Gauge Light Brightness

[lbres]

My gauge lights do not get very bright. I have replaced all of the bulbs and it helps a little but still not bright. The headlight switch reostat does work when turning knob to right however I can't help but wonder if it is not working completely up to par. Any help is appreciated.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

It probably is up to par--the gauges simply don't get as bright as a modern car's do. Try cleaning all of the connections on the light bulbs (both where the wires plug in and where they slide into the gauge) and cleaning the connections on the light switch and the ground point up under the dash. Contact cleaner, like Radio Shack TV Tuner Cleaner or Wurth Contact OL, and a wire brush are your tools for this.

--DD

[sean_V8_914]

try cleaning teh part where the light shines through the gauge (Q tip)

[kevinseven]

My guages look even dimmer since I put a new Alpine CD unit in. It's so darn bright that it basically drowns everything else out.

I was wondering if there were other Radio Shacky things one could do to brighten up the guages. Can you just add blue/red LEDs in place of the stock 30 year old incandescent bulbs?

I'd love to color match all the interior illumination.

[sean_V8_914]

white LEDs are super bright, but only when viewed from straight on. . you could get an LM7803 voltage reg at the Rat-Shack to drop the 12vdc down to 3vdc. It is a 3 legged chip about 1/4" sq. One leg is 12vdc input, the middle is ground and the right leg is the regulated output. Very easy to hook it up. It is good for one amp demand in free air and almost 2 aMPS if you heat sink it. the metal body tab is ground

[Toast]

Try cleaning the dash.

[norustscott]

Ah the warm romatic glow of vintage VDO ... Paradise by the dash board lights.

[robphelan]

took my 914 to get the state inspection done. Failed. the girl told me she couldn't see my 'bright light' indicator.

I told her that it's midday and it's too bright oustide...

she wanted to know how I could tell which blinker was on since there's only 1 indicator for both sides..

She also asked about the location of the power steering pump. She wanted to check the belt - i told her good luck with those.

It was the most tight-@ss inspection i ever had. shouldn't have taken it to the 'good' side of town, i guess.

[Toast]

Dang.......sounds like a registration/renewal inspection in the state of Utah. Bring your teener down to California and get it registered there. You dont even need to bring the car with you. Heck, you could just leave your car there and bring your pink slip down. Then you could have your teener however you wanted to and not have to worry about getting it inspected......Ever. Hey, they will even send your renewal to you in the mail.

Ok, i'm done. You dont really have to go to all that trouble. Besides, unless you can read the spanish language; you will not be able to fill out the forms anyway. (Oops, hope that doesnt offend anyone or gets me kicked off the board).
But I do know you frustration. Trying to get a Vehicle registered or renewed in Utah is Always as bad (or worse) as your expierence.

Good luck!

[M. Hendrix]

I've never had a car inspected, I always use expired out of state plates.




M

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Originally posted by kevinseven
Can you just add blue/red LEDs in place of the stock 30 year old incandescent bulbs?

Anything will fit, if you know how to weld...

But if you replace the instrument illumination lights with LEDs, you will have little bright spots of light in the instruments, rather than a diffuse glow of light through the whole instrument. The LEDs don't throw the light out in enough directions to actually light up the gauges decently.

You might be able to work something out by swapping in a whole bunch of LEDs, but then it might be too bright. And you would not be able to use the stock dimmer on them. Maybe if you came up with a circuit to pulse them...

--DD