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General Information => Upgrades (non engine related ) => Topic started by: homerj1 on December 08, 2013, 03:44:44 pm
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Hello my mk1 dash lights are dim.
I was reading on the Internets about higher wattage bulbs for my mk1 cluster (not led's) from a Nissan Pathfinder or Saturn cluster that would just screw in.
But I lost the link.
help & thanks
Aivars
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I had this happen last weekend. Seemed that I was having to turn the light switch up full to get the speedometer to show. Then one afternoon I pulled the carpet out to knock off all the stones and mud I had dragged in over the fall. Hmm what is this? One of the bulbs in it's black twisty socket down by the accelerator.
So I pulled the dash cluster out and found one missing sure enough but then just for grins I checked to verify all others were working. Nope, only one of the three. New bulbs all around since the current ones were rather blackend from use I guess. Now I can see that I am exceeding the speed limit on my route to work so I have no real good excuse for the officer that stops me.
Not sure LEDs are needed. I think the standard bulb is a 94 and it plugs into the socket not screw in type.
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Sorry our Can. beer sometimes turns my brain to mush... :) hence my lack of clarity
Found the info http://volkswagenownersclub.com/vw/showthread.php/16451-Dash-lights-not-working-82-deisel-rabbit-help (http://volkswagenownersclub.com/vw/showthread.php/16451-Dash-lights-not-working-82-deisel-rabbit-help)
Well yes, and no. I hate ambiguousity, but it is true.
It has been about 8 years since I have seen the back side of my Diesels dash, and let alone that long since I had to take the fascia off. ( I sold it)
The Light bulbs for the dash are in a socketed holder, the bulbs are soldered in to that holder, so you have to replace the holder as well as the bulb.
The Bulb/holders are available at the dealer and at some online venues as in Germanautoparts, parts4vws.... BUT.....
I have found that the Bulb Socket out of a Nissan Pathfinder, Isuzu, Saturn are the same type but the sockets that those autos use have bulbs that you can swap in. Now if you go to the Bulb Selector of your favorite auto parts store, get the replacement bulbs for the "Warning Lights as in Check engine, Oil pressure....) they are higher wattage, 5 watt vs 3 watt. Then you can place the socketed bulb in as a replacement.
I use a 9v dc battery on the circuit run to make sure that I have continuity, and the bulbs illuminate before I place the dash back together.
This is what I have done for the cabbies that I own, and just yesterday, had to change a bulb out..
You can (depending on your skill level) replace the bulbs and sockets with Super Bright LEDS but that is up to you.
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i'd just swap to leds if anything
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i'd just swap to leds if anything
I was thinking of that, but I had read a few mixed reviews. Have you installed leds? Would be just looking for an okay brand to install. I'm assuming they come with the socket or do I need to refresh my soldering skills? (prior to doing this
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Didn't CRSMP5 have a thread on here that described the whole procedure? I think it even had pictures with it.
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Search dash lights on vortex in the mk1 and mk2 forums. They sell LED's that plug right in and look exactly like the oem bulbs except they have led's. I forget the website though.
Sent From Outer Space
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right, you can buy leds with the correct socket already, the only thing you have to keep in mind with them, is that polarity matters, they will only work when installed one way. theyre pretty cheap too, and basically last forever, plus they are brighter and better over all.
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I hacked some strip LEDs into a MK2 cluster...
http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=33446.0
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I bought and installed the replacement bulb LEDs in my 84 rabbit dash. Best thing I ever did. So much brighter and cleaner, less draw on ancient sketchy wiring. Super easy. Do it today. I got mine from amazon. 5 cell looking ones I think. White. The green lenses still make perfect green out of it.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
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How's the dimming action with the LED's?
You guys should really try turning the panel lights down, those way bright instruments are doing your night vision no good weather you know it or not.
I have pretty average, at best, night vision and wear glasses. I've owned about every iconic 80's euro vehicle made and
every single one people want brighter dash lights, bypass the dimmer resistor, use brighter bulbs, put in LED's, etc, etc, etc.
Every one of them I use about half to 3/4 brightness on stock gear after wiping the crud off the bulbs. Quarter turn brighter in
city traffic. Bright dash lights were not out of the realm of 70's or 80's engineering, they aren't crazy bright for a reason.
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I agree completely, Wolf. The problem is often twilight that keeps my irises from opening wider... then I turn up the level on the dash. In night time, I turn the level back down.
In our recent heavy snowstorm, I noticed many many drivers without their headlights/taillights on. I conclude this is due to electronic dash-displays... us folks with older cars know lights are off, because we can't see the gauges.
Dimming is quite good with my hack, BTW.
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Another light related bit I like to pass on speaking of snow, I discovered that yellow/orange driving lights are vastly superior to white headlights for snow.
It brings back definition and depth perception. Some of those tinted "blu-blocker" glasses might have the same effect, never tried.
And if you remember blu-blockers you're old. :)
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I'm in W_W court on the bright instrument lights. I run them real low for most of my driving. The reaction on my eyes is similar to when the car coming at me has brighter than normal lights or alignment problems. I have to look to the sideline or up and way down the direction I am going.
If I run the instrument lights up high I get that same slow reaction of my eyes to the dark out ahead of the car. Maybe because I don't eat enough carrots or perhaps 6 decades of looking at everything under the sun, or moon.
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I close one eye when bright lights come toward me at night. Some people have thicker eyelids than others so the effectiveness varies, but it helps some.
I had a Saab awhile ago that had a button to kill all the cluster lights except the speedo.
I think the later ones would even kill part of the speedo lights other than about where the needle
was at. Saab was always good for stuff like that.
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Driving at night without any dash lights can make driving impossible after just a few hours. The variety of focal length provides the eye muscles relief from an otherwise constant strain from looking just out the glass.
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Oh yeah, I agree you have to look at both to keep your eyes from zoning out. I do the look on the road, then the rear view. More road, then instruments. with nine gauges I can only do a few at a time. More road, then a sideview mirror or another gauge look. Just keep them moving all the time with most on the roads in front.
I will even look out the side of the car by turning my head but I may be running the risk of getting a ticket for distracted driving doing that. I recently saw where an individual was ticketed for that. 70 bucks. They say it compares to texting or something like that.
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original ones are like 1.2w, some same era vw (like the vans) have the same bulb base but with 2w. just gives a little more light and is fine for me. bought them off eba.y dot uk
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I had a truck apart recently and for fun used all leds in the dash.
I got prewired 12 volt leds off ebay for cheap in all sorts of colors.
Used milk containers, and other colored plastics like for folders as diffusers and tested everything in the dark.
I had supplies and drilled through existing bulb holders and used hot glue to hold things in place.
I found through allot of experiments that most of the time bright white leds sanded against stock vw color panels gave me the best light. Even moreso than sometimes multiple leds of that same color which was really interesting to me ?
I was happy with everything, love the clarity at night. I think one switch in the dash did not agree at some low power point with lighting up, maybe it was flashers i dont remember.
I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I got 100 leds for less than $20 to door and had the other supplies laying around. So some time involved but with number of leds it was way cheaper than some of the online stores i was looking at as far as the drop in types. i also used my custom setup on heater controls, cluster bar, etc.