Improving Instrument Lighting - a usable solution

Early experiments

  After all the messing about with bayonet and wedge bulbs I was convinced there must be an MES i.e. standard screw fitting versions of these bulbs that would fit my sockets, so despite all the work previously had kept looking from time to time. And while Googling '12v MES LED' I realised that an alternative description was 'E10'. Googling that instead of MES got a couple of hits for the correct type of bulb, but it was factories touting for bulk purchases and wholesalers with bundles of 100 units. But then I noticed they all had the same description 'E10 5 5050 SMD LED' and Googling that led me to a pair for £2 and free shipping from China! Michael now has some of those on order, and we will see if there are any issues with those projecting too far into the gauges. Still waiting after the maximum 31 days delivery and no response to emails from the seller. There are a flurry of recent bad reviews on the site about late and non-delivery and no response from the seller, so link deleted. Eventually they arrived after about six weeks. In the meantime I ordered two from another supplier in China, £4 for two so double the price but still cheap, and they arrived in 14 days. Obviously the extra price is for go-faster lettuce for the snail.

These are a direct replacement for the standard filament bulbs, so no fiddling around with alternative holders, and they give the best improvement yet in the fuel gauge - standard filament bulb top 5050 LED below:

September 2014: Vee's dual gauge failed on the way back from Stockport air show - very disconcerting not being able to see the oil pressure and temperature on an unlit motorway! I think it was one of the (NLA) UltraLED ones with the five forward-facing elements. I still had the other one (one was 'standard' and the other wide-angle) so put that in which gave quite a good light in this gauge, but ordered a couple of the MES 5050 type which give a good light in all the gauges. Previously I'd bought 'white', but this time ordered 'warm white' as a comparison. UltraLED above, warm white below. MES 5050 slightly brighter, although I do prefer the bluish tinge of the 'white' in the speedo (and other gauges) which comes from the duck-egg blue paint inside the cases.

  October 2021:
Subsequently came across this version from a post on the MGOC forum. All the elements face forwards which in theory should be more effective than those with four round the sides and only one facing forwards. They would be fine where all the elements are inside the case, but I suspect that in some cases the ones round the side are inside the tube, partially at least. The elements are the smaller 3020 type as opposed to 5050 but there are eight of them instead of five:

They do give a noticeable improvement (right) over the 5 x 5050 type (left), and bring the fuel gauge up to the level of the dual gauge. Nowhere near as bright as the speedo and tach, but there won't be the problem of fouling the innards of the 80mm speedo with these, which is what happens with the 5 x 5050 type:


Bright white give a blue tinge to the instruments as above, warm white give a more conventional colour and just as bright. However whilst bright white are available from several sources I've only seen the warm white at Classic Car LEDs but at double the price.

You do have to be very careful screwing this type in or they can come apart! You have to pull the wire out of the holder against spring pressure so the LED will screw in easily, then release the wire. Otherwise the LED is trying to compress the spring as it turns which adds friction to the screw threads, and the LED part twists out of the casing:

  Then I came across these COB (chip on board) type which appear to have a single element but have many LED chips laid out in a block to give a greater light density. Reputedly 2W whereas the 3020 and 5050 types don't give a wattage so worth a punt. Only available from China so a bit of a wait. It has a lens on the end so the element is recessed somewhat.

8 x 3020 bright white on the left and COB warm white on the right. COB not quite as legible, but without the blue tinge:

  Another COB type without the lens, and with the threaded metal part dimpled into the plastic carrier for the element so more robust when screwing in and out than the flat-faced type.

Flat-faced on the left, new COB type on the right slightly brighter. Not worth changing from flat-faced to these, but a massive improvement over original bulbs:

Comparing lengths: The lens type on the left are even longer than the 5 x 5050 type that fouls the V8 and RB speedo mechanism. This latest COB type (second from right) is only slightly longer than the original bulb to it's left so I'll have to try that in the V8 speedo.

Whilst the previous pictures were taken in a dark garage this one is of the GT V8 under the garage lights and clearly shows the effect of the improved lighting: