Bulbs in the dashboard: how to choose lamps for the dashboard, how to install the LED backlight of the tidy yourself

Purpose of additional lighting

The main purpose of the backlight bulbs in the dashboard of a car is a comfortable display of the main sensors, allowing the driver, regardless of the degree of illumination in the cabin, to receive reliable information about the main characteristics of the working units and systems of the car during operation. Depending on their location in the electrical circuit, backlight lamps perform the following role:

1. Message about a sharp decrease in pressure in the engine lubrication system.
2. Reduction below the maximum permissible level of fuel in the fuel tank.
3. Displays the initiation of ignition of the turning lights.
4. Illuminated dimensions.
5. Turning on the high beams.
6. Emergency condition of the brake system.
7. Connecting emergency lights.
8. Battery low display.
9. Engaging the handbrake.
10. Awareness of the state of the power unit.
11. Opening the air supply system.

Modern dashboard lighting systems may contain several dozen bulbs. Some of them are responsible for monitoring events in the most important components of the car, others are simply illumination, and the third notifies about the operation of auxiliary systems and mechanisms. As a rule, if just one element fails, the entire “tidy” stops working partially or completely. To restore its functionality, it will require disassembly, diagnostics and repair.

Note! The color of the backlight directly depends on the importance of the signaled devices. For example, a malfunction is indicated in red, and non-emergency information is displayed in orange or green.

Solution

The stores offer several options for light sources for replacing lamps in the instrument cluster:

• traditional incandescent lamps,
• LED in a plastic socket,
• SMD LED is a more expensive and reliable option, a super-bright diode.

The choice will always depend on financial capabilities and lighting preferences.
The number of backlight and control lamps is up to 19 pieces. It varies slightly depending on the design of the instrument cluster and the modification of the vehicle. Many car owners choose LEDs due to lower energy consumption and longer service life. This backlight is brighter and gives an interesting bluish color instead of the standard green. But due to the design of the diode, the brightness control of the instrument illumination will not work, always turning it on at full power. On a long road trip at night, this can be distracting and irritating to the eyes. But in any case, the choice of light sources is yours.

If you are going to install LEDs, it is recommended to first check them with a tester for the absence of a short circuit.

Why and how often to change the backlight

Dashboard lighting bulbs are replaced primarily when they burn out. Sometimes the owner may not like the color scheme. In this case, the light sources are also reinstalled. Often people try to replace them with brighter and more durable led elements. The specifics of such work require knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering and the ability to correctly calculate the characteristics of the devices used. Otherwise, you can simply damage the equipment. Therefore, if you have insufficient experience, it is better to contact a specialized car service center for help.

Why change the backlighting of individual buttons on the VAZ 2114 dashboard

On the VAZ 2114, the illumination of the buttons for controlling the dimensions, low beam, front and rear fog lights, as well as the rear window heating is green from the factory. Over time, many owners get tired of this glow and there is a desire to replace it, make it non-standard. After making a decision about such modifications, you need to decide: do this work yourself or contact the service. Since the process of replacing button backlighting is not a complicated procedure, in most cases, car owners carry out such an upgrade with their own hands.

The standard green backlighting of the buttons gets boring over time.

Which light bulbs are suitable

In most modern cars, the following three types of light bulbs are used to illuminate the dashboard:

Dashboard lamps

The dashboard provides the driver with a lot of useful information that allows him to monitor the condition of the car, the driving process, diagnose breakdowns in a timely manner and correct them. So, the panel light comes on for the following reasons:

• The battery is not charging.
• For one reason or another, the handbrake is stuck.
• Not enough fuel in the tank.
• The oil pressure has decreased (which indicates the need to urgently stop the engine to avoid more serious consequences).
• Excess water in the filter. To prevent water from entering the pump, which could lead to damage, you need to drain excess water from the filter.
• The fuel system is malfunctioning.
• There was a failure in the propulsion system and much more.

As you can see, the panel lamps allow you to determine what is wrong in the car; if the lamps themselves fail, then you can miss a very important breakdown, which can even lead to an accident. This is why it is so important not to delay replacement (the lamps cannot be repaired).

Replacement instructions

To replace the light bulbs on the dashboard of any car model, you will need to dismantle its main parts, especially the upper decorative elements. The general instructions are as follows:

1. Dismantle the instrument panel by removing the trim and unscrewing the mounting screws.
2. In some models, the steering wheel must be moved to the down position.
3. After removing the cover, you need to unscrew the screws securing the panel itself.
4. After this, pull the instrument panel towards you and disconnect the power cable connector.
5. The instrument panel itself must be carefully placed face down, not forgetting to place a soft lining so as not to disturb the instrument needles.
6. Use a tester to identify burned out light bulbs and replace them with new ones.

In order to unscrew the light bulb from the socket, you need to turn it counterclockwise a quarter turn. After installing the new one, you need to reassemble the panel in the reverse order and check its serviceability.

Procedure for installing new light bulbs

1. If there are faults in a particular lamp, the first step is to unscrew the non-working socket where it was located.
2. Unscrew it counterclockwise, being careful.

We carefully remove the socket with the light bulb.

The LED light bulb is ready for installation.

Please note that the shape of LED lamps is square, and since it differs from ordinary light bulbs, the excess simply needs to be sanded off.

1. After all the new lamps are installed in place, we check their functionality by connecting the wire block to the instrument panel without first fixing it.
2. When everything is checked and working, you can reassemble everything in reverse order, remembering to tighten each bolt securely.

Diode lamps shine brighter and better.

Main conclusions

Light bulbs in the dashboard of a car are intended both for its general illumination and improving the perception of information at any time of the day, and for the following specific tasks:

1. Notification of emergency situations in the operation of particularly critical units.
2. Signaling for turning on and off elements of the optical system.
3. Display of the operation of additional mechanisms (handbrake, emergency lights).

Bulbs are most often replaced when they burn out, as well as when it is necessary to install brighter and more reliable backlight sources for the dashboard. Lamps can be with a base, socket or without it. LEDs are often installed in the dashboard. Despite the fact that they are expensive, they work an order of magnitude longer than usual. To reinstall them, you will need to remove the decorative trim, unscrew and remove the panel itself. In this case, you need to follow the instructions and recommendations specified in the passport of a specific car brand.

Advantages of LED lighting

The modern automotive market offers users a huge number of different types of lighting sources that can be used for car tuning. It must be taken into account that not every car needs this, since most manufacturers today equip cars with diode lighting during production.

Photo gallery “Different dashboards”

1. Tidy with LED lighting

2. Tidy with conventional backlight However, in many cars, the backlight of the speedometer and other elements of the tidy is not as effective as we would like, so car owners decide to change it.
In particular, this is especially true for older vehicles produced when LED lighting was not as common. Why many car enthusiasts choose LEDs:

1. Due to the small size of the light sources themselves. This makes it possible to install a light bulb anywhere on the control panel.
2. Easy to solder diode components together for their further connection. But you need to take into account that if you are dealing specifically with a diode strip, then to perform this task you should follow some rules.
3. The ability to achieve full illumination even with the use of a limited number of diode elements.
4. One of the main advantages is that the car owner can organize both regular white and colored lighting. You can use yellow, red, green, blue light sources. In addition, if one of the components fails, it can be easily replaced if necessary.
5. Diode lamps consume significantly less electricity. This is especially true for cars with anti-theft systems that operate on a battery (the author of the video is the MrMacyuk channel).

Organization of backlighting of stove control buttons

The second most popular situation in organizing the lighting of the dashboard in a car is the illumination of the stove control buttons.

Stove control buttons

Foil reflector

The organization of the backlight of the console buttons intended for controlling the stove is carried out as follows:

• First, remove the handles, as well as the glass from the control unit;
• We make a reflector out of foil. It will need to be secured under the removed glass;
• then carefully unscrew the lower part of the console. Under it there will be a cartridge with an old light source, which must be replaced;
• replace the old light bulb with an LED;

Note! You can install an LED strip under the bottom of the console. Thanks to its self-adhesive base, it will easily take the required position. In this situation, it will be connected with its wires through the cartridge. The main thing here is to maintain the polarity of the wires, otherwise the LED strip will not light up.

• After installing the LED, return all parts of the console to their original place in the reverse order.

Ready-made console lighting

The simplest way to create backlighting involves the following manipulations:

• take the button out of the console;
• we disassemble it into its component elements;
• inside such a button there should be a light bulb that changes to an LED;
• if necessary, you can remove the light filter from the button or combine it with a new diode glow. As a result, you can get a new beautiful and unique shade.

As you can see, illuminating the console designed to control the stove in a car is quite easy.

Replacement - order

Having figured out how many lamps the dashboard contains, it won’t hurt to find out how to replace them on the 2114th model. The procedure itself is not very complicated, but extremely troublesome.

1. First of all, you will need to disassemble the shield. The radio tape recorder, heater and ventilation control levers are removed from it.
2. Then unscrew the screws holding the decorative panel trim. Before doing this, the steering wheel should be moved to the lowest possible position - this way it will not interfere.
3. Find the screws - there are five of them, and they are closed with plugs. Carefully pry the latter with a knife and pull it towards you. After removing the screws, pull the VAZ-2114 panel towards you.
4. Now you need to unscrew the two screws holding the instrument panel itself. This is done with a Phillips screwdriver.
5. Afterwards, the panel is lowered and the opened terminals of the wire loops are disconnected. Then the element is freely taken out.
6. Next, the damaged light bulb is pulled out - turn it 90 degrees in any direction until the protrusions on the socket fit into the grooves. Then all that remains is to remove the product from the base and put a new one in its place.

As noted above, so that the 2114 panel does not have to be disassembled again after some time, it is advisable to immediately replace all the lamps. This will also ensure an even glow of all elements.