I have a 1987 GM that is nearly "mint". From when it was new I always felt the dashboard lights were not bright enough. All the bulbs work and I have it turned all the way up (just before the dome light comes on) and the dashboard is still not bright enough. Anybody else have this? Could it be in the Headlight switch? If so it would have to be defective from the factory as I have never changed it. Interested in your thoughts....thanks....MB
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"Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob
"NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)
"Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!" -
I have av 88 GM and mine are very dim as well!! It must just be a bad design is what I think'88' MGM wagon (mine and my sons toy)
"60" chrysler New Yorker (my project)
"78" Chevy 1 Ton P/U (yard horse)
"01" Ford Explorer (wifes DD)
"93" Chevy Suburban (my DD) -
the diffusers (the blue-ish plastic strips of dirt catching) probably need cleaning in the cluster itself... but if ALL of the lights are rather dim... then yeah... the connectors on the harness to the headlight switch may need some TLC. You could just need to replace the bulbs as well since these never seem to pop, but just dim until you can't see them any more. To check the bulb thing, I'd start with the ashtray bulb. It's probably the easiest to get to in the entire car.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
Originally posted by gadget73
... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
Originally posted by dmccaig
Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.Comment
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Sounds reasonable but it has been this way since the car was new. Bad design bulbs from the factory? Something else???
"Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob
"NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)
"Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"Comment
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since new? Then the headlight switch is probably off clock some (dimmer potentiometer positioning) or something. There's more resistance in the circuit than needs to be. I don't know if this can be fixed or not. I know my 88 MGM has crap for cluster visibility at night, but the climate controls are decently lit. I think the cluster was just bad design for lighting personally. If your climate controls are decently lit and the beef is with the cluster... you can take the cluster apart and remove the blue filters to get more light.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
Originally posted by gadget73
... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
Originally posted by dmccaig
Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.Comment
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how's your battery voltage? A weak alternator will make the lights dimmer, but yeah they're just not that bright. A lot of folks have gone with either LEDs or the Silverstar 194 bulbs to get a little more out of the dash lights. The SS194's do help some. LEDs are also brighter but they give you a different color dash light, even if you go with the white LED.86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley
91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry
1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal
Originally posted by phayzer5
I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousersComment
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Don't remember the Climate Control being bad - just the Instrument Cluster so perhaps the bulbs are just crap. Don't they use the same bulbs? Hate to take everything apart just to replace bulbs that may or may not help. My brother has a '87 Mercury Topaz and my '95 GM (digital, though) are fine. Different bulbs on the Topaz as opposed to the GM? Got to look that one up!!
"Hope and dignity are two things NO ONE can take away from you - you have to relinquish them on your own" Miamibob
"NEVER trade your passion for glory"!! Sal "the Bard" (Dear Old Dad!)
"Cars are for driving - PERIOD! I DON'T TEXT, TWEET OR TWERK!!!!"Comment
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The bulbs should be 194/168 (whichever is a lower watt bulb - 194 IIRC).
the blue films may also just be dirty. You can remove the blue films to get best case light coverage though. This will change the look a little, but will allow much more light on the cluster.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
Originally posted by gadget73
... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
Originally posted by dmccaig
Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.Comment
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194s are what the dash take.Comment
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