wfss3

Is there anyway possible to brighten up the instrument cluster? The stock instrument lights are pathetic. Does any one know of a cure for this? If so, please let me know. Thanks.

bamberger_1

Do you mean the lighting of the cluster? If yes, there are some possibilities to brighten (or even colour the lights). First take out the cluster and check the the light bulbs in the two top positons of the cluster. If they are 3 Watts only it's okay. I had a problem like this, and some one (preowner??) switched to 5 Watts which may have helped him for some time, then the acrylic glass lenses melted and the light was just almost gone. The lenses are covered by a white plastic cover (kind of triangle shapeish). If they are burnt, not enough light is transmitted into the cluster.

If you like to have a project over Xmas, and dont need the car for some days, like I had last December, I replaced the bulbs by super white clear LED's. You can also take blue or orange. The only draw back, it take time to do this since you need to play around quite some time to find the best number, location, size and color of LED'S to enhance you cluster lights. But I kind of liked it. And it looks great too. The other option is get a cluster housing from the junk yard, install the new lighting and than place the instruments from your present car in the new housing, and than swap the clusters. Post the remains (like clock, odometer....) under EBAY and auction them, it will well pay for the LED's and maybe for the parts from the junkyard.
Have fun

chupper

I've always seen this one guy on E-Bay selling xenon lights for the guages. He says they won't melt the surrounding plastic or anything. If you get this when the bid is over, just look again in a couple days.

I'll probably be ordering these before I go off to college.

E-Bay: Xenon Lights

Good luck!

redline

before you start chaning bulbs, I'd suggest making sure you have the brightness turned all the way up. The tripometer knob (the one you push to reset) should either turn to the right or left. Try playing around with it. You should have it turned all the way up.

chupper

Perhaps try some nice red guages !!! I bought some a while back, and decided I didn't want to put em in. They cost $130 and now I am selling em cheaper on Ebay (smart move by chupper)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...874816408&rd=1

pkmaven

The bulbs used in the dash of 124's, and maybe other models, gradually loose their brightness. I was amazed at the difference when I replaced the bulbs for the gauges and the rotary open-shut controls on the vents.P

KOOLY2

How do you replace the bulbs in the vents?

bamberger_1

The center vents come out if you take out the screws on the sides, one in the glove compartment (easy!!) and the one hidden behind the instrument cluster, which needs to be pulled. Then you need 4 little screw drivers to lift the little springs inside the vent grille, and you need to unscrew the connection between the flap and the rotary switch by an allen wrench (4 or 5 mm). Then you pull the unit and the light bulb can easily be changed. The side vent work the same way but alittel simpler since not hidden by the cluster and the flaps are directly driven by the rotary switch, dont need to be detached. Have fun, but I dout it's worth it. I would only go through this procedure if the bulbs are burnt.

KOOLY2

Thanks for the information, Because of what a ***** it seems to be won't be doin it 'til something else in that area is bad.