Mercedes Benz W202 dash lights converted to blue LED ..c230

How to change the standard bulbs on a Mercedes gauge cluster and replace them with LEDs to change the color,or for more brightness. This was done on a W202 chassis C-class and will work on many older Mercedes models...you can buy premade bulb sets that will just turn in like the factory ones..much simpler than converting the t5 bulbs to LED..but the whole point of doing it this way was to make use of what I have in the garage... follow me on twitter / fupabox

[@landocommando8]

Good to hear, I hope mine makes it to 200K. Thanks for all of the W202 videos!

[@seafarerbones3465]

You don't even know how excellent this is to see! I appreciate you taking the time to film this stuff; this is my first German MB and I am not used to the engineering. 1996 c280, to be exact. I start-pause-start your videos every time!

[@fupabox]

+Seafarer Bones Thanks.. glad the videos help :)

[@JakeW1965]

thank you for the response. videos are a big help for diy. i'm new to the 202.

[@MZ69123]

K Ty. I will get to those next week when they get here gonna put on the rear slotted rotors and fuel filter this weekend probably.

[@MrAxlingen]

Thank for quick reply and really good videos! I'll try that later then! And it was super easy to get the speedometer out following your video! Removing the speaker grill and vent! Really helpful :-)! Have a great day!

[@jmonkey1111]

this will be the best guide you will find period. simple . four bulbs. two top and two sides. one thing I will mention is that on sports(at least mine) every single bulb is a t5. t10(and correct me if im wrong Fupa) will not fit unless installed from front side and soldered to contacts . not recommended. Ive put 16hrs into this project. also if you completely tear apart the unit(also not recommended , but a must for what I did) for a t10 conversion on all four, soldered in without bases . you must not tear the ribbon cables that connect to gauges. fupabox plz edit this as jack dan has hindered my ability at the moment.

[@fupabox]

Matt...I've never removed a "sports" version dash so I will take your word for it for sure..Definitely be careful with the ribbon cables..I have played with them on w210s and my r129 and they are finicky. What did you want me to edit on your comment ? It all sounds like good info

[@MZ69123]

I am making a 3 chip....crazy glueing and wiring 3 chips together...hopefully they will fit thru the hole!

[@sourcey6620]

Unfortunately my 1998 didnt have the t10s like i was hoping for. Looks like i gotta return some Sylvania LEDs to auto parts :P

[@MoJoeRyhsen]

Awesome Video! Helped me out a lot! Just to verify, the 4 cluster lights consist of x2 T10 and x2 T5 bulbs? I plan on changing mine to a bright white to give it that new, updated look. And maybe changing the "pointers" to red. Thanks again! Your videos are great and so helpful!

[@CozeraMB]

i just ordered about 20 each of red and green bulbs for the gauges.. should make a good video for when i replace all the dead cluster bulbs with GREEN lol. should look peculiar for awhile

[@TonyHarris99]

I wast to change the Dash Lights in my 1995 SL500 to LED's but don't want to do surgery on the twist out bulb holders [like on your video]. My dash has 20xT5 holders but I Can't find a source for "Pre Made Led's in the holders." Can you direct me to a link where I can buy them "Cheap" like you mentioned. I have had no luck finding any in my search. Any input from you and the guys would be a big help in my project. Dash was removed with ease following your video and I installed the chrome looking Guage rings. Easy and they look great! Thanks for that video too.

[@MoJoeRyhsen]

Awesome, awesome. Thanks for the info!

[@MZ69123]

Cant really tell until it gets dark but it seems a lot brighter. It is still green though was hoping it would turn white to match the cluster.

[@Ninjaen2860]

I tried this today but could not get the premade led bulbs to fit! I could get them down the hole, but couldnt turn them to the left or right :/ Great guy anyways :)

[@TonyHarris99]

Hi Kenneth. Could you share with me where you got the "Pre Made LED Bulbs from. Thanks

[@Ninjaen2860]

Tony Harris www.miniinthebox.com

[@landocommando8]

260K miles! Wow, I have 146K on one and I thought that was a lot.

[@MZ69123]

Do you remember which side of the contacts for the cluster bulbs are pos/neg? I'm going with white and see how I like it at night. Then I will do the transmission fluid change.

[@JAZ.80]

Hi, thanks for the tip. I changed fuse 22 & 41, they were not showing that something is wrong with them, but I changed them anyway and it worked fine. Thanks alot. P.S. Is it normal for LED lights to turn off after some delay? since i changed the bulbs, when i take the key out of switch the lights still on for another 60 seconds or so before they turn off completely.

[@megamaxa1]

TNX you TNX

[@chisel86]

Great videos! Would you be able to list how many of each type of bulb needed for the w202 cluster? I would like to have all that I need before starting this little project. Thanks!

[@fupabox]

chisel86 if you get 10x T5 and 10 xT10 you will have enough left over when 1 burns out ..they are cheaper to buy in sets of 10 on ebay

[@MZ69123]

Ok Ty as usual. Is the switch and the wire on the back of the cluster or under the fusebox or ? Fuse Ok.

[@mohamedsaud5775]

Could u pliz tell me what kind of LED lights are u using, and how many do I need? Because as I know there is more than one kind I need to use with different sizes ... so I'm just curious to know how much do I have to order because I don't wanna start replacing it then stop because I need more

[@MZ69123]

So the switch in the wiring diagram must be the lights switch? And maybe when I replace the 2 out warning lights it will work?

[@MZ69123]

Just had the bulb out light come on with no bulbs out...wonder if the cold caused the LED dash to set it? Off when starting comes on when brake is pushed and shifted into gear. Oh well maybe I will just take the bulb out! Ciao!

[@marcmason3054]

Fupabox, So excited to change to my LED! Got the cluster out when looking at the bulbs I have all brown ones on my cluster as shown in the video! every single one is BROWN, what do I do at this point? Thank you!

[@fupabox]

yeah that happens..the bulbs when they get replaced over the years can have different coloured plastic bases..check this page to see a picture of the rear of the cluster with the bulbs marked www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/Mercedes-Benz/37-ELEC-Replacing_Instrument_Cluster_Light_Bulbs/37-ELEC-Replacing_Instrument_Cluster_Light_Bulbs.htm

[@MZ69123]

Should all the indicator lights on the cluster light up when the car is about to be started? The bulb and the low fluid are not being lit.

[@TaqvoMediaUZ]

Hi mate. Your videos are very useful. I had a question , If you could answer me. I have got w202 c200 2000 model. And BAS(ESP) lights on. How I can fix it. Thank you

[@fupabox]

first check your brake light switch on the brake pedal, it is the most common reason for bas esp faults.. I have a video on the w208 playlist showing how to replace it kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaXcmIN9fciJbLs

[@vincentsolito8234]

Hoping you or someone else with a w210 may be able to share some insight. I have a facelift w210 so its slightly different than the one shown in this video and my center multifunction display is very dim. Does this sound like a bulb issue? If so I'd be very interested in converting to LEDs while its out but have no idea what bulbs to buy for it and cant seem to find much info about this online.

[@abdullahtaha67]

Do they ever burn out if so how long because in going to redo the hole interior on my 98 e320 nice video man

[@fupabox]

they can burn out..it's rare ,or you can get a dud LED sometimes..my dash bulbs (the blue LEDs) were still working perfectly after 25 months and 140,000 km put on them

[@JAZ.80]

Hi, I tried to mimic you and change the bulbs of my dashboard. All was working fine, until I tried to change the last bulb for right side turn indicator. Stupidly, has the switch on when i was trying to change the bulb. What happened next was a smell and small smoke coming out of the dashboard.

[@MZ69123]

Seems to work too!

[@JAZ.80]

The video will show up once approved by you tube, but basically all the lights are flashing including a new light in middle like triangle with the name ODR. appreciate any guidance you may have as a solution to this situation.

[@JAZ.80]

. I think something got short circuit. In any case, that day the right indicator was not working, however every thing else was cool, but this morning, when i tried to switch on the car, the dashboard was showing wired rhythm of flashing, almost all lights were flashing. I had it recorded and the video is uploaded. Please let me know if you may know what could be the cause or possible solution other than changing the dashboard as a whole?

[@rjkulman8990]

(2000 C280/w202) is there plus / minus sides to these bulbs. changed some of them this weekend....nothing. So either they are dead. not making contact properly, +/- situation. Chinese origin - poor quality, heads came off on some, did manage to install chrome rings, that was easy

[@fupabox]

yes they need to be installed in the correct pos , neg orientation . That's why I always tell people to order extras ..the quality can be poor on some

[@danielblerta]

HI and nice work with your videos. I have a problem with the side illumination (temp gauge and rpm counter).Both bulbs(2W) are fine but illumination is poor.How could that be?

[@JakeW1965]

I have a hard time concentrating. 4 T10s? How many t5s? I'm going to autozone as a early christmas gift to myself for my c230.

[@MZ69123]

Dont know it stopped working so I took it out. I am out of leds so maybe I will order some more.

[@MZ69123]

Is there a schematic or picture somewhere that will show me the bulbs lit up when I start the car? I checked them and they all read good but they all dont light up at start. Also tried to put the leds in with holders that I had to sand down to work an they didnt. I will wait for the oem's to come and do it again.

[@MZ69123]

Heres' a ? I drove it to Boston yesterday to see RS game and parked it in the Pru Tower garage which was 85 degrees. Little puddle of coolant on ground when we came back drove it home 48 degrees out no coolant on ground this AM. Should I look for a leak or is there a relief valve?

[@philfish6619]

hi there im going to take my cluster out as ive got a problem with it i wil change the bulbs at the same time as fix the cluster i was wondering if you have come across my problem. its my cluster it flashes and resets it self when i go over a bump in the road. i think its got a loose wire to it clip on the live feed do you have any idea if its not what i think. thanks for your time. phil

[@MrAxlingen]

I tried to do this today, and ended up changing back to the old bulbs.. For some reason the LED bulbs i bought from eBay wouldn't light up. And all of a sudden the light behind the trip og odometer stopped working. Without even touching it. Any idea? Can the bulbs I got from eBay have done something?

[@MZ69123]

And they dont mess with the canbus causing errors?

[@MZ69123]

Any advice on what I should buy to replace the lights on buzzer on the back of the cluster?

[@bigsmokebbquk]

Can this be done to a 2006 C220 CDI Avantgarde? Appreciate the video immensely!

[@fupabox]

+Ashley Tunley The w203 has LEDs soldered directly to the gauge panel..they can be unsoldered and replaced by soldering new ones in..A bit more complicated

[@fupabox]

***** I am not sure, I have never converted a w203 gauge cluster..sorry

[@svxer]

So the warning lights have a cover that determines what color Mercedes, and the DOT, want them to be. Is this the same for the turn signals or are the bulbs just colored?

[@fupabox]

all the lights and gauges use colored lenses to create the final color you see..no colored bulbs at all

[@svxer]

+fupabox Including the temp and time gauges?

[@fupabox]

Jacob Doerr yes ..all of them..you can change the color of the temp and clock with a colored LED

[@MZ69123]

Is it the same buzzer for the lights left on as for when you put the E brake on when driving?

[@MZ69123]

Whats the green EPC light that never seems to be lit at start at the right first position?

[@dritanv]

goob job man whats next the climate control :)

[@Yog-fg4xt]

Hi ! Is it possible to change miles into km at the display of my W202 cdi,year 2000? Thank you

[@caxuxi1]

what kind of lights you used and where you bought. More info please

[@nunomigpe]

Hi there, can you explain the lights please... You show 2 types, 1 type 1 SMD and another type i believe is 5 SMD, where to use them and how many to have complete in blue or white? By the way i change the lighter and the air flow control anyone needs help let me know

[@xXDuMpW33DXx1]

i got my self some T10's but when i replaced the bulb for the led the led would not turn on. When i put the bulb back in it work. would could have been the issue?

[@fupabox]

Charlie Flores put the led in the socket the other way around..spin it 180 degrees...led's are directional and can't take power flow in either direction like a reg . bulb

[@MZ69123]

So I can use a white t5 in the climate control unit too?

[@MZ69123]

Do the non SMD Leds work as well too?

[@MZ69123]

Is there a polarity issue with the SMD's?

[@MZ69123]

And do they dim too?

[@MZ69123]

Put in the leds the speedo and such worked but the the clock ect didnt. Reset the odo to zero too WTF?

[@MRSTYFFakaLloydDStiff1]

what happen to the sound

[@drewgarrett3248]

Can this be done on my 2004 c240 4matic?

[@fupabox]

The w203 has led bulbs soldered to the gauge cluster .. You would have to remove the cluster .. Unsolder the bulbs and re solder new ones on

[@MRSTYFFakaLloydDStiff1]

may b u added a music in the background that youtube removed because they do that if u didnt get permission to do so and it will kill the entire sound u alone wld hear it at home so check out the background music and re post

[@fupabox]

very odd...no music or anything in the background..I can hear it through my GFs laptop as well ?? try this link kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJyqZmmYnrmKj7s

[@MRSTYFFakaLloydDStiff1]

This link works

[@MRSTYFFakaLloydDStiff1]

looks like good stuff but cant hear whats been said

[@fupabox]

+MR. STYFF aka Lloyd D Stiff Weird .. the sound is working when I just checked .. maybe a youtube glitch ??

[@MRSTYFFakaLloydDStiff1]

just checked it again still no sound. i have a 95 c36 amg and i would like to do the same. Could u tell me the name of the bulbs so i could try and source them?

[@fupabox]

T5 and T10 bulbs... get10 of each on ebay or amazon..you always need extras , and they are cheaper in bulk

[@MRSTYFFakaLloydDStiff1]

Thanks a million

[@fupabox]

MR. STYFF aka Lloyd D Stiff :)

[@torukriss]

lol just only 236452 km ... dam i got 512598 km and now my orginal vacuum pump failed 110 kw to 66 mybe :D diseld is dead on road but if i got my new vacuum pump then pedal not to medal :D , but yeah ill buy new leds

[@fupabox]

512k km nice :)

[@Sliipperi]

Just wondering, the original bulbs are 2w and 1.5w and these led's you mentioned on the caption in the video, are 10w bulbs? Wont they melt the cluster?

[@fupabox]

LEDs create no heat.. no possibility of melting anything