The LEDs from autolumination.com are drop-in replacements for the
instrument cluster lighting.

Twist-in lights: 'Neo Wedge Based LED Bulbs' (but note!!!  flatten out
the contacts on them before trying to install, as the stock shape will
slice into the VW plastic circuit material stuff)
http://autolumination.com/74.htm

little bulbs for the heater controls: '#74 bulbs'  (these fit in the sockets
you can get from gowesty or similar places)
http://autolumination.com/74.htm

They will dim, but do not do so to the extent that the stock bulbs do.

I replaced all the bulbs on my dash with leds from these people.  I put 'super
white' ones over the two gauges, blue ones behind the idiot light icons and
clock (i used masking tape behind the LED to smooth out the idiot light icon
illumination, otherwise only the bottom icons end up illuminated well), and
blue ones behind the heater controls.

I have also used 'fastoon' led bulbs from this site to replace the dome and
map lights.  I have a writeup on those bulbs here:

http://jupiter.okb-1.org/vanagon/LED_cabin_lights.html

On Tue, Feb 28, 2006 at 02:54:45PM -0800, Alistair Bell wrote:
> At the risk of beating a subject to death, it just occurred to me that
> the dashlights are not fed from the dash volt stab, but from the
> headlight switch. Doh, its obvious of course, but that means
> calculations of resistor value for led should be based on 12.65-14 V
> and not 10 V.
>
> (I risk making another blunder in assuming that the max output from
> headlight switch potentiometer/rheostat is in fact battery/alternator
> output, I suppose I could measure it !)
>
> So my compounded blunder with my last expt using a 3.8 forward voltage
> led actually did use the correct resistor (520 ohm).
>
> Alistair
>
> '82 westy, diesel converted to gas in '94
> http://www.members.shaw.ca/albell/

--
                                            Audin Malmin - audin@okb-1.org