Having gathered the information about the dashboard lights and the LEDs I acquired some 5mm ID – 7mm OD clear PVC tubing to try mounting the LEDs in the bezels.
A short length of this was enough to fit into the bezel and present the LED in the correct position. Whilst not identical, the appearance is very similar and pretty much what I was aiming for.
With this basic version made up I then took it down to Judth to see how it would look and work in-situ. For this test I wired it into the main beam indicator connectors so it was easier to control.
Comparing it to the oil pressure warning light it is noticeably brighter but, given the originals aren’t particularly bright to start with, that’s no bad thing.
A close up inspection shows they are visually different to the originals but, when there’s a full set, it’s going to be hard for all but the most eagle eyed to notice the difference.
One thing that was obvious when attempting to fit them into the dash is that the 7mm tubing isn’t anywhere near good enough of a friction fit to hold the LEDs in place so I’m going to try some 5mm ID – 8mm OD tubing.
Other posts in this series
- Deconstructing 2CV dashboard indicator lights
- 2CV dashboard indicator LED lights proof of concept
- 2CV dashboard indicator LED lights prototype
- 2CV dashboard indicator LED lights
- 2CV dashboard indicator LED lights – fitting