mk6 clocks in a mk5

[apollo13]

I knew someone else had done it!   

Nice one Garth! Iv only got the cluster in white because i dont have climatronic, my bro had a golf with climatronic and had sooo many probs with it it put me off.

Like i said my other half doesnt like it she prefers the blue 

I might go red dials with blue needles??

[RedRobin]

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I like the oem clocks blue lights (on the Mk5 GTI) but they certainly aren't that great functionally.

Is it just a matter of swopping coloured bulbs, no more?

[apollo13]

Hi RR,

I heard they lost the blue because it wasnt very clear and difficult to read???

Yes its just a matter of changing leds but they are SMD leds which are like tiny 'chips' soldered to the circuit board. The same as the type in the led tail lights actually.

Its very fiddly and not for a novice i would say, unless youve got some experience its easy to damage your cluster.

[RedRobin]

^^^^
I'm a novice at most things - I even have a "X Novice" sticker on my car rear window! (from Spa Francorchamps). I could ask my friend who's (one day!!) completing my LED tails. Trouble is though that I also have a matching NewSouth boost gauge.

Although I would definitely agree about the Mk5's oem poor clarity, I use a PogoAlert with more accurate and large GPS digital speed display and primarily judge my revs by a mixture of sound and angle of the needle rather than digesting the numerical value itself - I know where 3,000 and 5,500 revs are.

[apollo13]

I purchased my cluster when doing the highline upgrade with the white leds already changed, it wasnt advertised as white so i was surprised when it lit up!!   

Since then i have had a practise with a spare cluster (thanks joegti er sorry R32) and it is fiddly but quite doable, but i have had some experience in soldering before as im an electrician by trade.

To be honest i never really look at the rev counter either and rarely look at the speedo as the sat nav chirps away if i come across any speed cameras until i slow down! 

Not that i get to drive the car much the missus has it all week and i get stuck with my van...until the weekend.

[RedRobin]

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Don't Mk5 R32's have white LED clocks?

[apollo13]

I believe your right, white dials with blue needles??

Mines an oil burner so 4500 red line for me   

[stealthwolf]

To be honest i never really look at the rev counter either and rarely look at the speedo

I think I've always looked at the dash on a regular basis to ensure not problems with temps/fuel/warning lights etc. Pretty much everytime I look at the speedo.

[apollo13]

Ok so its difficult NOT to look at either because their right in front of you but i meant consiously looking at them to see what speed Im doing or looking at the rev counter to know when to change gear.   

Hope that makes sense Stealthwolf? 

[Garth]

I heard they lost the blue because it wasnt very clear and difficult to read???

That may well be the case. It's the main reason I didn't like the blue as I couldn't focus my eyes on the numbers properly. I thought it was just me but one of my friends was going to buy a new GTI a while back and decided not too as he had the same problem and couldn't live with it.

[RedRobin]

I heard they lost the blue because it wasnt very clear and difficult to read???

That may well be the case. It's the main reason I didn't like the blue as I couldn't focus my eyes on the numbers properly. I thought it was just me but one of my friends was going to buy a new GTI a while back and decided not too as he had the same problem and couldn't live with it.

....Me too - I actually thought I might need another eye test!

The blue lights thingy looked and sounded good in the brochures  - I expect better from Germans!

[apollo13]

The blue numbering IMO is not very 'crisp' and i think the white looks and functions much better.

I might even try red dials with white needles with a spare cluster I have.

[RedRobin]

The blue numbering IMO is not very 'crisp' and i think the white looks and functions much better.

I might even try red dials with white needles with a spare cluster I have.

....I expect you may find that the red suffers from a similar lack of contrast as the blue, but I don't know for certain.

[apollo13]

Your probably right RR,

I think Ill stick with the white......unless my better half gets her way  

[Garth]

The blue numbering IMO is not very 'crisp' and i think the white looks and functions much better.

I might even try red dials with white needles with a spare cluster I have.

....I expect you may find that the red suffers from a similar lack of contrast as the blue, but I don't know for certain.

You're right to some extent. I didn't like the dials in my S3 that much as they were all red with red needles and weren't anywhere near as clear as white. White with a red needle is perfect I reckon. The all amber in my BMW's is much better than the red or blue but still not as clear as white or green.