Dash Bulb (Globe) Replacement And Climate Control Mod

[Duo]

Ok so my Stagea dash was pretty dim with some bulbs out and the climate control had only the screen lit which was a real pain when trying to adjust things at night so I decided to take things apart and fix the problem. A big thanks to this forum already as I did get a bit stuck on the centre console as I wouldn't have figured the top air vents would just pop out but having looked here first it was mostly smooth going.

First issue are the bulbs, most are 12v 1.4w capless push in type ones, behind the dials are 12v 3w and finally those pesky climate control bulbs are fixed into the holders and at first I couldn't find any anywhere for love nor money. After a bit more searching I found some bulbs with outer dimensions included and they were a perfect match for the stock ones. they are 372 bulbs found at a motorbike parts place, the only difference is they are 1.7w so not as bright as the dial ones but I found they were more than enough. As a side note they are the same in the triple dial. I'm not sure what the Aus number system is like but the 372 bulbs are 12v 1.7w and 19mmx6mm, I found them on a site called MSA based here in the UK, don't see why they couldn't ship abroad though.

The 372 bulbs are on the far left and in the holder, the middle bulb is a stock 12v 3w.

The Dials

The second issue of the bulbs for the climate control was a little tougher, in the end I decided to make the unit match the orange and red dials and head unit etc so hunted for LED's, the trouble I found was the 5mm LED's would fit perfectly if they didn't have the little lip around the base. So I went for some 3mm super bright LED's rated at 12v with an integral resistor so they sit all the way in the holders and have a nice wide 60 degree viewing angle, I just used the LED legs for the contacts and filed them flat a little so they fit nicely and didn't break the board contacts. They work quite well but my phones camera makes the buttons look a lot more dim and uneven.

Centre Console

LED Images

I trimmed off the extra from the legs after this but forgot to get a pic, just used pliers to flatten the legs and a little metal file to flatten the surface that contacts the board. Don't forget to check the positive/negative as LED's are polarity sensitive!

Just for some extra info I used a gromet to the right of the pedals to route the boost gauge pipe into the engine bay, the installed alarm had a bit of slack on the wire going to the under bonnet siren and used it as a mouse to pull through the pipe taped to it. Then I T'd into a pipe coming off the manifold, here are some pics for you guys, there is a nice little place next to the A pillar to run things from the dash down to the footwell, you only need to pull off the plastic next to the pedals and undo one bolt to free off the dash a little and pull off the door seal a bit to give room to pull the wires through from the little square hole at the top.

[Duo]

Now the important/useful bit is posted here are some pics that are just for fun hehe.

My Original Stagea, RIP, damn oil on a wet road.

My Current Stagea and shiny pics!

Got myself a nice dump valve from the USA, a copy of the Greddy Type-S but it doesn't leak boost, tested to 100psi and full one year warranty but above all else it has that sexy 3 tone whistle! I plumbed in the second port on the DV to make it react faster just like the original but the original's is drilled into the main body and is next to the main hole for the piston.

And because cars are epic here is a couple of pics of my Honda Prelude, she's very heavily modified and tries to pull your face off with braking and cornering, acceleration is good and the H22 revs a lot as stock but mine goes to 9k hehe.

There is a fair list to go with all 3 cars especially the Prelude but I'll save that for another thread, I will say there is a lot of discussion about oils and lots of thought, personally I've tested a good few "regular" oils that you can pick up from anywhere like Castrol Magnatec and a couple of high performance oils that are currently the only ones I'll use in either car, I can give my own opinion and some findings that I have seen or heard directly from a specific source which can be taken as you guys like. I'm not here to start an argument about oil and I'm not here to say I'm right and everyone is wrong but I will give my own opinion based on my own findings and experience if people want it

[BigDirtyJase]

where did you get the LED's for the centre console from??

[Duo]

The LED's are from a UK based company called Maplin ( www.maplin.co.uk ) they are 3mm but the skirt makes them 3.8mm iirc at the base, it's good they are a straight 12v with no resistor on the legs. They do other colours but only two are super bright ones ahnd I think norml ones would be too dim. The 5mm ones will fit if you can be bothered to file them down a bit around the edge but may stick out too far and give more spot lighing than spread out light all the buttons kind of light.

If you guys have trouble getting them to Aus I'm sure I can get some over easily enough, a group buy for a large quantity would be cheaper in the long run as they're only small and light so loads will still be cheap to ship. and of course they're not exactly major expensive either. The stated reverse voltage is listed as 6v but in testing mine took the full 12v for a few seconds before I turned them around and seem to be fine.

[SatchiThaStagea]

Hmmm dont suppose that blue was one of the other super bright colours?

[Duo]

Unfortunately not, green is the other super bright, if you really wanted blue and don't mind soldering I don't see why you couldn't put the led in the holder and solder a resistor to the back and use the unsoldered resistor leg for the contact, it's only really the top two that light the screen that would be hard to do this for, drilling out one of the holes big enough for a resistor and soldering it as close to the led as possible would probably do it. I can't remember if one of the 5mm led's was blue but tbh the human eye can't see blue to well so it always looks brighter and a stock brightness 12v led would do it, the 5mm ones would need the outside filed down a bit to fit in the holders though.