V70: Electrical dash & instrument lights

[stegreg]

Recently notice I have a couple of illumination bulbs failed, so considering changing to "led" bulbs. has anyone else done the swap, if so, would you be kind enough to let me know the "bulb types" as ive been told there are up to 3 different sizes used in different areas of the dash. many thanks in advance guys.

[Parisien]

Stegreg, have you taken the instrument panel out yet, degree of difficulty?

P

[stegreg]

No, I haven't taken the panel out yet, as I wanted to get the bulbs ordered and actually here before removing, saves doing the job twice so to speak.

As if id of removed the dash, I would already know which types of bulbs are fitted...yep ?

[Sotosound]

If a couple of bulbs have blown then what are the chances that others will also blow soon? Dash removal could become a regular exercise.

If the bulbs are relatively cheap then have you considered taking out the dash and replacing all of the bulbs at once? In theory, this would prevent the need to remove the dash and replace any further bulbs for many years to come.

[green van man]

Originally Posted by Sotosound

If a couple of bulbs have blown then what are the chances that others will also blow soon? Dash removal could become a regular exercise.

If the bulbs are relatively cheap then have you considered taking out the dash and replacing all of the bulbs at once? In theory, this would prevent the need to remove the dash and replace any further bulbs for many years to come.

I would also be inclined to replace with original specifications, they are known to work for many years.
My experiance of led lamps is that while the led may last year's it's the quality of the driver behind them that dictates their lifespan. Almost all these drivers are made in the far east and if they are cheap it's for a reason, if they are more expencive it may be because they are better quality or the seller is greedy.

Paul.

[Duffus]

Hi Stegreg

Just wondering if you got any further with this project.

I recently posted re the HU-850 radio stack backlight failure and have been thinking about led conversion job. Couple of helpfull responses but nobody has attempted it. I have gone back over years of threads on the subject, other than a guy in the States nobody has been successful.

Dave

[Model flyer]

The bulbs in the instrument panel/pod are a simple twist in fitting ,sorry cant remember the bulb number/type and the instrument pod is very easy to remove . The bulbs in the radio are a bit more of a job . I had the bulbs replaced in my P2 some years back and I couldnt find replacement bulbs so went a local car radio repair shop --sadly no longer open. They fitted some new bulbs and I think they may have been soldered in . So if you not adept with a soldering iron get a decnt auto electrician or ICE specialist to have a look . You could give BBA Reman a try ?

[Duffus]

Thank you for the quick response and information. Just for a bit of background this is my original posting. In V70 00 t0 07 section.
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"Hi All

Sorry to raise this thorny issue yet again but I have gone through all the suggestions, remidies, failures and very few successes and remain at a loss for a resolution.

My HU-850 cd changer effectively self destructed, so I bought a used same model replacement unit from a same year V70. All works well, including steering wheel controls and central LCD display, with the exception of the back lighting.

I came across a thread from a guy in the States as follows

" i went into the front panel of the HU and removed all the OE bulbs. i then glued blue LED's in their places and wired all ten of them together in parallel. I took a feed out the radio to the back and assembled it all together again. For power, i tapped off of a bulb in the CCM and wired that out the back. i then put a connector on the wires and voila! i have lights again. i was a little worried about adding 10 more lights on the CCM, but these are LED's and current draw is lower than the incandescent they replaced"

Has anybody over here tried this and if so are there pit falls ?

Since my old radio backlights worked am I better just trying a front panel change."

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Certainly an interesting one !

Dave