TR5 instrument lighting colour

[zzzzdave]

Just pulled the dash on the 5, to look at why two Gauges light up white in the dark , and why all the rest have a blue tint to the backkground lighting. 

Temperature gauge and oil pressure gauge dont have a little blue jewel in the hole where the bulb goes in , all other dials both large and ammeter, fuel gauge i can see blue jewels in the hole where the bulb inserts.

i also have a spare CP oil gauge and that has no jewel.

so my question is , for a TR5 should the  the instrument lighting be  a blue tint, if that is correct, how is the blue tint added to the lighting for oil pressure/ temp gauges. do i need open up and have a look, or are they the incorrect gauges ., any thoughts before i pull offending gauges apart 

thanks Dave 

 

[Peter V W]

Dave,

The gauge lights on my TR5 were white as standard.

I have upgraded and they are LED green now.

Peter

[trchris]

Hi Dave 

From memory when l changed all the dial faces to magnolia on the 250 there were lightish green bubbles fitted in the gauges where the bulb holders fit. Don’t know what effect they gave the original low wattage bulbs as now have leds which is so much better 
Chris

[Tim T]

The original gauges on my road car and project car were definitely white. Road car has now got led bulbs and the project car will get the same treatment, both in white. Cars are both UK 5s.
Cheers,
Tim

[TR graham2]

All gauges white .

graham

[zzzzdave]

thanks for the replies, seems they all should be white coloured.

I am using LED white lamps, its seems that the speedo , tacho, ammeter and fuel gauge all have a blue tint due to a blue Jewel in the lamp aperture.

Did early TR6 CP have blue jewels colourng the lamps, im wondering whether i may have some TR6 gauges?  would it work if i opened the gauges and took the blue Jewels out and made them all white ? thoughts appreciated .

[jerrytr5]

I had a feeling that my late 5 had a shade in the backlight (thought green) but they were all burned out so never bothered replacing.

Jerry

[Kenrow]

The inside of the oil pressure where painted robin eggs blue, no lens cover. Speedo and tach had paint also but had blue lens covers like the other small gauges (the wierd lens in the speedo photo is an optical illusion)

[Kenrow]

The later year TR6s (green tint) had a green diffuser around the whole inside of the gauge and I slightly different paint scheme.

 

[PodOne]

On 2/25/2026 at 10:28 PM, zzzzdave said:

Did early TR6 CP have blue jewels colourng the lamps, im wondering whether i may have some TR6 gauges?  would it work if i opened the gauges and took the blue Jewels out and made them all white ? thoughts appreciated .

My early 1969 TR6 was blue. 

[Kenrow]

I don't know what is available in the UK but this is an option here in the States. You could go with LEDS which come in the appropriate colors.