Dashboard Lights

[pashtun]

I have a 1985 230CE, and I'm wondering if anyone can tell me which parts of the dashboard usually illuminates when the lights are switched on?
All seems fine other than the red dials around the heater controls and also the fan speed control. The instrument cluster, rheostat, window lift and hazard buttons and the radio are all fine, if a little dim. ??

 

[jberks]

Hi,
from memory, the 3 heater knobs have small capless bulbs in them (they should light up), The rest of the console is run from a single bulb, in the dash with fibre optics leading to them. Pull the heater knobs (they just slot on) and you should see a tiny bulb in the middle of the spline. When buying older cars, I tend to replace all the dash bulbs as they dim over time, and new ones make a massive difference.- but then I'm fussy about these things.

 

[Spike]

As jberks says, they should all be lit. No fibre optics though, they all have bulbs.

Have you tried turning your trip reset button, it is also a dimmer for the dash lights.

Failing that, remove the two knobs for your fan speed and direction and you will see the first two bulbs. then undo the large nuts surrounding those switches (needle nose pliars works best for me here) and then look just above your radio for two crosshead screws. Undo these and the panel should come off. You will then see two clear perspex things going round heater the dials. Prise these out carefully and you will see each one has another bulb hidden underneath.

Make sure you match the bulb wattage correctly when you change the bulbs as the slightly higher wattage ones from Helfrauds and the like will melt your dials. Get the genuine ones from your stealership at 20p each or whatever.

HTH

 

[pashtun]

Thanks jberks and Spike-much appreciated. Maybe I should have said it's a W123, but I guess you sussed that as it's a B plate '85 model.
I'll give your advice a go, and hope I don't break or snap anything as is my wont sometimes! The rheostat/trip button works fine on the main cluster, so must be the little bulbs you mention behind the heater knobs themselves. Cheers again!

 

[turnipsock]

The heater control has a bulb to illuminate the dial, and another to illuminate the knob.

You need to take the knobs off and remove the big nuts underneath and then other stuff till you see a clear plastic bit...the bulb is under that.

The lights in my window switches don't work...can these be replaced? and how?

 

[numbnuts]

The heater control has a bulb to illuminate the dial, and another to illuminate the knob.

You need to take the knobs off and remove the big nuts underneath and then other stuff till you see a clear plastic bit...the bulb is under that.

The lights in my window switches don't work...can these be replaced? and how?

After repeating what spike said. The answer to your question is NO these are small capless bulbs soldered to the switch inside

 

[turnipsock]

oops, sorry, I should have read the whole thread.

:lol:

Is it possible to solder in a new bulb into the switch?

 

[190D]

oops, sorry, I should have read the whole thread.

:lol:

Is it possible to solder in a new bulb into the switch?

Yes I would think you would be able to solder new bulbs into the switches,
If you can find out the wattage of the bulbs maplins would probably be your best bet

 

[turnipsock]

I spent ages soldering in a new bulb...it still doesn't work. I guess I should have checked to see if any power was getting to the switches first.

Somebody has been at the wiring and it looks a real mess, there are a lot of extra bits of wire with crimped things on them. (I'm in about the electric window switches, by the way)

According to the Haynes bible, the feed for the switch illumination comes via a gr/bl wire, which is green/blue. The only wire I can see floating about is a green/black wire which doesn't seem to have any power on it anyway.

 

[190]

I am sure the wire for the illumination is green with a black tracer on it if you put a test lamp to that wire and the other end of the test lamp to earth and turn on the side lights it should illuminate just make sure that your dimmer switch for the dash lights is turned up full.

 

[turnipsock]

I'm pretty sure that is the correct wire (Green/Black) and the haynes manual is wrong.

I'll have to trace this wire back as there is nothing on it.

I can pick up the illumination voltage on the mirror adjustment switch correctly though. The voltage goes up and down with the dimmer.

There seems to have been a lot of rewiring in this area (on my car), it'll take time to figure out but it doesn't help if the Haynes manual is wrong.

passed 170,000 miles this morning!