Palio Instrument Cluster

etchemkay · 5th April 2007, 02:26

Hi all,
Has anyone changed or tried changin the front instrument cluster for the Palio? The green-LED instrument cluster is one of the few annoyances that I face in the Palio. It's very readable .. doesn't hurt the eye at all but it's boring and seems out of place and dated. I much prefer the back-lit cluster a-la Corolla etc. Even simply changing the green LEDs to white would make a world of a difference.
For instance, try imagining the instrument cluster in this -

with white LEDs instead of green.
Do let me know in case anyone has done this on his/her Palio/Adventure. Much appreciated.

rishibravo · 5th April 2007, 10:42

you can change the green LED glow to some other colour like red by simply putting some red transparent caps on the PCB of the instrument panel. As per me I love this instrument panel especially at night so I wont want to change that but i want double din space on the dash very badly

esteem_lover · 5th April 2007, 11:34

Cant you change those LEDs to a different colour ?

rishibravo · 5th April 2007, 11:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

Cant you change those LEDs to a different colour ?

I think you can . Note the specs of the diode and get a different colour in the same spec and remove old ones and solder the new one. putting the desired colour cap on the LED is a cheap solution but it will surely decrease the brightness

zakaaaaasss · 5th April 2007, 12:26

Check out Ankur's post.....

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do...tml#post355437

or

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/355437-post113.html
hez already done it for his Innova

etchemkay · 5th April 2007, 14:38

Ankur's solution seems simple to do but, my problem is that I want white light .. not colored. So, a change in LEDs is the only option I guess. I'm guessing this will void my warranty, right ? Any electrical engineers in Pune wanna take a shot at this ?

16v100bhp · 5th April 2007, 17:54

I dont think you would be able to do these with colour LEDs. The green shade you see in the panel are not exactly coming out of green LEDs, its actually the result of a green shaded plastic on the instrument panel. The LEDs doesnt exist in palio panels, they are small bulbs in fact and when the light passes through these coloured plastic, gives it gives it a greenish tint on th other side (the viewable side). If you change these to coloued LEDs the coloured light will actually pass through these green shaded plastic to give it an unexpected result

v1p3r · 6th April 2007, 03:19

They're small press-in bulbs. You can try and source the covers for them in different colours, but that will only change your green light to blue/white/yellow/amber/red. We did it for a couple of Balenos. If you want the Corolla type backlit cluster, those are electro-luminescent dials. You'll have to look around on the net for EL dial makers for the Palio.

HAFI · 6th April 2007, 11:57

i had tried changing the color and wasnt able to do so...because it was not the colour of the LED but the the colour of the film stuck behind the instrument panel..you could notice a green shade even when the lights are switched off..the colour of the LED is just plane yellow..to change the colour you wil have to dimantle the instrument panel and remove the green film and put another colour which ofcourse is a very difficult job...u might would damage it too doing it...

etchemkay · 6th April 2007, 12:48

If it's just the color of the plastic panel covering, then shouldn't it be easy just t replace it with a color-less cover ?

Also, the electro-luminescent dials would be awesome !! But, I'm willing to settle for white light dials too.

Once I'm back to India, I'll be trying to take the instrument cluster apart. Will post progress here.

etchemkay · 6th April 2007, 13:17

Just found these - here, here and here, it says that the Palio 1.6 Sports and Palio 1.6 GTX have "Sporty white dials in instrument cluster" (last linky also has a blurry snap). I tried looking for a shot of the GTX's interiors but came up with nada. Could someone post pics of their 1.6 Sport or GTX's instrument cluster - preferably in daylight and night-time ? That would be greatly appreciated.
If this is what I think it is, I'll just have to source an instrument cluster (or at least dial) of a used GTX and I'm done.

swathyd · 6th April 2007, 13:22

We can live with green lights but what about electronic trip and odo meters ? Even the new palio hasnt got them.

moralfibre · 6th April 2007, 13:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by swathyd

We can live with green lights but what about electronic trip and odo meters ? Even the new palio hasnt got them.

You took the words out of my mouth. Fiat should have implemented digital trip and odo meters long long ago!!

rishibravo · 6th April 2007, 14:11

post nv palio 1.2 ELX and 1.6 sports have white dials exactly what is shown in the beginning of this thread. About the digital odo I too miss it. Even bikes have them these days.

5th April 2007, 02:26	#1
etchemkay BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 160 Thanked: 23 Times	Palio Instrument Cluster Hi all, Has anyone changed or tried changin the front instrument cluster for the Palio? The green-LED instrument cluster is one of the few annoyances that I face in the Palio. It's very readable .. doesn't hurt the eye at all but it's boring and seems out of place and dated. I much prefer the back-lit cluster a-la Corolla etc. Even simply changing the green LEDs to white would make a world of a difference. For instance, try imagining the instrument cluster in this - with white LEDs instead of green. Do let me know in case anyone has done this on his/her Palio/Adventure. Much appreciated.
	() Thanks

5th April 2007, 10:42	#2
rishibravo BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 579 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	you can change the green LED glow to some other colour like red by simply putting some red transparent caps on the PCB of the instrument panel. As per me I love this instrument panel especially at night so I wont want to change that but i want double din space on the dash very badly
	() Thanks

5th April 2007, 11:34	#3
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	Cant you change those LEDs to a different colour ?
	() Thanks

5th April 2007, 12:26	#5
zakaaaaasss BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Augsburg - Pune Posts: 222 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	Check out Ankur's post..... http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/diy-do...tml#post355437 or http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/355437-post113.html hez already done it for his Innova
	() Thanks

5th April 2007, 14:38	#6
etchemkay BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 160 Thanked: 23 Times	Ankur's solution seems simple to do but, my problem is that I want white light .. not colored. So, a change in LEDs is the only option I guess. I'm guessing this will void my warranty, right ? Any electrical engineers in Pune wanna take a shot at this ?
	() Thanks

5th April 2007, 17:54	#7
16v100bhp BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Middletown CT USA Posts: 329 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	I dont think you would be able to do these with colour LEDs. The green shade you see in the panel are not exactly coming out of green LEDs, its actually the result of a green shaded plastic on the instrument panel. The LEDs doesnt exist in palio panels, they are small bulbs in fact and when the light passes through these coloured plastic, gives it gives it a greenish tint on th other side (the viewable side). If you change these to coloued LEDs the coloured light will actually pass through these green shaded plastic to give it an unexpected result
	() Thanks

6th April 2007, 03:19	#8
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,334 Thanked: 6,896 Times View My Garage	They're small press-in bulbs. You can try and source the covers for them in different colours, but that will only change your green light to blue/white/yellow/amber/red. We did it for a couple of Balenos. If you want the Corolla type backlit cluster, those are electro-luminescent dials. You'll have to look around on the net for EL dial makers for the Palio.
	() Thanks

6th April 2007, 11:57	#9
HAFI BANNED Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: cochin Posts: 296 Thanked: 0 Times	i had tried changing the color and wasnt able to do so...because it was not the colour of the LED but the the colour of the film stuck behind the instrument panel..you could notice a green shade even when the lights are switched off..the colour of the LED is just plane yellow..to change the colour you wil have to dimantle the instrument panel and remove the green film and put another colour which ofcourse is a very difficult job...u might would damage it too doing it...
	() Thanks

6th April 2007, 12:48	#10
etchemkay BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 160 Thanked: 23 Times	If it's just the color of the plastic panel covering, then shouldn't it be easy just t replace it with a color-less cover ? Also, the electro-luminescent dials would be awesome !! But, I'm willing to settle for white light dials too. Once I'm back to India, I'll be trying to take the instrument cluster apart. Will post progress here.
	() Thanks

6th April 2007, 13:17	#11
etchemkay BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 160 Thanked: 23 Times	Just found these - here, here and here, it says that the Palio 1.6 Sports and Palio 1.6 GTX have "Sporty white dials in instrument cluster" (last linky also has a blurry snap). I tried looking for a shot of the GTX's interiors but came up with nada. Could someone post pics of their 1.6 Sport or GTX's instrument cluster - preferably in daylight and night-time ? That would be greatly appreciated. If this is what I think it is, I'll just have to source an instrument cluster (or at least dial) of a used GTX and I'm done.
	() Thanks

6th April 2007, 13:22	#12
swathyd BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: thiruvananthapuram Posts: 774 Thanked: 25 Times	We can live with green lights but what about electronic trip and odo meters ? Even the new palio hasnt got them.
	() Thanks

6th April 2007, 14:11	#14
rishibravo BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 579 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	post nv palio 1.2 ELX and 1.6 sports have white dials exactly what is shown in the beginning of this thread. About the digital odo I too miss it. Even bikes have them these days.
	() Thanks