Topic: Changing instrument cluster light colours - 2009 Corolla

[SteelyDon]

The instrument cluster of the car is illuminated by an orange glow at night.  I assume the illumination is caused by a coloured bulb.  Can the bulb be changed to give it a different colour?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[barrie1]

You could probably change it to a white with clearbulbs but I do not know if they are produced in that shade in this model of bulb for your car. There would be more then one bulb if there is a replacement to begin with as one alone usually isen't big enough to light it up correctly at all. What does the owners maunal state for this?  I would also suggest calling either the parts counter at the dealershiop or the service manager as well as they generally would know. 

[PJungnitsch]

My truck has orange dash lighting. It uses clear bulbs, with the orange color caused by the plastic that the bulb shines through. Assume the Corolla is the same.

My aftermarket gauges are LED lit and change color by touching a switch, very nice (multi LED?). If OEM makers adopted this it would solve all dash lighting color issues.

[SteelyDon]

Here http://tinyurl.com/38rf28 are 44 shots of the Sport, including 2 of the gauges: see third row down.  The lower shot of gauges is not the Sport.

[tpl]

I would think that it might not be a bulb, it might be LED(s) and they would be a permanent part of the printed circuit behind the panel.  Or an Electro-luminescent display like some Timex watches, again permanently built in.
I can't imaging a volume manufacturer using real lightbulbs in a new model when LEDS are essentially free and don't need bulb holders and so on. 
my 2c

[barrie1]

I strongely suspect you are right as the newer cars mostly have switched over to this type of lighting. Only the older models still use the bulbs unless you have done some custom work to change it out or over to the newer style of systems.  Some of the Hotrod carbuilders do this but there's not all that many of them on this Forum I believe. I think some of the newer Mustanges also have a multi-coloured system with something like 50 different colours that you can choose from yourself. The ones in my car are Green and the truck are just the stock white colour. Fine for me as I will put the truck back on the road very shortly. The weather has broken and I need my toy back out to drive. 

[rrocket]

I know the new Mustangs have this...and the colour changes are in the 100's IIRC...

[articsteve]

Can't change the hue and as mentioned, no "bulbs".

Try coloured glasses. 

[Cord]

I know the new Mustangs have this...and the colour changes are in the 100's IIRC...

Yep, since the 2005 model.

[dr_spock]

It might be a bit of work to desolder LEDs off a circuit board and solder in different colour ones.    You could try aftermarket to see if there are dash lighting kits for 2009 Corolla.   I've seen some for Honda Civics. 

[Leviathan]

The instrument cluster of the car is illuminated by an orange glow at night.  I assume the illumination is caused by a coloured bulb.  Can the bulb be changed to give it a different colour?

This link still has the text but it seems the poster moved the pictures of a guy changing the cluster colours for an Edge. Not a Toyota, of course, but still gives you some idea of what could be involved.

[SteelyDon]

You could try aftermarket to see if there are dash lighting kits for 2009 Corolla.   I've seen some for Honda Civics.


Yes. I'm advised that one might be had for around $200 ish.

[tpl]

It might be a bit of work to desolder LEDs off a circuit board and solder in different colour ones.    You could try aftermarket to see if there are dash lighting kits for 2009 Corolla.   I've seen some for Honda Civics. 

OOps! There goes the warranty... assuming that you can get the pcb out in the first place

[SteelyDon]

Yes, it's a non-starter, I suppose.  Thanks for the advice and info.