My '75 Corvette's gauge lights leave much to be desired, they don't get very bright. The headlight switch works fine and can dim the dash lights and turn on/off the courtesy lights as designed. I remember these cars when new having considerably brighter dash lights. Everything electrical in and under the dash works well (no - the clock doesn't work - was it ever supposed to???). I don't have the ambition to change all the working bulbs or go the LED route. Is it possible that a new head light switch would shed some light on my problem?
RB

 

The headlight switch isn't coming out without removing the LH dash pad. If you have the LH dash pad out most of the bulbs are exposed, and changing them is a snap. There are 4 bulbs in each of the tach, speedo, and center console that light up the gauges. My guess is that one or two of these are burnt out, so you still get some light, but not the full amount.

Lectric Limited sells kits that have every bulb for your entire car for about 25 bucks.

 

Interior lights dim up and down with a rheostat in the headlight switch. The rheostat can get old with age.

 

I kind of expected your answer . Being a lazy slug, perhaps my miniature mag light light and my GPS thingy will do until I tackle the dash. I guess one can't get a hand up to the bulb locations on my mood lit speedo and tach . Thanks guys.
RB

 

LOL, Not gonna happen. Like above you got to pull tha left side to get to the light switch where the rheostat is anyways. You will be amazed at what just new light bulbs would do. But if you feel froggy there are some very cool lighting solutions out there for your year, but not so much for late C3s, not that I have fond anyway

 

OK SIXFOOTER (I'm 6'5" by the way ).
Expound on "lighting solutions" and help me move from froggy to a brighter place. I know I'll be pulling the dash apart sooner or latter so that's a given.
So far I've switched out the courtesy light bulbs for LED's and the extra brightness of the LED's plus their very white color look great with my red leather interior . I understand that getting to the light switch itself isn't going to happen with the dash still screwed tight but you didn't actually tell me if a hand can reach the tach and speedo bulb sockets. Yea or nay?
Thanks.
RB

 

Took a little searching but found it
Inclusive Lighting
If they had one for my 81 I would have it already

 

I'm only 5'9" and I had my head on the heel pad, butt in the seat, and feet on the deck lid

 

Crafty12, You are not the only one! I just did it two months ago and I am almost 66 years old. Lou.

 

You MIGHT be able to reach the lower bulb sockets with monkey arms, but not the upper bulbs without removing dash pieces.

6 bulbs on the speedo:



You can replace the headlight switch by removing the upper dash and leaving the driver's side dash in place. I just did it last Tuesday, took 40 mins total.


Steve

 

6 bulbs in the tach as well:



Steve

 

I just replaced all the bulbs inside and out (except the headlights) on a 1977. I had to repair the fuel gauge, since I would be in the center console, I bought a light bulb kit and what a job it was! To change the dash and center console bulbs , I started by removing the seats. Then remove the gear shift side panels, the e-brake cover, unfasten the gear shift console from the center console. I had to take out the 2 bolts holding the steering wheel to the LH side of the dash, to be able to pull the LH side dash board out just enough to reach behind the dash. But I needed to take the dashboard out to get to the top 6 bulbs on the speedo and tach. To remove the dash, I had to take off the RH side of the dash. Then to get to the bottom 6 bulbs on the speedo and tach, I laid on my back with a flash light in my mouth because you need 2 hands to put the bulbs in the sockets. So I go to test everything before putting in the dashes and forgot to reconnect the left dash speaker and the connector on the headlight switch had come off. I check the fuel gauge and it's doing the same thing as the old one, only going a little above a 1/4 of a tank. Found out there is a 90 ohm resistor block on the back of the old gauge that had opened to MEG ohms and the new gauge had a fake resistor block on it. No one had just the resistor block for sale. I went to Radio Shack and bought a 67 ohm and a 23 ohm resister and soldered them in series to get 90 ohms and put it on the back of the fuel gauge. Then everything worked (even the clock) and I put all the dashes back together. It looks real nice, but if I had known before, all I would have to do, I don't know if I would have done it.

 

I now know why I see so few C-3's driving around after dark! After reading the replies to the original post I've moved 'dashboard bulb replacement' to the way back burner.
I know I'll do it eventually but until then I'm keeping the flash light and GPS speedo handy if my car wants to venture out into the darkness.. Thanks for all the replies.
RB

 

One thing that is worth a shot, it so check the connection to the ground wire. The bulbs are grounded through the housing to a ground wire. If this connection is weak, the bulbs will be dim. Cleaning up the ground terminal, and a little dielectric grease may improve the brightness of the bulbs.