dim dash display

are they all like this?you can barely see the speedo/gauges when its dark,put new blue bulbs in but this has not helped

you could swap out the whole dash for a td5 dash ?

they look very similar mines a 300tdi

or try the LED's which are meant to make a big difference

THEengineer said:

they look very similar mines a 300tdi

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Pre-Td5 illumination with upgraded LEDs:



Standard Td5 illumination:



The photos aren't great, but it gives you an idea how much better the later gauges are. The earlier setup is visible enough with upgraded LEDs, but the later ones are better lit by design and - I think at least - nicer to look at.

so how hard is it to convert to the later set up?or if it is a PITA to do where can i buy leds?

i got some leds from ebay china took a week but a fraction of the price as from the uk

THEengineer said:

so how hard is it to convert to the later set up?or if it is a PITA to do where can i buy leds?

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ebay leds. takes 5 minutes to fix and makes a world of difference

Leds from china i had a while back started flashing and dying within 3 weeks!

ive had some in my focus for a year now and had no issues, for the price if they lasted 6 months id be happy

I looked into a td5 swap a while back and found this:

Installing a Defender Td5 Instrument Pack into a 200Tdi/300Tdi - Land Rover Technical Blog

Looks like a bit of time and patience will get you there - along with a td5 dash, some wiring and some connectors!!

Put some led's in my 90 dash (not TD5) and the difference is amazing!
Well worth the £3 or £4 off ebay

You will need 1 per gauge and 2 for the speedo - all capless types

If you have a clock you will need a special bulb iirc

Likewise! £5 from ebay for leds....world of difference and much easier and cheaper than swapping the whole cluster.

i bought the 300tdi defender blue dash LED kit and it didnt make a big difference was a bit dissapointed.

maybe i was knocked off with some low wattage cheap ones

Id guess blue tint might make them less bright than the white ones maybe?

blue is the worst colour for illumination, its absorbed really easily by anything, (hence why its used backstage in theatres, it doesnt travel)

So that, coupled with the green lens means theres naff left tot get to the dials.
some decent white LEDs will do the job ok, or you need to remove the green plastic lens.

Never had a problem with my bog standard illumination and its easily visible at night. Oh and my heater is pretty good .

Does that mean my landys broken then?!

the_wolf said:

Never had a problem with my bog standard illumination and its easily visible at night. Oh and my heater is pretty good .

Does that mean my landys broken then?!

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don't be silly, you'll be telling us next it doesnt leak

Aw no it definitely leaks. Thank god for that, thought I'd have to scrap it for a minute there