355 dash instrument light bulb type/no.?

I need the bulb number for 355 dash instrument lights so I can order some. They are miniature incandescent type. I also need the bulb number for the HVAC console lights (not the 2 push buttons....the 3 others). Likely they are the same as the dash but not sure. Also, does anyone know where I can get the little green socks that fit over the dash bulbs to create the green color?

In case you are wondering, mine were changed to blue LEDs before I bought the car and I want to go back to the OEM green to match the rest of the interior lights. To the best of my knowledge, there are no green LEDs that are anywhere near a match to the OEM green so that's out.

Can anyone help me?

 

Anyone know the bulb number? Its also need the green socks. Does Ferrparts have these?

 

Fantastic John!! Many thanks!! This is very helpful. I don't know how you found all this but I'm sure glad you did. You're a very resourceful guy!

Another question. Are you saying the HVAC bulbs are the same as the dash? The dash has lights for all the warning lights around the perimeter of the cowl (mine are LEDs here and I plan to leave them as is) and the instrument lights themselves, 3 for both the tach. and speedo. and 1 each for the little gauges (I think). I believe there are also separate warning (idiot) lights in maybe 2 gauges, the oil pressure and gas. This may account for the 2 different bulb wattages. Where did you find out there were 2 different wattages? Does any of the above give you a clue as to which of these use which watt bulb?

 

Yes, I think so, unless you sent another today.

John, since it doesn't make sense for the 3 tach lights to be different from the 3 speedo lights, do you suppose someone before Dave changed the lights in one of the gauges and one of these wattages is what they found/put in when it should have been the other, ie, they should have matched? The 2 bulbs look identical and are exactly the same size and fit the same socket. My guess is they should be the same. The question now is, which size, 1.2W or 2.0?

 

John, thanks again. I'd say you pretty much have nailed it. It would be great though if we could get some confirmation from others that they have the same odd 1.2W / 2.0W light variation in the same places in their cars. I could see this for the little gauges but the tach and speedo??????

Looks like my memory was wrong, the idiot light (also black 1.2W.....clear, no sock....I think) is in the water temp gauge next to the basic gauge light. I'm guessing a 1.2W with a black socket is also in the oil pressure gauge at the top but it can't be seen due to its blend with the black square (whatever that is). Although I won't be changing mine, interesting that all the warning lights around the perimeter are also red. These are presumably 2.0W as well.

I'm hoping to get the original incandescent lights / green socks (or at least some of them) from the previous owner (Jevs....former Fchatter) if he can find them. I'll report back if there's anything different. By the way, my car is a '96 Spider.

 

I guess using all 1.2W would be safe unless the voltages feeding the tach and speedo lights are different. That seems unlikely but I suppose its possible.

Just for clarity, in checking the owner's manual, both the water temp and oil pressure gauges have red idiot lights in the gauges themselves (I believe these will turn out to be clear with the red color coming from a red plastic lens in the gauge front). The low gas warning light is not in the gauge but in the cowl on the left hand side.

 

I heard back from my car's original owner. Fortunately he has all the OEM bulbs, both with and without green socks, and will be sending them to me next week. In the interim, he sent me a photo of them. There were 11 total with green socks, 5 of the 2.0W variety and 6 of the 1.2W. He doesn't remember which went where and they don't have the plastic colored bases on them because he just pulled the bulbs out of the bases and replaced them with LEDs that simply plugged right in. Although I have had my instrument cowl out, I don't remember for sure what color bases went where either. At the time, I wasn't looking for this.

Although there may be an explanation for the tach and speedo having different bulbs, here's what I think makes more sense. Since there are six 1.2W bulbs, that divides very nicely into 3 each for the tack and speedo making them light up the same. The 5 remaining 2.0W bulbs divide nicely into 1 each for the 5 small gauges making them light up evenly. It also seems logical for the small gauges to have the higher wattage bulb since they only have 1 each and the larger gauges have 3.

It would be interesting to test this theory and see how much difference there is or is not in gauge illumination. Would those of you who are interested and have OEM dash bulbs take a look at the light intensity in your gauges the next time its convenient and report what you see? If Dave's car is typical, the speedo with three 2.0W should be brighter than the tach with three 1.2W and there should be some difference between the other 5 small gauges, two with the 2.0W and three with the 1.2W. However, if my theory is correct, there shouldn't be any discernible difference between the 2 large gauges and between 5 small ones. The total current draw through the dimmer would remain the same, just the distribution changed.

 

Yes, I know Joe. The green rubbers are only for the gauge lights themselves. To get the colors in the HVAC console, 3 clear bulbs (don't know yet what bulbs, likely T1.5, 2.0W) shine through a green tinted plastic film for most of the controls and red and blue dots at the ends of the temperature dial.

 

One more update. I researched the light output of both the 1.2W 2721 and 2.0W 2722 bulbs.

At 12 volts, the 1.2W 2721 bulbs produce .48 MSCP (mean spherical candlepower) which equals 6.03 lumens.

At 12 volts, the 2.0W 2722 bulbs produce 1.0 MSCP which equals 12.57 lumens, more than twice the smaller bulb's light output.