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Author Topic: Can I dim LED instrument bulbs?  (Read 2115 times)

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Offline Henrius

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Can I dim LED instrument bulbs?
« on: May 29, 2014, 10:01:46 AM »
It is such a hassle to change bulbs in the back of the instrument cluster when they burn out. I saw LED replacement for factory bulbs and ordered a bunch of them.


But then I realized I installed a dimmer headlight switch, so that I can dim the instrument light cluster on my 1973 Pinto, which never had this feature. Do LEDs dim with decreased voltage like conventional bulbs?


If not, I can still use LEDs for the warning lights and turn signals, and use conventional incandescents for the illumination lights.
1973 Pinto Runabout with upgraded 2.0 liter & 4 speed, and factory sunroof. My first car, now restored, and better than it was when it rolled off the assembly line!

Offline oldkayaker

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Offline dianne

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Re: Can I dim LED instrument bulbs?
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2014, 01:43:46 PM »
Stay with the blubs ;)

One of those threads are mine and I decided to stay with the blubs after all the discussions...
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Offline amc49

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Re: Can I dim LED instrument bulbs?
« Reply #3 on: May 31, 2014, 03:12:26 AM »
LEDs do dim but at a different rate than incandescent, they will commonly still be on when the others have gone out since designed to work around 3 volts or so. So, it's all LED or nothing. The normal dimmer may well not dim them to go out, depends on the range of it.