xshurikx

i got a new soldering iron and much better soldering wire and flux so i will be picking up some really thin wire maybe later today and will be redoing my needles maybe today cause i do not have time this weekend. i will post a full diy on it, lots of pics for all you guys.

BTW that MBClusters video i am very glad you posted it. he sort of explains how to do it but then doesnt explain how to do the resistors so go and google LED RESISTOR CALCULATOR and you get the down low on how to wire it properly.

xshurikx

Does anyone know what guage wire I should use? I found 22 but seems as thick or even a little thicker than what I used but 24 to 30 says use for electromagnets and isnt covered in plastic but in something else like a wax. I want to redo the needles but afraid to make it worse

stevechumo

iTrader: (5)

Try to shop at Fry's. They have insulated wire with the diameter of less than 0.5 milimeter. Electrical stores should have that.

xshurikx

ok so i pickedup some 26 guage wire at Frys. that is as small as you can go .4mm before it becomes magnetic use wire.
With luck i will have it early next week.
Look for the thread to be updated by this weekend with Cluster DIY and a look at the breakdown of the Climate Control. DIY to come, i need to order a screen

26awg .4x mm
24awg .5x mm
22awg .6x mm

Cleanshots

iTrader: (2)

the epoxy with bubbles removed is just as clear and same as the clear resin.. i say we are all better off ditching internal led needles.
does the needle oem have the resistor? if not does it actually need one since it was running leds originally? scales that measure in grains are not that expensive.. under 50 bucks, as low as 15 dollars.. replacing them with other needles like those audi ones would be dope.. i wanna see what the 1/8" shorter actually looks like on the cluster. um. going that rout it might just be easy to do the filling up the oem needle with epexy, remove the bubbles, balance, put leg under towards the middle done.. i mean lets keep this simple and efficient.. putting led in the needle or doing all new smd's thats **** that can still go wrong, a plain needle has nothing that can electronically fail..

another idea would be how about just installing a supra gauge cluster? its almost the same car, id be surprised if many if not all sensors read the same values as the sc, just different cluster wiring plugs..

or is300 gauge cluster.. that looks sexy too..
or is350, 250, is-f cause i know people have swapped those into is300.. and again is300 is very similar to sc300 so should be fairly easy.. i think first one or two would be hard once wiring and pins are matched up then its straightforward.

babowc

iTrader: (1)

You can always find a way to wire in a cluster from a different car, but that just makes more work in terms of fabricating a bezel to fit where the original cluster was fitted.

xshurikx

Finally got around to doing some of the DIY

Moved to Front

OG Dada

iTrader: (10)

Can you post pics of the product. Turn off the flash of your camera. And when you say you can dim it, do you mean that the dimmer switch still works with this mod?

xshurikx

You can dim it from full to the click down. its not major impact but some. you can also dim it a little more if you go down about 1/2 to 3/4. it is not the same as dimming the regular bulbs but it does have an impact. also you are looking at my pictures without the front tinted screen.

xshurikx

Thats as low as it goes in the first
Second is on full bright

Murco

iTrader: (1)

Just make sure whatever you use is UV stable and clear as glass. Some epoxies can yellow over time, some resins too. I don't know that filling the OEM needle bodies will work, I think it will make them very heavy.

In reviewing pics of my old cluster the needles overlap the hash marks pretty well so I don't think the 1/8" shorter needle will be to awkward looking. Unfortunately with all the Christmas events coming up I won't be able to jump on this for at least two weeks,,,

akora12

iTrader: (5)

Great writeup!

For those with flickering back-lighting and/or needles, check your dimmer switch. The rheostat on my all-stock '96 ES300 drives my cluster crazy unless you leave it alone at full brightness.

rocky5

iTrader: (2)

thank you so much for this. should be stickied

xshurikx

Additional Info posted on Needles and Climate Control

Needle basically remained the same i just used less solder and a thinner wire.
Improvements my RPM now reads 650 at idle and not 250
So I will still need to add counter weight

stevechumo

iTrader: (5)

If it read at 250 rpm, then it's probably too heavy. 650 rpm is much better. It'll help if you have an original non-modified needle to compare to. Another thing that I remember is the needles from 92-94 have different polarity from 95 and up.