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Dash lights


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Currently, I am getting ready to work on an issue with my dash lights.  Currently, I don't have any dash lights except for the gas gauge, and the heater lights.  So short story, I can turn on the heat, and know I have enough gas to get there.

I am not sure the turn signal indicators are working, but I am in the proces of replacing exterior lights for LED lights.  I need a new flasher.  hazard lights work, but turn signals don't.

I have the dash pad where I can easily remove it, and in the process of getting to this point, the voltage meter stopped working.

When I turn the light switch, I can get what lights are working to dim and get brighter.

To my knowledge the dash has not been out of the car.  I am thinking the next step is to take out the dash, and check out the instrument panel circuit board.

Any thoughts would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

 

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You can remove the cluster without removing the entire dash. There are a couple write ups on how to do it. I've had mine out too many times. I have replaced all the dash bulbs with LED bulbs. The last time I had a tachometer that wouldn't work when the interior got hot and finally replace the original clock. The last time I replaced the printed circuit because the original was getting brittle. Remember to disconnect the grounds and shifter cable.  

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Just a thought. You may be better off fixing what issues you have before you switch all the lights to led. Why add to the questions. My opinion of course. 

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1 minute ago, Dtret said:

Just a thought. You may be better off fixing what issues you have before you switch all the lights to led. Why add to the questions. My opinion of course. 

Ok.  Guilty as charged.  I was charging in like a bull in a china shop.  I also wasn't thinking the dashlight would be that big of an issue.

Experience has taught me some lessons here.

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5 minutes ago, 1970mcss said:

You can remove the cluster without removing the entire dash. There are a couple write ups on how to do it. I've had mine out too many times. I have replaced all the dash bulbs with LED bulbs. The last time I had a tachometer that wouldn't work when the interior got hot and finally replace the original clock. The last time I replaced the printed circuit because the original was getting brittle. Remember to disconnect the grounds and shifter cable.  

My shifter is on the floor, so I think I will be ok there.  In the area where the voltage gauge the printed circuit board seemed brittle, so I was thinking that it may be time to replace it.

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If he has a volt gauge he needs the printed circuit for a gauge dash. 

Captain Obvious says, it could be just burned out bulbs but it wouldn't hurt to replace the printed circuit while you are doing all this. Old plastic is brittle plastic, fact of life you know. 

Having said that about plastic, mind how you go with the little screws that hold all the cluster parts together. They screw into molded areas that will be brittle as well so you don't want to force anything when reassembling the cluster. I have lots of experience with dash removal and repair on our cars having done mine several times and other members as well. I have learned that if you put the individual screws back in the exact same location they came from you minimize the chance of breaking the molded plastic areas. Its time consuming to label them all but worth it in the end. None of the replacement parts are an exact, precise match and any NOS stuff is 50 years old and brittle as well. 

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14 hours ago, 420ponies said:

If you need a printed circuit panel ,I have a good one I could ship to you? It is the standard dash cluster( idiot lights).

I appreciate the offer very much, unfortunately I don't think it would help as I do have the gauges.  

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28 minutes ago, cbolt said:

If he has a volt gauge he needs the printed circuit for a gauge dash. 

Captain Obvious says, it could be just burned out bulbs but it wouldn't hurt to replace the printed circuit while you are doing all this. Old plastic is brittle plastic, fact of life you know. 

Having said that about plastic, mind how you go with the little screws that hold all the cluster parts together. They screw into molded areas that will be brittle as well so you don't want to force anything when reassembling the cluster. I have lots of experience with dash removal and repair on our cars having done mine several times and other members as well. I have learned that if you put the individual screws back in the exact same location they came from you minimize the chance of breaking the molded plastic areas. Its time consuming to label them all but worth it in the end. None of the replacement parts are an exact, precise match and any NOS stuff is 50 years old and brittle as well. 

Excellent point about the possibility of blown bulbs.  I have replaced a few blown bulbs with extremely limited success.  I will definitely keep in mind that you are going to want to put the individual screws back in the same location.

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I pre-test all my bulbs with its  socket before I re-install them. That way I know that bulb should light. Sorry, I thought it read "amp" meter in previous post.

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3 hours ago, Robnhood said:

Excellent point about the possibility of blown bulbs.  I have replaced a few blown bulbs with extremely limited success.  I will definitely keep in mind that you are going to want to put the individual screws back in the same location.

The sockets themselves could be bad and I have a drawer full of sockets that don't work. They are likely okay and just need the contacts cleaned properly, but the bulb sockets is another source of potential trouble with the dash lights

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