think a person could get this done in an afternoon. I'm assuming you know how to solder a bit.

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1986 300E
1993 Volvo 940 Wagon
1984 Volvo 240 (daughter's)
1976 Dodge 1/2T pickup, gas hog