Dashboard bulbs

Dashboard panels mainly use T5 (W1,2W) or T3 base bulbs, miniature formats suited to dials, indicator lights and backlighting. These small LED bulbs provide precise, even lighting, available in several colors (white, blue, red, green) to customize the atmosphere of your cabin.

Yes, by replacing the original bulbs with LEDs in the desired color (white, blue, red, green, orange), you can fully customize the backlighting of your gauges. This is a popular modification on older vehicles that have original yellow/green lighting. The pure white or blue effect gives a modern look to the dashboard.

You must remove the instrument cluster (screwed behind the steering wheel), then remove the sockets at the back to access the bulbs. The operation requires a screwdriver and 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the vehicle. The T5 LED bulbs plug directly into the original sockets. A tutorial specific to your model is recommended.

Most vehicles using T5 (W1.2W) or classic T3 bulbs are compatible with LED versions. However, some recent vehicles include factory LEDs, soldered to the printed circuit board, which are not replaceable by the user. Check whether your instrument cluster uses bulbs with a removable socket.

The T5 (W1.2W, 5 mm diameter) is the standard format for dashboards, while the T10 (W5W) is larger (10 mm diameter) and is used for parking lights. The two are not interchangeable due to their size difference. The T5 has an original power of 1.2 W, compared to 5 W for the T10.

Yes, a T5 LED consumes about 0.1 W versus 1.2 W for the original halogen, i.e. 10 times less. On a dashboard that can contain 10 to 20 bulbs, the cumulative savings are significant. In addition, LEDs give off much less heat, which preserves the plastics of the instrument cluster.