4kq Instrument lighting - LED Question

[Per Lindgren]

Craig Lebakken wrote:

> The lighting for these cars is kind of funky. Basically the
> incandescent bulb focuses light into a diffuser of sorts,
> which then spreads the light across the gages.

Fiberoptics! Sort of.

> I think the
> part you might be missing is the focusing part. If you look
> at these bulbs, they are abnormally thick at the end, almost
> like having a lens built in. I think this "shoots" a
> majority percentage of the light into the diffuser.

The replacement bulbs from the dealer are normal bulbs, dont perform as
well.

I remember when I had an 84 4kq, I really hated the red light on the
dash. It made me sick! So I got half the cluster from a 1981, this one
had white lights instead. Somewhat better, but not enough. At this time
the New Golf and Passat was out with the blue dashboard, which I really
fancied. So I tried every possibility to get some blue light bulbs in
there, but found that the blue robbed so much lux's from the 5w bulbs
that it didnt cut it. So I had green light bulbs instead, until I sold
the car, I put in the red cluster housing again.

I'm actually love the red lights now, the modern Audi's are not that
intense.

PerL
92 Cabrio 2.3