indiglo gauges

[feonikx]

Where can i find good indiglo gauges for my 97' 528i???

[brandon5069]

Hopefully nowhere :D

[rrcompton]

Yuck, theres some on eBay though, I think.....

[mattmartindrift]

good luck installing them and not ruining your cluster.

[btmlinedan]

just....just stop...please.

[crdiscoverer]

Where can I find good pink seat covers??

[Mark@EAC]

there is an e36 kid on here selling a lot of 1500 gauge faces for various BMWs at rock bottom prices, I guess he had a bunch made only to find out there was no market for them. Go figure.

[Therealet23]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Angel-Gauge-Gauges-5-Series-E39-7-Series-E38-X5_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ea8fb79b6QQitemZ200 403548598QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-03-BMW-E39-528-530-535-540-White-Face-Glow-Gauges-98_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518ddf42e6QQitemZ350 272570086QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories

I would never do this....

[Scopare212]

No......

[crdiscoverer]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Angel-Gauge-Gauges-5-Series-E39-7-Series-E38-X5_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ea8fb79b6QQitemZ200 403548598QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2FAnge l-Gauge-Gauges-5-Series-E39-7-Series-E38-X5_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem2ea8fb79b6QQitemZ200 403548598QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-03-BMW-E39-528-530-535-540-White-Face-Glow-Gauges-98_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518ddf42e6QQitemZ350 272570086QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories (http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?campid=5335818596&toolid=10001&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Febaymotors%2F97-03-BMW-E39-528-530-535-540-White-Face-Glow-Gauges-98_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem518ddf42e6QQitemZ350 272570086QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAcces sories)

I would never do this....

Gotta love that overheating E39/X5:

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/14808218/aview/bmw_gauge.jpg

[feonikx]

i dont get it is it just really hard to do or you guy just really against the look??

[Newbie528i]

Run, Forrest, Run!

[rrcompton]

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/14808218/aview/bmw_gauge.jpg


i dont get it is it just really hard to do or you guy just really against the look??

:shifty

They will look so out of place in your Bimmer. A mods supposed to enchance the look of the car not make it look cheap and ebay'ish. But if youre set on buying those you should also change out all the orange LEDs that are in the stereo / ac / window switches & buttons etc. to blue or white.

If you want to change the look of the cluster you might want to try those gauge face overlays that change the gauge faces to white, gray or silver. Still not even a fan of those but they would look a lot better than those gauges above.

[tmpecus]

I remember doing this to my 3rd Gen Eclipse about 8 years ago! :embarrasm

[agentrnge]

While red might not be flashy it is the color light that will least effect your night vision. This is the reason military craft and astronomers use red instruments and red lights.

Blue and white may look cool but only in the parking lot.

[Skwisgaar]

Ricer ITT.

[mattmartindrift]

i dont get it is it just really hard to do or you guy just really against the look??



both.

see how even the example pictures show the car overheating? it most likely is not overheating; however, it's incredibly difficult - some say impossible - to pull the needles and reinstall them w/o messing it all up.

[540i nashville]

search "curb feelers" and then look at the other retailers accessories. Perhaps JC Whitney can help you out?

[95325i]

I remember doing this to my 3rd Gen Eclipse about 8 years ago! :embarrasm

I did the same on my Z24 about 6 yrs ago. I color matched everything and even got matching HVAC and wiper controls as well. It looked great during the day. At night I hated it, I was blinded by the light coming from the cluster on really dark roads. Plus it was a PITA to get the needles to line up 100% again I took the cluster apart at least 6times to adjust them.

If you really want to update the cluster face look for some E46 M3 or E39 M5 clusters faces.

[BKphoto]

hahaha...buddy of mine was looking at a bimmer, he said "i know you love them but i hate the gauge cluster, its so boring"...

facepalm x10...

i just hung up the phone, couldn't say a word...

[jamesdc4]

Where can i find good indiglo gauges for my 97' 528i???
Welcome to Bimmerforums.

As you can see, most members have a strong opinion about modding. Personally, I could care less what others consider to be a(n) "accepted/tasteful" mod, but as agentrnge (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showpost.php?p=17875701&postcount=15) points out, I would recommend against going with a light color that is going to hamper your ability to see at night. It's one thing to look cool, but something entirely different to become a hazard to yourself and others on the road. There are safe ways to spice up your instrument cluster.

Cheers and Good luck! :)

[rrcompton]

:rolleyes

If its pitch black outside we're looking at the road while we're driving and those w/ HIDs are looking at bright white light, Id think the bright HIDs would would mess w/ your eyes before white gauges would. Who sits there and stares at their gauges while they're driving anyway, you might glance down but thats about it. Also my Navigation screen is backlight w/ white light and it doesnt bother me looking at it and looking back at the road.

Many Hondas and Lexus come w/ white LED gauges and most newer Acuras come w/ blue LED gauges. And FYI BMW doesnt use red LEDs, they use orange.

[BimmerBreaker]

The constant light output from them will do more to hamper your vision then someone's HID lighting passing by real quick shining through your reflective windshield or tinted glass. Gauges will hurt your eye's ability to get very sensitive for darkness because white is the color, followed by blue, that destroys night vision the quickest and having something in your cabin constantly outputting those colors will definitely hurt your night vision.

Plus they look f*ing terrible. +1 on mods should add to the quality of your car and in this case cosmetics - those things will stand out like a sore thumb, dont match any of the interior lighting or typeface and just look ugly

[WhatsBFc]

:rofl2

[rrcompton]

The constant light output from them will do more to hamper your vision then someone's HID lighting passing by real quick shining through your reflective windshield or tinted glass. Gauges will hurt your eye's ability to get very sensitive for darkness because white is the color, followed by blue, that destroys night vision the quickest and having something in your cabin constantly outputting those colors will definitely hurt your night vision.



I get what youre saying but I was more so talking about people w/ HIDs in their own car not oncoming traffic flickering at you. When driving at night w/ HIDs the road in front of us the road is very well lit up....and theyre are a lot of members here running 55w kits too w/o any problems.

Heres a pic of the interior in my MDX, I put white LEDs into the gauges / bottons, Navi and HIDs and its never bothered me one bit to drive at night, and Ive drove from TX to VA 20+hrs. each way. Guess everyones eyes are different. :cool

I didnt mess w/ the exposure and obviously they arent that bright at the pic is making them out to be:
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r34/rrcompton/IMG_1578.jpg

[kaptom540]

car modding is like fashion .. it repeats itself .. for example look at black out tail lights and headlights .. we did those things back in the late 80's into the 90's .. i have seen pinstriping making a come back .. whatever floats your boat and separates you from the masses .. have fun with it ..

[Mark@EAC]

I will never in my life forget the first time I turned the lights on in my e39 when it was dark out and sat behind the wheel admiring the lighting of the dash and buttons. I felt like a pilot.

I love modified Bimmers- I really and truly do. That said, there are aspects of these vehicles best left untouched. The cluster and dash lighting is one of them IMHO. Sure those bling gauges look ok, but how are your eyes going to feel 3 hours in to a 6 hour night time trip?

[rrcompton]

I love modified Bimmers- I really and truly do. That said, there are aspects of these vehicles best left untouched. The cluster and dash lighting is one of them IMHO. Sure those bling gauges look ok, but how are your eyes going to feel 3 hours in to a 6 hour night time trip?

I agree, I wouldnt mess w/ the BMW gauge cluster either. BUT with that said, I drove 20+ hrs., left @ 6pm so I drove all night long (10-11hrs. in the dark) and my white LEDs in my X didnt bother me one bit and its dark as hell driving though the Appalachian mountains in TN and southern VA. :eyecrazy

If youre in a dark room and you stare at a white LED w/o any other light on then you turn the LED off then yes youd have some problems seeing for a few seconds but its never pitch black on the roads since at night we have our headlights on. We also have the moonlight, some road lights etc., so its not as bad as yall are making it seem to drive at night w/ white gauges.

[95325i]

I will be the first person to say that my eyes are very sensitive to light I can not go out side for more then an hour and a half before my eyes start hurting and get a headache from the sun. Night time driving is a PITA for me as well and I have my display on my dash set for a little less then 1/2 brightness at night. For me the darker the better I have very good night sight.

[Newbie528i]

car modding is like fashion .. it repeats itself .. for example look at black out tail lights and headlights .. we did those things back in the late 80's into the 90's .. i have seen pinstriping making a come back .. whatever floats your boat and separates you from the masses .. have fun with it ..

Good point. Too each his own, I suppose.

I'm looking into LED interior lights and I'm guessing that a good portion of responses here would be of the same negative nature. I wouldn't want to live a life where I looked for approval for everything I did; go for it :buttrock

[jamesdc4]

I would add that if you are doing most of your night driving in the city, the brighter, whiter lights would probably be no problem at all, but I have to agree with Mark. I love the cluster OE!

[rrcompton]

I'm looking into LED interior lights


Tell us more......:evil2

I like LEDs, Im just not too fond of the way those aftermarket gauges look.

[crdiscoverer]

Tell us more......:evil2

I like LEDs, Im just not too fond of the way those aftermarket gauges look.

Some people have told that replacing your interior lightning with LEDs gives the impression that you're entering a fridge. It looks cool on paper but no so much when you actually see them on a daily basis.

[rrcompton]

Some people have told that replacing your interior lightning with LEDs gives the impression that you're entering a fridge. It looks cool on paper but no so much when you actually see them on a daily basis.


You mean interior lighting such as the map lights and pillar lights? :D I was never fond of white interior lighting except for gauges and buttons etc. For some reason Ive always liked the yellowish lighting for map lights / dome lights etc.

[Newbie528i]

Not to hijack the thread, but yeah that's what I was afraid of-that whole "open fridge" look:http://the-grayline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/blue-interior-led-light-kit.jpg I just thought the pictures of it looked pretty sharp. It's really not that big of a financial commitment so I suppose I could always change them back. I'm for sure going with LED license plate lights, like on the new Lexus.

[jhstealth]

It is a proven fact that it truely DOES effect night vision with light colored instruments. To be honest it usually wont effect it to the point of making it impossible to see or that bad that it could be huge danger but you could miss small details such as a small animal or a deer due to this. What happens is that your pupil is diminished because of these bright lights, this makes the darker areas harder to see because your eye is collecting less available light. Hid light is pointing the other way so it is mostly like a shadow and will effect less but yes the hid light can even effect your light vision, drive a car with a hid cutoff and no self leveling and take it down a hill, above the cutoff you will see virtually nothing. Also bright cluster lights can make your tint work against you a tad bit because there are more lumins of available light inside the cabin.

Op appart from everyones oppinion i think you should weigh out the advantages for how much work it will be, it is kinda hard to take apart the cluster like this and have everything line up perfect.

[jamesdc4]

Not to hijack the thread, but yeah that's what I was afraid of-that whole "open fridge" look:http://the-grayline.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/blue-interior-led-light-kit.jpg I just thought the pictures of it looked pretty sharp. It's really not that big of a financial commitment so I suppose I could always change them back. I'm for sure going with LED license plate lights, like on the new Lexus.
You might want to consider the exterior door handle LED DIY as well.
LED Exterior door handle (http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=926227)
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/Lexicon740il/LED%20Door%20Handles/29.jpg

If you go with the white interior LEDs or plate lights, that would match the above color well, otherwise, a yellower LED would go better with the OE lighting.

[rrcompton]

It is a proven fact that it truely DOES effect night vision with light colored instruments. To be honest it usually wont effect it to the point of making it impossible to see or that bad that it could be huge danger but you could miss small details such as a small animal or a deer due to this.

Cadillac, Mercedes, Lexus, Honda all use white LEDs and even BMW put them in the new M3 so if it was really that dangerous I dont think they would be using them. I havent read any threads about people getting into accidents or hitting deer because their pupils were screwed up from their white gauges. LOL

Theres always the dimmer switch......:cool

[newton22]

To be honest, I wish they was something to contrast all the red in the E39 at night. I wish the needles were white or the numbers were white or something. There's just too much red.

[crdiscoverer]

You mean interior lighting such as the map lights and pillar lights? :D I was never fond of white interior lighting except for gauges and buttons etc. For some reason Ive always liked the yellowish lighting for map lights / dome lights etc.

Correct. Some people have changed them back because of the 'fridge' effect. You know, like the lighting in your office does not give you the same comforting feeling than the one at home. IMO LED license bulbs or door handles are ok, but for the interior (pillars, map lights), no thanks. :stickoutt

[Newbie528i]

To be honest, I wish they was something to contrast all the red in the E39 at night. I wish the needles were white or the numbers were white or something. There's just too much red.

Agreed. The white needles in the S4 are a big turn on for me (pardon my Audi history :)) But looks like I have something to experiment with :redspot

Also- When considering interior LED lights, I don't really think it would impede your vision. They are only on when getting in/out of the car (and when digging for change at the T-Bell drive-thu) ha

[jamesdc4]

Also- When considering interior LED lights, I don't really think it would impede your vision. They are only on when getting in/out of the car (and when digging for change at the T-Bell drive-thu) ha
Not true. My wife uses them to find her make-up and then uses the vanity to apply while I am driving. :icon28XX

[Newbie528i]

Not true. My wife uses them to find her make-up and then uses the vanity to apply while I am driving. :icon28XX

Well I'm crossing my fingers that I don't have to worry about that for YEARS :woot: