158 replacement bulb for dash in LED

What part number LED bulb do I need to get as a replacement for the 158 dash cluster bulb? Looking for a brighter white bulb.

Don’t know which replaces the 158 but I replaced mine 168’s I ended up switching back. They were too bright and no longer the greenish tint. that was all washed out because it was so bright just FYI

as i understand it, when replacing regular [white] bulbs with LED's, the LED's must be the color of the required position.
such as red for tail lights, amber for turn signals, etc. for the dash, i would think green would be the correct bulbs to use.

158 168 and 194 are all the same style bulbs. There are other less common numbers, but those are the ones you'll find at most parts stores.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/cat/vehicle-lights/ Lists all kinds of led bulbs.

Agreed. Unless using a warm white bulb similar to the stock one ( 3000K or so ) the pure white bulbs ( 4000K and over ) will wash the lense color, so better get a colored led for each location if you want to keep the color shade of course.

Cluster light lenses are actually blue, just with stock warm light it becomes greenish, so it at each own choice keeps the greenish look using a green led or reinforce the blue lense color with a blue led.

Take care on get dimmable leds for intensity graduation. Not everyone it is. Driving at nights on dark roads with full cluster light on stock bulbs gets your sight already tired, so using brighter leds it will become worst

The diff numbers on these bulbs is just because the diversity on filament design and wattage. Being leds this is not anymore important, so just need any WEDGE bulb which fits on base. Will actually need to pay attention on the socket code... T3-1/4 is the socket code

great info Nacho

Strange note on their website: Important Notes
Vehicle manufacturers do not typically release instrument panel bulb information making a lot of this information unavailable. You may head over to our Instrument Cluster & Gauge section to view typical instrument panel LED replacement bulbs. It is important to check your vehicle's instrument panel bulb to confirm the LED replacement bulb is appropriate.

This in green seems to be a good option. They are polarity sensitive so just flip it over if it doesn't come on and CAN bus capable. Hope this all works in older vehicles. https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...iature-wedge-base-135-lumens/6325/14249/

Besides the wattage spec and color, note carefully that LEDs will have a different # of smaller LEDS mounted. Also LEDs will have a different types of light output dispersion.
Because of the wide variance, before buying quantities buy a couple of different versions try each then decide what looks best for your application. Over the last few years there have been a lot of advances in various LEDs for automotive applications. I tried at least (5) different versions before deciding on a single 1. Also I would suggest that U purchase a couple of spares for possible future use.

Just my $0.02...

I agree! I know they can be problematic so settling on the right one is a good idea!

While on this subject, does anyone have recommendation's of a reputable and reliable source ? I have no problem with Super bright LEDs just wondering of any experiences with sources, good or bad ? There's some bad ones on Amazon per the reviews so I thought while on the subject, Ask Here

are there any made in this country, or do all the different vendors get their supply from a couple of chinesium factories ?

I did an LED conversion kit on my wife's 1980 Mustang and didn't take into account the color difference. Stock is greenish, but the Ford color covers seem thicker than the Chrysler units and I got a funky blue glow. These are the Scott Drake units.

Phillips has a good reputation https://www.philips.ca/c-p/194ULWX2/ultinon-led-interior-car-light

I've got them in both Cuda's

Agreed! Most of the cases, the correct led bulb selection comes from a tryal and error process.

About dispersion... several tries have been made for this, from a diff led arrangement and quantity to a diff kind of lenses for them ( diff optical dispersion used, or translucent lenses ). What I have seem is that the best kind of led bulb would be the one which looks like this



Instead of these



This is a G4 bulb made for home lamps which I used as an example. The first one shows a led like a continuous ribbon which bends to both sides and makes a continuous dispersion. The other one is more the tipical one being an array of leds. Difference is huge between both. HOWEVER I dunno if auto minibulbs are being made yet like the first one I posted.

That's some good info Nacho. I'll have to look for the ribbon like type. Remy, that's what my gauges sort of looked like in my Diplomat my first try when I didn't buy colored bulbs. Washed out the green tint and all looked silver despite the colored caps over bulbs. Now I will buy green bulbs.

I do not know if this applies to any of your situations but figured I would mention it.

A recently departed employee left a half finished project with dim dash lights. The entire gauge housing gauges etc. had been replaced. After verifying grounds, bypassing the switch and chasing my tail etc. I dug a bit deeper by taking the original apart.
The original cluster housing was molded out of white plastic and the entire inside was painted a bright florescent green.

The new one was molded out of black black plastic and completely black inside as well

I proceeded to do a bit of research und used Rustoleum flat white primer and their Fluorescent Green Spray Paint.
After reassembling the cluster the dash lights are now nice and bright with the recommended bulbs. IMAGINE THAT ? LOL

Green led lights if you want to keep the greenish shade the originals got due the mix of the warm yellowish white with the existant blue lense, but honestly I think green colour leds are "excesivelly" green, something like the turning lights. I'd use blue or even better warm white ( 2500-3000K ) leds.

As mentioned I dunno if that kind of ribbon leds are used on automotive applications yet.


AND YES, definitelly refinishing the white finish into the cluster housing also helps. Dunno on the fluorescent colour, but sounds interesting.

superbright leds got the wedge t3 bulb in all colors and white temperatures

https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...25-miniature-wedge-base-135-lumens/6325/

As posted by LarryMopar360 on his reply ( sorry bud, I didn't pay attention to the link you posted before.. really running all these days! ), they seem to be at this days the best option of those I have seen. Still dunno how they would light up into the vertical angle thought.

I would put my votes on get simply the 2500K bulbs all around. But I still think 135 lumens is way too much for the number of bulbs used on cluster and still could wash the lense color still using warm white, where incandescent are maybe 15-30 lumens... just my 2 cents.


With 135 lumens you can even light up a small room with 3 or 4 of them. Fortunately they are dimmable.

I don't see them in green though

I think I'll buy a few of the green and find out

Quoting myselto correct.

Just found the kind of led bulb I referenced is not really a continuous ribbon bending to light up on both sides, but two flat leds back to back together ( in a light angle disposition ) which is nice to be sure they are able to light up also on his vertical position. I thought it was a ribbon because these plates are so thin than it looked like a single continuous piece.

Got some of these in the mail and I stuck one in my 89 diplomat and it works so that’s a good start I did have to flip it over because of polarity. It’s a green one looks pretty bright just need to get the dash back together and see how it looks then and maybe will need to be dimmed to about 3/4. https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...25-miniature-wedge-base-135-lumens/6325/

Here's what inexpensive E-bay LEDs look like in an A-body dash cluster.(with white overlays) The very top row of white light you see is covered by the dash bezel so those won't be shining in your eyes. This looks good to me. I don't know if they are dimmable or not though. I've got the dash completely assembled on a stand in the basement. I've been meaning to hook a battery up to the dash so I can test it out. Now is the time to change them if they don't dim.

Ooooh trust me, it will. Specially if you are driving on a dark roads without light poles.

I got them all installed. I did not put them in the turn signal indicator’s nor warning lights. Just loading that comes on with headlights. It’s not dark yet just getting into dusk and so far I really like it. Cell phone my turn my pic upside down

So, I hooked up a battery and tested out the lights for the first time since the dash has been assembled. They look great. The openings in the very top are obstructed by the dash bezel so you don't see them. The picture makes them look brighter then what they actually look. They do NOT dim with the headlight switch. They stay the same intensity until you turn the knob almost all the way to the right and then they go out. I think this brightness would be just fine but I think I'll look for some that can be dimmed.

This car is blue with white interior. Green dash lights wouldn't have look right IMO. The blue is exactly what I want for this car.

Perfect at night

That looks great!

Trying to turn

that does look good Larry !
those are the green bulbs, correct ? i like dash lights at full brightness because of my eyes, so dimable bulbs are not necessary.

Yes, these green ones https://www.superbrightleds.com/mor...iature-wedge-base-135-lumens/6325/14268/

I was surprised that at night I liked at full brightness and it wasn't too bright. I would dim them if a long trip or on darker roads probably, but it's so much better now! That pic was in my garage at night so looks extra bright and it's somewhat blurry because no flash