How-to: Change the color of your 00-02 Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban gauges

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PUNKYOU007

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Yea I had a few problems with some of the leds blinking and then eventually burning out. I put back in the factory ones and no problems ever since.

I am still having this issue. I have spent way too much money replacing fawking LEDs. As soon as I replace a couple 1 or 2 more start blinking. I am not sure if it may be due to my high voltage, up to 15.7 sometimes, or my bass....150dbs?
 

chauncey0337

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Thanks for the write up. Just ordered my supplies-
-20 white 5mm wide angle leds w/ resistors
-20 blue 5mm wide angle leds w/ resistors
-8 blue 194 5 smd bulbs
-6 194 bulb bases
All for under $23 AFTER shipping! All coming from China so it'll take at least two weeks but I'm stoked!:rockit:
 
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ScottyBoy

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I got my bulbs from V-leds.com and the twist lock bases on ebay. V-LEDs does have them in white. But let me warn you, the cluster has a bluish tint on the guage face from the factory. So white LEDs make it appear a really light blue, like a sky blue. Not a pure white like you would expect.
 

geddy2112

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Do you have to replace the bulb base in order to use the LEDs? Or i can just buy the LED bulbs and plug them back into the original bulb base?
 

S7A2G6

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I'm gonna start this project in a month or so. But before i do, can anyone tell me if ALL the dash lights are the same size? Meaning the door switch, AC, rear AC, 4x4 switch, I have an after market head unit sink don't need that.

But I'm needing the size and quantity. Thanks in advance!
 

chauncey0337

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5mm should work for all the switches. I put 2 leds for the window lock switch and each lock/unlock switch and I believe ScottyBoy used 1 or 2 extra in each a/c control panel to prevent dead spots. I'm still working on mine but I think you'll need about 45 5mm leds. This is approximate so I would suggest at least 60 just in case you screw up or want to add more. You'll also need resistors in some of these applications unless you solder some leds in series and that would depend on the voltage drop of each led. Also depends on what color led you're
using because different color leds have different voltage draws. For example, a blue 5mm led has approx. 3.6v draw, and your truck voltage can go as high as 14v+. So, you can solder 4 leds in series without using a resistor. Using leds in series will also decrease the number of wires going to power supply, might be easier for some and less messy. You can google a resistor calculator for led circuits if I don't make sense.
 
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The 'ER

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I just did my gauges last night and with the back off nice and bright but with the bases barely twisted, If I twisted them all the way in nothing. So when I put my cluster in they would almost fall out. My stock bases twisted about 1/3rd as far as the new bases. So now they are twisted in barely and I taped them but I have bright and dim spots now. Any one dealt with this? I just don't want to lose my light when driving at night.
 

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