| Author | Message | ||
     Andy Torkington Experienced User Username: andytork Post Number: 21 Registered: 1-2012 |
All, My dash lights on my 1989 Turbo R have always been a bit on the dim side. I measured the voltage at one of the globes with the dimmer set to max shows something like 7.2 volts Is my dimmer faulty ? Is there a quick fix or do I just replace it ? Thanks, Andy | ||
| James Feller Prolific User Username: james_feller Post Number: 263 Registered: 5-2008 |
hmmm interesting as my dimmer in my 89 Turbo RL has never worked or 'dimmed' at all Andy, it has always glowed bright or the instruments and dials have and I have never really been that fussed about dimming its not as if they are overbright anyway. Im not sure how servicable the dimmer is but if you are wanting to replace the dimmer im sure I know where to recommend. PM me and all advise. J | ||
| Bill Coburn Moderator Username: bill_coburn Post Number: 1476 Registered: 4-2003 |
James I would be interested here. I blew my dimmer up when I shorted it out changing the speedometer to Metric. Even so when it worked I had much the same result as Andy. Now I just have max light which doesn't quite rival a glow worm. One aspect I miss from the old cars is that you now cannot turn the dash lights off with the headlights on. Which sounds like a regulatory thing, If that is so maybe they limit how bright it is. We have an Toyota Aurion which has everything that opens and shuts including a screen for satnav. When that is in full flight I find it distracting and turn the lot off if I don't need it. | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2755 Registered: 4-2003 |
There is an adjustment on the dimmer unit located inside the fuse panel. You may make the instruments a little brighter by turning the knob. RT. | ||
| Richard Treacy Grand Master Username: richard_treacy Post Number: 2756 Registered: 4-2003 |
I am not sure about the earlier cars but shall check. This is the dimmer for 20k+ cars. RT.  | ||
| Paul Yorke Grand Master Username: paul_yorke Post Number: 947 Registered: 6-2006 |
To clarify, RT's comment, there is an adjustable resister on the dimmer unit which can be adjusted and usually helps. Bill you will almost certainly have blown something cheap on the dimmer unit. It's not as easy to get to as the pic suggests. A sandwich of circuit boards and heat sinks. 4 cm x 4 cm ish? The red white cables should help you find it. | ||
| Roderick Waite Frequent User Username: rodwaite Post Number: 76 Registered: 1-2012 |
Good evening all, interested in this as my '84 Spirit (ECH 09680) has very very dim panel lights. The adjustment knob on the dash (next to the petrol cap release button) is at maximum, but it's not possible to actually read the instruments at night. So is the adjustment in the fuse compartment in addition to the one on the dash? I'll go and look tomorrow - right now it's dark, cold, and raining ... Stay well Rod '84 Spirit | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 1252 Registered: 4-2003 |
Rod, I am presuming the Spirit instrument lighting is similar to the Shadow series with the same eye-straining level of illumination. The panel bulbs in the Shadows were mainly 2W push-in bulbs with a couple of MES bulbs and might as well not been there; I replaced the push-in bulbs with 5W bulbs with a marked improvement but still not as bright as I would like. LED bulbs would be the ideal replacement but I don't know if these are available in the push-in wire tail configuration used in the Shadow for instrument lighting. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 303 Registered: 6-2009 |
On my Shadow II they used these semi-opaque blue tinted rubber covers on the lamps, which cut down the level of illumination very significantly. Personally, I prefer non-tinted illumination so just removing these covers brightened things up amazingly. For those who still wish to have a blue or blue green tint you can get this without using those light covers by simply tinting the bulb. I've seen people do this with permanent markers (which generally work quite well on the tiny bulbs), tinted transparent glass paint (available at craft stores), or a very thin wash of nail enamel. Also, I don't know if the Spirit/Spur cars suffer from wonky dash lighting due to poor ground/earth, but many Shadows do. Cleaning things up so that you have good ground/earth, and applying a bit of electrically conductive grease to the parts & area you've cleaned helps to keep it that way. Brian | ||
| Jeffrey McCarthy Grand Master Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 387 Registered: 5-2007 |
After years of working on a solution to this I'm finally happy with what I settled on. I have removed the little blue condoms from the bulbs in my SSI; also I carefully removed the small pieces of blue plastic from the inside of the gauge lighting sockets. Minor improvement. I then replaced most of the bulbs with T10 LED bulbs. Having tried almost all of them I eventually used the 1 Watt variety which are perfect. I used blue ones. They are readily available on Ebay.  The MES (miniature Edison screw) bulbs David mentioned above are actually LES (lilliput Edison Screw) - at least on the Shadow. I replaced most of these holders with T10 holders and bulbs - in the centre of the dash they fitted perfectly into the holes in the wood behind the walnut fascia. The Speedo bulb is similar but used a BA9S LED bayonet bulb. On the gear change display I used an incandescent peanut bulb and blue gel sheet and on the Speed Control I used a flat bulb like this with soldered connections.  As I no longer use the Radio Balance switch on the dash I replaced it with a standard dimmer and now can have my dash go from very bright to traditional RR eye-strain soft blue. Speaking to an RR mechanic I was told that the only car he hadn't seen this problem on was one that had never been driven - apparently they were fine when they left the factory; he also told me that nothing he'd ever tried had worked satisfactorily but that most people were happy with just upping the wattage on the bulbs - I imagine the speedometer is the most important. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Prolific User Username: dounraey Post Number: 127 Registered: 5-2012 |
Thanks for sharing that Jeffrey. I replaced the 2W bulbs in my SS1 for 5W's a few months ago. Illumination was excellent but about two weeks ago they went dim again. I have not had time to investigate what appears to be a faulty earth connection. I think now, when the walnut comes off I will make this upgrade. | ||
| Roderick Waite Frequent User Username: rodwaite Post Number: 77 Registered: 1-2012 |
Wow! A plethora of useful info, gentlemen! Thanks to all, especially Jeffrey's masterly solution to what seems a very common problem. I am a little daunted at the idea of removing that beautiful dashboard - cursory examination suggests just 2 screws holding it in place - but there's no other way of getting at the bulbs ... Stay well Rod '84 Spirit |
