dashboard lights

[leppee]

hi my dashboard lights dosent works and i tried THE shortcut metod  and the fuse 7 is blown when i conect the wires.Dose it means that the dimmer is working  that i have to "only" change the llight bulbs or?
Pekka :'(

[Ulf]

Seems unlikely that ALL the dashboard bulbs have burned out at the same time which shouldn't cause a short either - even when you bypass the rheostat/dimmer switch. I'm clueless, hope others are not :-)

[w113dude]

 Check connector below the dash first to make sure you have power,  then go from there.

[Paul & Dolly]

Have you been working behind the dash board recently ?

Check that none of the bulb connections have not earthed onto the babk of one of the instruments.

Good Luck

Paul

[Jordan]

Pekka, fuse 7 is for your dash lights as well as the right rear tail light.  If the fuse if blown then yes these lights will not come on.  I have the same problem.  When I turn on my headlights, fuse 7 blows and I lose the tail light and dash lights.  I assume I have a short somewhere and will start looking for it this winter.  If you find out what your problem is please let us know so I can check mine as well.

[leppee]

hi
i was working all weekend to find the problem and yesterday i diced to close the garage door and take a beer in the sofa and forget the car
Pekka

[Paul & Dolly]

should that not be "beer and sauna"  ??

Keep well

Paul

[johnnymack]

I'm interested in the outcome or what you find , I have same problem. I first bought the car, there was very dim dashboard lights, the more I worked the rheostat it got dimmer, this year when I  took it out of storage the lights would not work at all. Then I blew the fuse , so now it's time to fix it. Or maybe go the beer route to

[71Beige280SL]

I have a similar issue. My tach and center gages are lit up just fine. My speedo is very dim but, the lights are still working (not burned out). The rheostat has no effect.

[Yem]

Hi,

I just did a complete restoration of the lights using a custom LED cluster type lighting and it almost looks like a VFD backlight in the modern cars with an evenly lit tacho and speedo fascia.  I performed all the work myself.  Looks like they will be good for at least another 50,000 hrs.  I have bypassed the rheostat at the switch and it is on full voltage at the light supply wires.  The result is a very relaxing light output and pleasant during night cruising.  Please see attached photos taken at night with no flash.

[ja17]

Hello "71Beige280SL",

Most likely one of the two bulbs in  your speedometer is not lit.

[franjo_66]

Hi Yem

Would you be able to post what products and installation methods you used to achieve your results ? Looks good and I would contemplate something similar on my 230SL as the standard dash lighting is way too dim for my liking

Regards
Franjo

[Garry]

I would also be interested in what Yem did and used as I agree the pictures look good, the original dash lighting is way too low for my liking.

[Jordan]

Hopefully mine will look like that when I get my short sorted out.  I never noticed before but I guess on RHD vehicles the speedo and tach are in reverse locations from LHD vehicles.     Learn something new everyday. 

[Yem]

G'day guys.  

I am glad you like the lighting.  Since it is a fairly involved, requires, a little intricate soldering skills and being fiddly overall a straightforward explanation is not easy.  I will attempt to post some pics in due course.   BTW the process is fully reversable as nothing on the modification is permanent on the actual cluster (tacho/speedo).  Also note I left the centre gauges as is since the lighting is adequate and also removal is fairly messy and risky due to the expensive and sensitive engine temperature monitoring capillary tube and the oil pressure tube possibly causing an oil slick .  Anyhow at least it mixes the old with the new and works out quite nicely.

[66andBlue]

G'day to you too, Mate.

... a straightforward explanation is not easy and I wouldn't like you all to get it wrong. ...

Since it would be cost prohibitive to ship the instruments to Australia I hope you can give us just a bit more information.
What kind of LED did you use, single bulb or a string/tape of micro bulbs?
And don't worry, we wont sue you if we get it wrong. 

[Yem]

It is actually single LED globes with a customised reflective tubing used for enhancing the spread of light similar concept to the chanelling of light in the newer clusters.  The PVC tubing was coated on the inside with reflective paint to enable the spread of light. throughout. 

[leppee]

still drinking beer and the garage door stayed closed