LED replacement bulbs for 1965 Dart cluster

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Stumpy

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I read through some threads but I’m hoping for clarity. Can I replace stock bulbs with LEDs with no modifications? Do I need a limiter for instrument lights? If so can they be used for all the lights? Turn signal indicators, oil pressure, high beam indicator? Should I? I think I remember that there were two types of bulbs used on 65 Darts. If true how do I tell the difference?
 
You can replace all of them with LEDs. No modifications. I bought some on Amazon. Get ones with LEDs on the top and sides. They are polarity sensitive, so you need to get them in the right way.
 
You can replace all of them with LEDs. No modifications. I bought some on Amazon. Get ones with LEDs on the top and sides. They are polarity sensitive, so you need to get them in the right way.
I’m assuming the right way both in the sockets and the circuit board?
 
There's a ton of junk on the market in "LED bulbs". Good ones to fit the bayonet-type sockets in cars through '65 are available but expensive (they're these in cold white, or these in warm white). Instead, buy '66-up sockets to accept the wedge-base bulbs. That's these (sold individually, one "each" at the listed price, even tho the pic shows two—hence why two buyers left upset reviews, thinking one money got them two sockets) and install the good bulbs. That's this yellow-amber one, top pick for general dashboard illumination, much brighter light without glare that you'd get with the white bulbs. The yellow-amber bulbs work well behind green lenses in turn signal pilot lights, too. Red (high beam, oil pressure) is this one. Cold white is this one, and warm white is this .
 
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There's a ton of junk on the market in "LED bulbs". Good ones to fit the bayonet-type sockets in your '64 are available but unrealistically expenisve (they're these in cold white, or these in warm white). Instead, buy '66-up sockets to accept the wedge-base bulbs. That's these (sold individually, one "each" at the listed price, even tho the pic shows two—hence why two buyers left upset reviews, thinking one money got them two sockets) and install the good bulbs. That's this yellow-amber one, top pick for general dashboard illumination, much brighter light without glare that you'd get with the white bulbs. The yellow-amber bulbs work well behind green lenses in turn signal pilot lights, too. Red (high beam, oil pressure) is this one. Cold white is this one, and warm white is this .
Thanks Dan. You are the electrical man. My car is a 65 though not a 64. Does that change anything? BTW did you go to any /6 meets in Seattle in the 90s? P.S. Do I need to make sure of polarity on those new sockets?
 
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Awesome! I picked up my gauge cluster the other day out of the parts bin for my project and was wondering this exact question!
 
LED Zepplin....
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Thanks Dan. You are the electrical man. My car is a 65 though not a 64. Does that change anything?

Just means I need to apply less butter to my fingers before answering questions. No, it doesn't change anything; '65 was the last year for the bayonet-type dashboard bulbs and '66 was the first year for the wedge-base bulbs. I've fixed my original answer in this post.

BTW did you go to any /6 meets in Seattle in the 90s?

Might've gone to one or two.

P.S. Do I need to make sure of polarity on those new sockets?

The sockets will fit in the dash either way round. The bulbs will fit in the sockets either way round. But the bulbs will light up only with correct polarity (which is why if you install an LED bulb in a one-and-only turn signal pilot light on cars without separate left/right pilots, it'll only work in one direction). If any newly-installed LEDs don't light up for you, either reinstall the socket 180°without moving the bulb (easier), or reinstall the bulb 180° and then put the socket back the way it was before (harder).
 
There's a ton of junk on the market in "LED bulbs". Good ones to fit the bayonet-type sockets in cars through '65 are available but expensive (they're these in cold white, or these in warm white). Instead, buy '66-up sockets to accept the wedge-base bulbs. That's these (sold individually, one "each" at the listed price, even tho the pic shows two—hence why two buyers left upset reviews, thinking one money got them two sockets) and install the good bulbs. That's this yellow-amber one, top pick for general dashboard illumination, much brighter light without glare that you'd get with the white bulbs. The yellow-amber bulbs work well behind green lenses in turn signal pilot lights, too. Red (high beam, oil pressure) is this one. Cold white is this one, and warm white is this .
It's interesting to see that the package on the bulbs you've linked, say "for off road use only". I wonder what the deal is there? I assume these bulbs are dimmable, correct?
 
It's interesting to see that the package on the bulbs you've linked, say "for off road use only". I wonder what the deal is there? I assume these bulbs are dimmable, correct?

If you use ALL led bulbs in your dash, the dimmer will not work because you are not pulling enough current. I left incandescent bulbs in my aftermarket gauges to get my dimmer to work. If you left the incandescent bulb in your radio, that would be enough.

I think DC low voltage led bulbs are usually dimmable.
 
It's interesting to see that the package on the bulbs you've linked, say "for off road use only".

Means if you're in one of the many other countries that apply the international (used to be "European") vehicle safety regs, these bulbs aren't approved for use in exterior safety lights like tail lights, parking lights, marker lights, turn signal repeaters, etc.

The US and Canada don't use the international rules, and the only car bulbs regulated in Canada and the US are headlight bulbs, so don't fret about it.

(And yes, they are dimmable)
 
Last November I replaced all my dash bulbs with LED bulbs. There is no modification. Just plug them in. Dash dimmer works great and my gauges are nice and bright. The dimmer switch on the floor works as it should. I've had no failures.

I paid $5.19 on eBay for 20 Pure White BA9S LED Instrument Panel Gauge Dash Interior Light Bulb 1815 T4W part #( 312728756356 ). I have 15 bulbs left over if I ever need them.
 
I have used LED bulbs in all my cars (1964-2002), including my 1964 & 65 A's, both dash, dome, and turn signals. I bought Chinese ones on ebay since 1/10th the cost at the retail stores. Some don't work out of the box and some fail early, but over-all most work and look fine. Just search the bulb# on ebay. But, not all fit the holder, either won't pass thru the hole or bump into a plastic cover, but many on ebay give dimensions to verify first. Biggest problem I had was in my 1985 M-B. The cluster bulb holders are similar to my Mopar, except the copper clips are a bit different, so that one type of LED bulb shorted across the holder, which melted a trace on the cluster. Not a problem with my Mopar bulb holders.
 
Just means I need to apply less butter to my fingers before answering questions. No, it doesn't change anything; '65 was the last year for the bayonet-type dashboard bulbs and '66 was the first year for the wedge-base bulbs. I've fixed my original answer in this post.



Might've gone to one or two.



The sockets will fit in the dash either way round. The bulbs will fit in the sockets either way round. But the bulbs will light up only with correct polarity (which is why if you install an LED bulb in a one-and-only turn signal pilot light on cars without separate left/right pilots, it'll only work in one direction). If any newly-installed LEDs don't light up for you, either reinstall the socket 180°without moving the bulb (easier), or reinstall the bulb 180° and then put the socket back the way it was before (harder).

Hey Dan! Several months ago I was asking a question about LED conversions and you gave the same advice. I bought the stuff you recommended and installed them. Everything works great, including the LED you recommended for the push button assembly. I’ll be picking up the LED headlights you were talking about in the near future.
 
I installed the dash cluster with Dan’s recommended LEDs. They work and look great! Thanks for the advice Dan!
370B6559-8CA7-4554-975F-A4453F47AEBC.jpeg
 
Just a note about LED replacement. If your dash has plastic filters and you want to change the color you must remove these plastic colored transparent discs. Example my 69 Cuda has blue lens filters for the instruments so if i want to change to red I would have to remove the blue filter as red LEDS wont be very bright because the blue filters will not pass the red wavelength of light. I chose not to remove these factory filters. I put Blue LEDS where the Blue filters are. I used Green LEDS for the Turn indicators and Red LED's for brake maintaining the stock illumination but brighter. The point is you need to remove the filters if you want to change colors or to get maximum light output use the LED that coincides with the lens or filter. Example is tail lamps are red use RED LEDs not white. I tested this theory on my dash lamps on my Cuda and it is true.
 
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