Help with instrument panel

[jafwiz]

I have a 1996 Ford Explorer Limited and I need to change the odometer gear and wanted to change the bulbs at the same time. Does anyone know the parts to get. It looks like this is the gear

Dorman 926-321​

As for the bulbs I have no idea on part number

 

[J_C]

See this picture of the back of the gauge panel.

As far as I know (could be wrong) there are the 6 #194 cluster illumination bulbs in the black holders, and most of, it not all the rest are the beige colored holders for the indicator lamps, using #161.

 

[410Fortune]

I have had very good luck with these for illumination

Yes there are 6 illumination bulbs


Waaaaaaaay better then stock

https://a.co/d/bsEO3fn

 

[amj441]

I have had very good luck with these for illumination

Yes there are 6 illumination bulbs


Waaaaaaaay better then stock

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BBVNYGZ4?tag=seriouexplor-20

Arent those t10 the smaller ones for the ranger dashboard? or am I mistaken?

 

[J_C]

^ T10 only describes a wedge based bulb with nominal 10mm base width, while the bulb #s further differentiate that size into wattage or light output (especially for LED bulbs, what the manufacturer suggests that they are meant to replace, "IF" you can trust the manufacturer on that).

#194 has a T10 sized bulb base, as does #161, EXCEPT that some 161 seem to come in a T8 size base too... so don't take my word for it on the 161 indicator bulbs since their holders look smaller in pictures so those might be a T8. When dealing with LED retrofits, there are multiple considerations but one here is whether it is too tall to fit in the available space, and I can't help you with that, but apparently what 410Fortune has linked, has already been tried and known to fit.

Personally, I'd just get long life incan bulbs. I don't want mine to have any colder a color temp like (most) LED do, nor do I run them at full brightness so a brighter bulb doesn't interest me, and if (which they have on my '98) the originals lasted over 25 years, that's more than long enough for the replacements.

However there's a huge variability in how long the aftermarket (especially generic brands of) LED bulbs last. A perfect laboratory test with a cool running LED, can see them last 50K hours or more, but in real world, hotter running uses, I usually find that they don't last as long as incan bulbs do, including a couple models of T10 LED bulbs that I've been running in landscape lights, where they might get 1/4th the lifespan of the incan bulbs they replaced. At any given moment if I look at those landscape lights at night, one or more of them are flickering and need replaced. Fortunately with them on every night for several hours, they save enough on power to pay for themselves, but it's a heck of a lot easier to replace those than digging into a dash to do it.

More Information for PHILIPS 194LL

 

[amj441]

^ T10 only describes a wedge based bulb with nominal 10mm base width, while the bulb #s further differentiate that size into wattage or light output (especially for LED bulbs, what the manufacturer suggests that they are meant to replace, "IF" you can trust the manufacturer on that).

#194 has a T10 sized bulb base, as does #161, EXCEPT that some 161 seem to come in a T8 size base too... so don't take my word for it on the 161 indicator bulbs since their holders look smaller in pictures so those might be a T8. When dealing with LED retrofits, there are multiple considerations but one here is whether it is too tall to fit in the available space, and I can't help you with that, but apparently what 410Fortune has linked, has already been tried and known to fit.

Personally, I'd just get long life incan bulbs. I don't want mine to have any colder a color temp like (most) LED do, nor do I run them at full brightness so a brighter bulb doesn't interest me, and if (which they have on my '98) the originals lasted over 25 years, that's more than long enough for the replacements.

However there's a huge variability in how long the aftermarket (especially generic brands of) LED bulbs last. A perfect laboratory test with a cool running LED, can see them last 50K hours or more, but in real world, hotter running uses, I usually find that they don't last as long as incan bulbs do, including a couple models of T10 LED bulbs that I've been running in landscape lights, where they might get 1/4th the lifespan of the incan bulbs they replaced. At any given moment if I look at those landscape lights at night, one or more of them are flickering and need replaced. Fortunately with them on every night for several hours, they save enough on power to pay for themselves, but it's a heck of a lot easier to replace those than digging into a dash to do it.

More Information for PHILIPS 194LL

I swapped for some warm LEDs and been happy with the color and brightness, but like you mentioned about the garden lamps most of my bulbs have failed in some capacity. I have one flickering which isnt enough to replace it yet.

If 410 has had good luck with them, then they're probably worth considering

 

[manimal]

For the dash cluster I wouldn't use cheap Amazon LEDs. I did it once and within a year several of them were either flickering or completely dead.

I ended up swapping the dash LEDs on both of my 2nd gens with the small 194 "ultra warm" LEDs from Superbright LEDs.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/led-light-bulbs-universal-finder/miniature-and-subminiature-bulbs/194-led-bulb-cob-led-t3-25-miniature-wedge-base-135-lumens+color-Ultra~Warm~2500K

These are brighter than standard 194s without being so bright that they bleed out through the dash mask. The gauge cluster really pops at daytime and night now but isn't so bright that you need to turn down the adjustment.

The ultra warm color is close to an incandescent light color so it won't affect the appearance of the mask - natural or ultra white LEDs make the mask look weird and washed out.

For me the bigger reason to go with LEDs is the reduction in heat in the 20-30 year old cluster assembly. Switching from incandescent to LED you can feel the difference just putting your hand up to the cluster after it's been on for a while. With incandescent it will be warm even on the clear plastic front shield, with LEDs there is no felt heat.

Also did the same for the HVAC cluster, and again, the heat is gone.

Replace your wedge bases at the same time. Usually I find a couple of the old ones that are cracked. These are available in cheap multi packs on Amazon.

 

[J_C]

I ended up swapping the dash LEDs on both of my 2nd gens with the small 194 "ultra warm" LEDs from Superbright LEDs.

https://www.superbrightleds.com/led-light-bulbs-universal-finder/miniature-and-subminiature-bulbs/194-led-bulb-cob-led-t3-25-miniature-wedge-base-135-lumens+color-Ultra~Warm~2500K

Unusual bulb design for LED, I've seen some encased in faux (acrylic plastic) glass domes but nothing like that where the glass appears to be real.