dim dash lights
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 52
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From: Modesto, Ca
Finalist 2022 C1 of the Year - Unmodified
dim dash lights
I have a 61 stock with only average mechanically abilities. all dash lights are very dim even at highest setting. (turning the light switch ). It has been this way for a long time. Head, door and tail lights work fine. I would appreciate some ideas of where to start looking.
Great forum , thanks.
Great forum , thanks.
Team Owner
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,073
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From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
When was the last time your cluster was apart and all the lenses cleaned and the housing cleaned?
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
Likes: 664
From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
Mine were as well.
I changed to LED dash lights from Superbrightleds.com, and they all work and are much brighter.
Note that my lens and old bulbs were clean, and the difference was "dramatic" when I made the change!
Here is what I posted previously:
I used the Superbrightleds.com # BA9s-WWHP5 (warm white) LEDs on my 62, and am very pleased with the results.
Was surprised at how bright they were, and that I actually "needed" to dim them - never used the dimmer previously).
Don't waste your time, money, and effort on the Ebay LEDs (I did, and regretted it - they were not a "bargain" after all).
Note that on a few of the LED bulbs, I had to add a dab of solder onto the electrical tit of the bulb contact, in order to make it a hair longer. I am sure that the contact spring in the bulb socket had taken a "set" and was not as strong as it was when new +22 years ago, when the wiring was replaced.
Plasticman
I changed to LED dash lights from Superbrightleds.com, and they all work and are much brighter.
Note that my lens and old bulbs were clean, and the difference was "dramatic" when I made the change!
Here is what I posted previously:
I used the Superbrightleds.com # BA9s-WWHP5 (warm white) LEDs on my 62, and am very pleased with the results.
Was surprised at how bright they were, and that I actually "needed" to dim them - never used the dimmer previously).
Don't waste your time, money, and effort on the Ebay LEDs (I did, and regretted it - they were not a "bargain" after all).
Note that on a few of the LED bulbs, I had to add a dab of solder onto the electrical tit of the bulb contact, in order to make it a hair longer. I am sure that the contact spring in the bulb socket had taken a "set" and was not as strong as it was when new +22 years ago, when the wiring was replaced.
Plasticman
Last edited by Plasticman; Jan 3, 2022 at 11:41 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
Likes: 664
From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
On my 62, no the cluster does not need to come out to replace the bulbs., but it is a tight fit for my medium size hands.
I had to use a long flat blade screwdriver to seat a few of the bulbs into the gauge cluster (could get the bulbs into the cluster, by hand, but seating them required more force than I could apply with my hand at that angle).
Also should note that I tried the LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and that did NOT work.
And I do have an electronic flasher, so that should not of been the problem. But of all my gauge lights, my turn signal indicators have always been the brightest anyway.
Plasticman
I had to use a long flat blade screwdriver to seat a few of the bulbs into the gauge cluster (could get the bulbs into the cluster, by hand, but seating them required more force than I could apply with my hand at that angle).
Also should note that I tried the LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and that did NOT work.
And I do have an electronic flasher, so that should not of been the problem. But of all my gauge lights, my turn signal indicators have always been the brightest anyway.
Plasticman
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 669
From: Seminole, FL
Mine were as well.
I changed to LED dash lights from Superbrightleds.com, and they all work and are much brighter.
Note that my lens and old bulbs were clean, and the difference was "dramatic" when I made the change!
Here is what I posted previously:
I used the Superbrightleds.com # BA9s-WWHP5 (warm white) LEDs on my 62, and am very pleased with the results.
Was surprised at how bright they were, and that I actually "needed" to dim them - never used the dimmer previously).
Don't waste your time, money, and effort on the Ebay LEDs (I did, and regretted it - they were not a "bargain" after all).
Note that on a few of the LED bulbs, I had to add a dab of solder onto the electrical tit of the bulb contact, in order to make it a hair longer. I am sure that the contact spring in the bulb socket had taken a "set" and was not as strong as it was when new +22 years ago, when the wiring was replaced.
Plasticman
I changed to LED dash lights from Superbrightleds.com, and they all work and are much brighter.
Note that my lens and old bulbs were clean, and the difference was "dramatic" when I made the change!
Here is what I posted previously:
I used the Superbrightleds.com # BA9s-WWHP5 (warm white) LEDs on my 62, and am very pleased with the results.
Was surprised at how bright they were, and that I actually "needed" to dim them - never used the dimmer previously).
Don't waste your time, money, and effort on the Ebay LEDs (I did, and regretted it - they were not a "bargain" after all).
Note that on a few of the LED bulbs, I had to add a dab of solder onto the electrical tit of the bulb contact, in order to make it a hair longer. I am sure that the contact spring in the bulb socket had taken a "set" and was not as strong as it was when new +22 years ago, when the wiring was replaced.
Plasticman
Per this post and others I did the same. I’ve got new wiring and the dollop of solder needs to be added.
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Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,617
Likes: 442
From: Oklahoma
C1 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
On my 62, no the cluster does not need to come out to replace the bulbs., but it is a tight fit for my medium size hands.
I had to use a long flat blade screwdriver to seat a few of the bulbs into the gauge cluster (could get the bulbs into the cluster, by hand, but seating them required more force than I could apply with my hand at that angle).
Also should note that I tried the LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and that did NOT work.
And I do have an electronic flasher, so that should not of been the problem. But of all my gauge lights, my turn signal indicators have always been the brightest anyway.
Plasticman
I had to use a long flat blade screwdriver to seat a few of the bulbs into the gauge cluster (could get the bulbs into the cluster, by hand, but seating them required more force than I could apply with my hand at that angle).
Also should note that I tried the LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and that did NOT work.
And I do have an electronic flasher, so that should not of been the problem. But of all my gauge lights, my turn signal indicators have always been the brightest anyway.
Plasticman
Why did the TS LED's not work for you? I don't need to order bulbs I won't use.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
Likes: 664
From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
That's interesting. I'm just getting ready to order/replace my dash bulbs with LED's and especially the TS bulbs since one burned out. I was told to make sure I ordered the same color LED to match the color of the lens (green/green, red/red) and use the warm white as you did for gauge lighting.
Why did the TS LED's not work for you? I don't need to order bulbs I won't use.
Why did the TS LED's not work for you? I don't need to order bulbs I won't use.
Note that I tried one of the Green LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and because I have LEDs in my turn/brake/park bulbs, I have an electronic flasher.
The Green LED slowed the flash rate considerably, so I did not use them. Evidently my electronic flasher "needs" the added current from the small indicator lamp.
If you have a standard (bimetallic) flasher, perhaps the Green turn signal indicator bulbs would work for you.
The other option would of been for me to add a load resistor across each turn signal bulb circuit. In my case, it was not worth the bother, since I have a loud "clacking" circuit that tells me that they are on.
Plasticman
Last edited by Plasticman; Jan 3, 2022 at 02:18 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,500
Likes: 673
From: Folsom Ca
I changed to LED dash lights from Superbrightleds.com, and they all work and are much brighter…
Here is what I posted previously:
I used the Superbrightleds.com # BA9s-WWHP5 (warm white) LEDs on my 62, and am very pleased with the results.
Was surprised at how bright they were, and that I actually "needed" to dim them - never used the dimmer previously).
Here is what I posted previously:
I used the Superbrightleds.com # BA9s-WWHP5 (warm white) LEDs on my 62, and am very pleased with the results.
Was surprised at how bright they were, and that I actually "needed" to dim them - never used the dimmer previously).
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 10,340
Likes: 664
From: Beverly Hills (Pine Ridge) Florida
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 1,617
Likes: 442
From: Oklahoma
C1 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
Here what I posted previously in 2016 (had to find my previous posting, since my memory fails sometimes):
Note that I tried one of the Green LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and because I have LEDs in my turn/brake/park bulbs, I have an electronic flasher.
The Green LED slowed the flash rate considerably, so I did not use them. Evidently my electronic flasher "needs" the added current from the small indicator lamp.
If you have a standard (bimetallic) flasher, perhaps the Green turn signal indicator bulbs would work for you.
The other option would of been for me to add a load resistor across each turn signal bulb circuit. In my case, it was not worth the bother, since I have a loud "clacking" circuit that tells me that they are on.
Plasticman
Note that I tried one of the Green LEDs in the turn signal indicators, and because I have LEDs in my turn/brake/park bulbs, I have an electronic flasher.
The Green LED slowed the flash rate considerably, so I did not use them. Evidently my electronic flasher "needs" the added current from the small indicator lamp.
If you have a standard (bimetallic) flasher, perhaps the Green turn signal indicator bulbs would work for you.
The other option would of been for me to add a load resistor across each turn signal bulb circuit. In my case, it was not worth the bother, since I have a loud "clacking" circuit that tells me that they are on.
Plasticman