cluster gauge/other switch bulb #'s

kickass audio

Original poster
Member
Aug 25, 2012
955
Hey guys. So I need your help since I am coming up with no results. I know there was a thread on here that gave the bulb part #'s for the little bulbs we have on the cluster, window switches, headlight switch, etc. I have my truck where it is slowly starting to get bulbs in the cluster and HVAC control to burn out. Right now, my passenger side front door light is out, all the lights in the headlight switch assembly are out, the light for my motor speed on the HVAC will go out until I hit the knob for it and it comes on, and tonight my light that illuminates the left portion of the speedometer is out until I banged on the top of my dash.

Does anyone know the part number for those bulbs so I can buy some? I saw a thread where may03 had some back in April for the cluster gauge and if he has them still that would be cool for me to buy off him. I do not care to do a LED conversion for them as I do not really care for it. It would be nice and all but in all honesty, I am too lazy to change the bulbs on everything to LED's.

Also, since my stepper motors are just fine, all i need to do is take a fork and pop off the needles, resolder the new bulbs in the cluster and push the needles back down onto the stepper motors right? And I was thinking to go from the stock red needles to the blue/chrome needles you would find in an escalade like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/BLUE-CHROME-SPEEDOMETER-GAUGE-CLUSTER-NEEDLE-SET-FOR-GM-PICK-UP-TRUCKS-SUVs/370593281968?_trksid=p2054897.c100204.m3164&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140407115239%26meid%3Dd6c933bf9b1f4b05bc92fa0e15c3b467%26pid%3D100204%26prg%3D20140407115239%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D30%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D220917606162

If I were to go the LED conversion, I was thinking to put a large enough resistor in line with wire A7 or A5 on the cluster wire harness since from what I see on the schematic for it, are the 2 leads used for power and ground on the lights. Any confirmation on this?

Any help is certainly appreciated!!
 

kickass audio

Original poster
Member
Aug 25, 2012
955
Thank you. I wound up choosing LED bulbs after debating on it a few hours. lol. I guess now I will do the upgrade on the other things too. I went with the needles I listed above.

Are those bulbs the same kind as what you would find in the manual hvac, 4 wheel drive, rear wiper switch, door switches. etc? I know the front doors when I looked at the one bulb have a twist on style but I figured I could either take the wires and bend them around the old socket or all else fails, solder it to the board there too. I am very good at soldering so that part is nothing to me.

What bulbs has everyone on here chosen in the past? I figured I would ask before I go out and figure out the resistor I need for each part I upgrade. And so everyone knows, i want to get mine so it is blue. Yeah I know, maroon truck with blue interior lights for the cluster and other things with white dome lights. Weird choice I know but I love blue.
 

IllogicTC

Member
Dec 30, 2013
3,452
Envoy04 found some bulbs that actually had tiny sockets they fit into, on the Driver Door Module at least. Posted a link to mouser I believe on where to find them... but yeah, most of the other ones require soldering, which is ludicrous considering they're incandescent bulbs with an obviously finite lifetime.
 

kickass audio

Original poster
Member
Aug 25, 2012
955
Very nice color! Might want to get that SES fixed :tongue: hahaha. I went with 5mm diffused blue LED's from oznium.com since I see some others on here used them for LED strips and stuff in their retros. I got these bulbs: http://www.oznium.com/led-diffused-lens and then went with a 470 ohm, 1/2 watt resistor for each bulb. I will see how that goes for me. Biggest pain in the ass is the polarity crap but from what I found on the unforbidden site is where he referenced the polarity on the left or right side of the pic for use. I shall see where that gets me.

Still wondering if I will have any issues with my stepper motor when I pry off the needles. And do I just put some tape under the needles on the backplate to note what position the needles are at during rest, pry the needles off with a fork or other similar type of setup, swap the LED's in and push the new needles straight on the stepper motors? I could swear I saw someone on here or the OS say to mark the needle positions then turn the needles back so far until they snap. I think that would break my steppers and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them so I don't want to do that.

edit: Thank you Illogic! That is exactly what I was thinking about for the stock incandescent bulbs. It's stupid that the doors do have sockets but everything else is soldered. Guess they want to just rip gullible people off and say they need an entire new cluster or HVAC control when a bulb blows.
 
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Reactions: Midnyteryder196
Dec 13, 2013
1,490
Osceola,Ia
Thanks! Lol. Yeah I gotta get new fuel pump before I get the light to go out I think.. Anyway..
Yes put a piece of tape under the needles and Mark the position... Then use a fork and pry up on the needles.. When I first did mine I had the pin of the stepper motor pull out with 2 of the needles.. So had to replace the steppers.. But since then just gently prying with a fork and they easily pop off..
 
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kickass audio

Original poster
Member
Aug 25, 2012
955
Cool! Yeah I figure that there is a risk to break the stepper motor from prying at it. i will see how easy I can get it off. I wonder if I can just take a dremel to the middle of the needle where it joins to the stepper motor and crack the needle open and off the motor pin. I wouldn't be using the stock needles anyways after this so who cares if they get trashed.
 

kickass audio

Original poster
Member
Aug 25, 2012
955
Good call on that! Never thought to warm up the needle a little and pop it off. i do have a nice little steinel ts600 butane torch/soldering gun I was going to use for the whole thing.
 
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No Tyme

Member
Jun 23, 2015
100
Monroe County Michigan
A couple of years ago I sent out my sealed gauges from my Harley to a guy out near Chicago who replaced the lights with LED's. He did a great job.
I don't play well with small stuff and solder is even worse. Have a couple people on Craiglist who redo GM clusters... Think I will give them a try.
 

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