Dim Dim Dim
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Niagara Falls New York
Dim Dim Dim
Hey all!! Here is a good one. On my 78 all the lights are rather dim. Interior dash lights barely light up the instruments to see them. Headlights need to be on the high beams to see at night too. Is it just that it is old and needs new lights and bulbs?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
From: Niagara Falls New York
Grounds all seem to be fine and the alternater is putting out 14 volts on my multimeter. still have to take apart the dash to get at the gauges but I have to change the vacuum lines for HVAC and lube the doors so i'll integrate the lights with the project.
Would it be worth changing to LED's (Brighter and less current) ? as well as new halogen style headlights?
Would it be worth changing to LED's (Brighter and less current) ? as well as new halogen style headlights?
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,946
Likes: 28
From: Long Beach CA
Check the voltage at the headlight plugs and see how much voltage drop there is between them and the battery. Sounds like there's a high-resistance someplace, maybe in the headlight switch or somewhere before the switch.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 3,233
Likes: 657
From: Thunder Bay
I had to replace the printed circuit board behind the gauge cluster in my '79 for other reasons and I was very surprised to find my gauge lights were much brighter after. I have to assume the problem was poor connections with the old circuit board. The lights still aren't as bright as some modern cars, but a huge improvement. I suspect the same problem exists with other lights on these 30 year old cars.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
When the grounds are not connected there are NO LIGHTS WORKING.
Short primer on auto electrical: For current to flow thru anything, it must come from a positive source, pass through the device to be powered, and go back to the battery thru a ground wire. (We can speak of the direction of electron flow in another thread.)
Now that wasn't hard, was it????
--------------------
If all of the lights are dimmed by nearly the same amount, bad grounds are likely. You can test this by replacing the most readily available bulb with a new one of the same type. If it is much brighter, you have ALL old bulbs. Incandescent bulbs get weaker with age....just like us.
Short primer on auto electrical: For current to flow thru anything, it must come from a positive source, pass through the device to be powered, and go back to the battery thru a ground wire. (We can speak of the direction of electron flow in another thread.)
Now that wasn't hard, was it????
--------------------
If all of the lights are dimmed by nearly the same amount, bad grounds are likely. You can test this by replacing the most readily available bulb with a new one of the same type. If it is much brighter, you have ALL old bulbs. Incandescent bulbs get weaker with age....just like us.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Sep 25, 2018 at 01:07 AM.
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Race Director
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 13,082
Likes: 3,399
From: SW Florida.
when grounds not connected, the power will find a way thru something else backwards to ground. thus the dim lights. more common with 2 filament turn signal bulbs. then, when the new ground path gets turned on the bulbs will go out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2017
Posts: 8,336
Likes: 2,810
From: Cool Northern Michigan
You guys got taken-in on a 6 yr old thread. Don't ya just hate that? Done that myself and had to go back and delete.
Car is likely long gone by now.
Always check the dates before responding.
Car is likely long gone by now.
Always check the dates before responding.
Last edited by HeadsU.P.; Sep 25, 2018 at 07:51 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
New guy posted new post in an old thread. No one was "taken in". But, if getting a belly-laugh out of that is your idea of fun/joy, have at it.
P.S. I've asked site moderators to consider displaying a notice-flag when one is responding to a thread more than one-year old. They (and the site owners) have seen fit to do nothing about it.....so I am just 'doing my thing'. I'm not going to put effort into verifying dates on anything other than the most recent post.
P.S. I've asked site moderators to consider displaying a notice-flag when one is responding to a thread more than one-year old. They (and the site owners) have seen fit to do nothing about it.....so I am just 'doing my thing'. I'm not going to put effort into verifying dates on anything other than the most recent post.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Sep 25, 2018 at 04:49 PM.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 250
Likes: 41
From: Sydney NSW
New guy posted new post in an old thread. No one was "taken in". But, if getting a belly-laugh out of that is your idea of fun/joy, have at it.
P.S. I've asked site moderators to consider displaying a notice-flag when one is responding to a thread more than one-year old. They (and the site owners) have seen fit to do nothing about it.....so I am just 'doing my thing'. I'm not going to put effort into verifying dates on anything other than the most recent post.
P.S. I've asked site moderators to consider displaying a notice-flag when one is responding to a thread more than one-year old. They (and the site owners) have seen fit to do nothing about it.....so I am just 'doing my thing'. I'm not going to put effort into verifying dates on anything other than the most recent post.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,276
Likes: 337
From: "ɹǝpunuʍop", Adelaide, South Australia
i have scoured the "user cp" and cannot find any such option for the "related thread".
it's so annoying that the forum scrolls endlessly from from 1 page to the next now, very easy to be reading 1 topic and "bamm", your reading another.
Last edited by riverracer au; Sep 26, 2018 at 10:45 PM.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 250
Likes: 41
From: Sydney NSW