Replacing dash light bulbs

-
DartVadar

DartVadar

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
1,293
Reaction score
39
Location
Alberta
What is the best way to change the light bulbs in the dash? Currently only the seatbelt, fuel, and oil pressure light work, and I need them to work before I can get it inspected and insured.

Can I change them without taking out the instrument panel? and it is a column shift with the gear indicator on the column, is there a light behind that to illuminate the gear selector?

Its a 73 dart swinger with a column shift.
 
Depends on how agile you are. "I used to" be able to reach up in there. Can't do it any more
 
Well I can reach most of them, the only one I cant reach is the brake light on the far right of the dash, I will try and wiggle my hand in there and grab it though.

I would just leave it usually but because of the inspection all the lights need to work.
 
Also if you take the bezel screws out and disconnect the speedo cable from the head, you can get a hand in there pretty easy from the drivers side of the panel.
Since you pretty much have it except for the right side you will probably be better off just trying to get it from under the dash.
 
If I were doing it, I would pull the cluster, clean the copper track (ketchup works real good for that) replace ALL of the bulbs and the sockets.

Once done, you should not have to worry about it for some time to come.
 
On my 75 column it's 2 Phillips screws from behind the shift indicator. Then pull the assembly out to get the bulb. Should be a 161, but I am using 194 in place of those and the 158s in the cluster. I did all mine with cluster out, but manual says to 'remove AC duct hose and reach in with right hand ' to get the brake light.
 
Use LEDs, they last a crap load longer, are brighter, and keep the dash a lot cooler. Just sayin.
 
Pull the drivers seat out and you can get in there fairly easy. Just lay on the floor.
 
So I ended up just half pulling out the cluster, I could reach around and put the new bulbs in. The oil, brake, both signal lights, high beam indicator, and seat belt light all work, but the gauges dont seem to light up. All the connections on the bulb holders looked brand new essentially, and the track is nice and clean. The light switch works as well as far as I know, but is there a way I can test it? I also looked at all the fuses, and all were good.

I assume the gauges are supposed to light up, but what could be causing this issue? a bad ground maybe? but wouldnt that cause the rest of the lights to not work?
 
Put at test light on your door jamb switch for a ground and probe the tracks for those bulbs.

Should be the two closest bulbs on the left end right?
 
I just tested and nothing on the left side track, but there is power on the other side. Could it be the switch? The dimmer doesn't do anything, the only thing that happens when I turn the switch is the dome light eventually turns on.
 
The dimmer rheostat that control illumination does fail . If that's the case you would have illumination at any orange wire lamp. As tray, climate controller, radio dial, are examples. If any one of those does work the dimmer rheostat is good.
And please done use a product that contains salt ( ketchup, hot sauce, etc..) on copper.
 
RedFish said:
The dimmer rheostat that control illumination does fail . If that's the case you would have illumination at any orange wire lamp. As tray, climate controller, radio dial, are examples. If any one of those does work the dimmer rheostat is good.
And please done use a product that contains salt ( ketchup, hot sauce, etc..) on copper.
Click to expand...

None of those things work, yet they all have good bulbs. So could the rheostat be my problem? Because it seems like everything that it controls doesn't work. Is it hard to replace it?

The copper track is nice and clean already so I don't think I need to touch it.
 
So I tested the wires that go to the switch, there is power before the switch, and after on the copper tracks I have nothing. So does that confirm the dimmer/rheostat is bad?
 
Unless it is a connection between the switch and the cluster it sure sounds like the rheostat.
You would need to replace the headlight switch, so if you can test that connection off of the headlight switch it would be a good thing.
If you find the pinout for that switch you could even jumper it on the switch's plug and find out for sure.
The lights in all that stuff you mentioned should come on at full brightness if you jumper it, as you would be eliminating the rheostat from the circuit.
 
TrailBeast said:
Unless it is a connection between the switch and the cluster it sure sounds like the rheostat.
You would need to replace the headlight switch, so if you can test that connection off of the headlight switch it would be a good thing.
If you find the pinout for that switch you could even jumper it on the switch's plug and find out for sure.
The lights in all that stuff you mentioned should come on at full brightness if you jumper it, as you would be eliminating the rheostat from the circuit.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that is the problem, but how can I jumper it? And is it common for the rheostat to go bad?
 
FWIW, I replaced my entire cluster a while back and for the longest time non of my dash lights worked. I got in the car one day and just started twisting back and forth and they came on.

It's probably messed up or dirty. If that's the problem
 
Bad Sport said:
FWIW, I replaced my entire cluster a while back and for the longest time non of my dash lights worked. I got in the car one day and just started twisting back and forth and they came on.

It's probably messed up or dirty. If that's the problem
Click to expand...

I actually just went and sprayed some contact cleaner on it and started twisting it a whole bunch, and the dash lights came on! But for whatever reason I still don't have the bulb that lights up the ammeter and temp gauge, I put in a new bulb and still doesn't work! What could that be?

Also the light behind the PRN23 doesn't work, any idea about that?
 
For the ammeter did you try swapping the socket and bulb assembly with one that works? And did you replace the shift bulb?
 
For many years I wondered why every vehicle had a dimmer on the dash lamps.
Bright lights keeping me awake or what ? LOL
I learned that feature was added for drivers that wear eye glasses. Something to do with reflecting or glare. Anyway... There is a place on the switch where a jumper can be added to provide bright as possible lamps regardless where the knob is turned.
For the shift indicator lamp inop' you need power on the orange wire going to a good bulb, then you need a chassis ground. When the factory changed the 3 sliding blocks in the column mount from metal to plastic they also added a ground jumper at the column mount. It's a short piece of black wire with a ring terminal each end along with another nut on a column mount stud.
Remove 4 little pjillip head screws at the column door and you should see the jumper behind there.
 
Did not know that was the point of the dimmer switch. There is no power going to the shift indicator lamp, and the bulb is good, I put a brand new one in there. And I think I found the ground cable as well and it was grounded, don't know why I don't have power to it.

Where is the column door for the jumper? is it by the dimmer switch?
 
Do you have a cracked circuit board behind the cluster? If so, then solder a jumper(s) over the crack to fix it.

Could also be a broken pin on the circuit card.

This advice does not apply to the shifter indicator light though.
 
68gtxman said:
Do you have a cracked circuit board behind the cluster? If so, then solder a jumper(s) over the crack to fix it.

Could also be a broken pin on the circuit card.

This advice does not apply to the shifter indicator light though.
Click to expand...

I don't think its cracked, but it looks like the copper track is kinda lifted from the circuit board beside the bulb that isn't working, its still connected though. Maybe thats whats causing the issue?

I dont care about the illumination of the temp gauge, it doesnt work so I installed a better temp gauge, Ive heard that the stock ammeters are kinda a weak point? It does work but should I just loop the two wires going to it together and install a voltmeter in its place?
 
DartVadar said:
I don't think its cracked, but it looks like the copper track is kinda lifted from the circuit board beside the bulb that isn't working, its still connected though. Maybe thats whats causing the issue?

I dont care about the illumination of the temp gauge, it doesnt work so I installed a better temp gauge, Ive heard that the stock ammeters are kinda a weak point? It does work but should I just loop the two wires going to it together and install a voltmeter in its place?
Click to expand...

The ALT' gauge is hot at all times. A volts meter in its place would be connected to a different switched circuit. Locate the wire that supplies the inst panel at switch on, that's the wire you tie a volts gauge to.
 
RedFish said:
The ALT' gauge is hot at all times. A volts meter in its place would be connected to a different switched circuit. Locate the wire that supplies the inst panel at switch on, that's the wire you tie a volts gauge to.
Click to expand...

Couldn't he just tie in the pos for the volt guage when he connects the amp meter ends together?
Then ground the guage, and there ya go?

Am I missing something (again) :)

Oh yea, duh (it's hot all the time there)
"Rosanne Rosanna Danna" Nevermind. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top