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Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:42 pm
by 80s-new-man
:cheers: thanks Andrew !!
I’ve also bought a brand new flexi circuit board as I’m gonna clean the pod and dials, make sure everything replaceable is new and should work before the dash goes back in...

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 4:37 pm
by Andrew 2.8i
80s-new-man wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 3:42 pm :cheers: thanks Andrew !!
I’ve also bought a brand new flexi circuit board as I’m gonna clean the pod and dials, make sure everything replaceable is new and should work before the dash goes back in...
No problem!
Where did you buy the circuit from? I've heard that they were being re-manufactured but couldn't remember from where.

Andrew.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 5:10 pm
by 80s-new-man
:D ah I saw that they are on the CCI website!

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:20 pm
by Andrew 2.8i
80s-new-man wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 5:10 pm :D ah I saw that they are on the CCI website!
I have found it on the CCI site now, thanks.
I was hoping you had bought it directly from the source, they are made by a company in Australia if I remember correctly.
Still, the CCI price isn't bad so it's just as well for anybody who wants one to buy from there. Luckily, I don't need one just at the moment, but at least I now know where I can source one if/when the time comes. 8-)

Andrew.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:12 pm
by Jasonmarie
Andrew 2.8i wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 7:20 pm
80s-new-man wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 5:10 pm :D ah I saw that they are on the CCI website!
I have found it on the CCI site now, thanks.
I was hoping you had bought it directly from the source, they are made by a company in Australia if I remember correctly.
Still, the CCI price isn't bad so it's just as well for anybody who wants one to buy from there. Luckily, I don't need one just at the moment, but at least I now know where I can source one if/when the time comes. 8-)

Andrew.
Are they the same on the 2.0 & 2.8 ? As I know the dash says 4 and 6 in the Rev counter ,but not sure if the board on the back is the same ?

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2019 8:16 pm
by stevemarl
Yes, it`s only the Tacho itself that`s specific to 2.8, because the V6 ignition sends 50% more pulses for same engine speed than the 4 cyl ones do.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:32 am
by pbar
80s-new-man wrote: Sun Sep 29, 2019 10:37 am I’ve ordered the green ones, with the assumption that I will remove the covers, to get the original effect....
Would be interested on your findings with these :) I always thought the original effect was blue, as the bulbs were clear and under a blue cover. And certainly I would say that my illumination, which is original, is blue rather than green. But age might have had an affect, I don't know.

Just like you, I too intend to remove the covers at some stage and fit coloured bulbs rather than go down the LED route.


(Just seen Steve's post stating the original colour of green - so it's a safe bet that green it is, he knows a lot about these cars :) )

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:43 am
by stevemarl
Paul, it is a subjective thing, TBH they were never really what you`d call a distinct colour of any hue , more a sort of greyish glow at best, but if asked to describe it my first reaction would be green. Also, the time clock`s brighter and that`s definitely green so it makes sense?
Certainly it will be much improved with green bulbs and no filters. (I tried orange bulbs once, no filters, and the display looked great - but strangely the orange fingers became really hard to see .)

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:53 am
by pbar
Thanks Steve. Personally, I've always been ok with the dash illumination as it is, but next time I have it apart I would likely take those bulb covers off, those things must be beyond their best now due to age, and put the coloured bulbs in. Leaning towards green now with what you have said.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:55 am
by Not_Anumber
How do you get to the bulb covers ?

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:13 am
by stevemarl
Not_Anumber wrote: Mon Sep 30, 2019 8:55 am How do you get to the bulb covers ?
You need access to the front of the instrument cluster, so the `fascia` thing needs to come off (screws along bottom edge, radio etc) then remove the front moulding, clear lens assembly, and the black `dial surround` plate. The plastic covers just clip in from the front. From memory you don`t need to move the dials to remove them - in any case they will probably be very crumbly, and conveniently disintegrate if it`s easier! (This is from memory, apologies if anyone has more accurate info)?

BTW, the back of the black `dial surround plate` is white and partly responsible for bouncing the light arround behind the clocks so if it`s a bit discoloured it`s worth giving it a coat of gloss white. Best to brush on so you don`t get it round the edges anywhere onto the black front (guess how I know this :xd: .) I tried silver foil but strangely gloss white works better.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2019 9:41 am
by Not_Anumber
Thanks Steve. Il do this at the same time Il do my dash top

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sat Nov 09, 2019 4:33 pm
by Not_Anumber
Note to anyone else dojng this - you do need to unscrew at least one of the small gauges on each side to safely remove the blue plastic things.

If the blue lenses haven't already gone brittle through age and heat then any pressure from the back risks damaging the gauges before the lenses start to move. Im now looking for a new fuel gauge.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2019 10:59 pm
by 80s-new-man
Cheers Andy... done !

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:18 pm
by 80s-new-man
Well I got a scrap dash pod and “rebuilt “ it by taking out ALL the instruments and removing the 4 blue light caps. Cleaned all white surfaces including down the holes .
I took off all the little nuts and copper washers and cleaned them up with sandpaper and WD40, then removed the circuit board flexi. Replaced the circuit flexi with a brand new CCI version and replaced all clear bulbs with green ones..then reassembled everything.
One question- the top 3 bulbs...middle one was clear but the ones either side were pale red? I put these back as they were , but cannot think why they would be red. If they shone through the blue that would have given a magenta colour, whilst all the rest would have been a blue/green?
Any ideas? The scrap pod was out of a 1983 2.8i
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Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:39 pm
by stevemarl
They shouldn`t be red, they should be clear. As you say putting red light through a blue filter would give a (very dim) magenta colour, so who knows? Definitely replace with green.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 6:10 pm
by 80s-new-man
Ok cheers Steve thought it was strange.

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 9:21 pm
by Not_Anumber
Are you sure the bulbs with those red filters are part of the instrument illumination and are not the warning bulbs for handbrake, ignition etc ?

Re: Dash Lighting

Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2020 11:55 pm
by stevemarl
They should still be clear because the red filters for Ign/brake are in the actual dash panel, (as are the green and blue, Ind/beam) The top 3 are: Illum., beam, illum.