Project: Improve Dim Dials
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2014 8:10 pm
Hi,
The subject of improving the Capri's night-time illumination of the dashboard instruments comes up regularly on this forum. I, like a lot of others, suffer from this problem so I thought I would post a quick guide on how to improve the situation.
First off, remove the instrument binnacle from the dashboard. Detailed instructions for this procedure are printed in the Haynes manual and don't need to be repeated here.
Remove the clear cover by removing the seven screws.
Then a further two screws to take off the black surround.
You'll be left with this. The locations and function of each bulb is as shown.
The actual gauges are removed from the rear. This is the speedo. As you can see, the electrical circuitry on the back has been repaired in places, but it all works fine so I'm not worried about that.
This is where a real improvement can be made. Remove the blue light covers by gently pulling back the plastic tabs. Don't forget that we're dealing with thirty year old plastics here, so treat everything with kid gloves!
Repeat the above process for all four blue covers and you will definitely see a real difference once everything is re-assembled.
Choose between green coloured LEDs or 3W wedge light bulbs. My preference was to use the bulbs, so I could still use the dimmer in the unlikely event that the illumination was too bright! However, these bulbs gave a light green/yellow light which I didn't like so I fitted the LEDs instead. The casing of these LEDs were too large to fit through the holes provided in the instrument housing, that's why the flange has been trimmed off from just below the transparent part. The LEDs are on the left of the photo, the bulbs in the centre and the bulb/LED carrier on the right. The warning lamps can be replaced with LED as well, should you choose, with the exception of the indicator flasher, which must remain as a standard bulb. I used coloured LEDs for these warning lamps although that is not strictly necessary as there are coloured filters in the fascia. One important point to note about LEDs is that, unlike bulbs, the current can only flow through them in a certain direction. If you fit them and they do not illuminate, you have to remove the casing and LED, rotate them through 180 degrees and re-insert them.
Now, you're expecting to see a photo of the illumination working aren't you?
Well, you'll have to wait because I wanted to go one step further, as is the peers.dupp way!
I bought two A4 sheets of this self adhesive chrome card.
I cut it to shape and lined the inside of the housing, carefully ensuring that it does not come into contact with any electrical connections. The intention of the chrome card is to reflect the light to where it is needed instead of it being absorbed by the plastic. This is a photo of the operation in progress.
Then it's just a case of re-assembling everything and trying it out.
It works really well, and now the illumination is almost to the standards of a modern car. But you'll have to take my word for it, as it was impossible to take a decent photo with the equipment I've got. This is the best I can do, but it looks much better in the flesh.
Job done!
I hope that this guide may be of some use to somebody suffering from the same lack of illumination.
Andrew.
The subject of improving the Capri's night-time illumination of the dashboard instruments comes up regularly on this forum. I, like a lot of others, suffer from this problem so I thought I would post a quick guide on how to improve the situation.
First off, remove the instrument binnacle from the dashboard. Detailed instructions for this procedure are printed in the Haynes manual and don't need to be repeated here.
Remove the clear cover by removing the seven screws.
Then a further two screws to take off the black surround.
You'll be left with this. The locations and function of each bulb is as shown.
The actual gauges are removed from the rear. This is the speedo. As you can see, the electrical circuitry on the back has been repaired in places, but it all works fine so I'm not worried about that.
This is where a real improvement can be made. Remove the blue light covers by gently pulling back the plastic tabs. Don't forget that we're dealing with thirty year old plastics here, so treat everything with kid gloves!
Repeat the above process for all four blue covers and you will definitely see a real difference once everything is re-assembled.
Choose between green coloured LEDs or 3W wedge light bulbs. My preference was to use the bulbs, so I could still use the dimmer in the unlikely event that the illumination was too bright! However, these bulbs gave a light green/yellow light which I didn't like so I fitted the LEDs instead. The casing of these LEDs were too large to fit through the holes provided in the instrument housing, that's why the flange has been trimmed off from just below the transparent part. The LEDs are on the left of the photo, the bulbs in the centre and the bulb/LED carrier on the right. The warning lamps can be replaced with LED as well, should you choose, with the exception of the indicator flasher, which must remain as a standard bulb. I used coloured LEDs for these warning lamps although that is not strictly necessary as there are coloured filters in the fascia. One important point to note about LEDs is that, unlike bulbs, the current can only flow through them in a certain direction. If you fit them and they do not illuminate, you have to remove the casing and LED, rotate them through 180 degrees and re-insert them.
Now, you're expecting to see a photo of the illumination working aren't you?
Well, you'll have to wait because I wanted to go one step further, as is the peers.dupp way!
I bought two A4 sheets of this self adhesive chrome card.
I cut it to shape and lined the inside of the housing, carefully ensuring that it does not come into contact with any electrical connections. The intention of the chrome card is to reflect the light to where it is needed instead of it being absorbed by the plastic. This is a photo of the operation in progress.
Then it's just a case of re-assembling everything and trying it out.
It works really well, and now the illumination is almost to the standards of a modern car. But you'll have to take my word for it, as it was impossible to take a decent photo with the equipment I've got. This is the best I can do, but it looks much better in the flesh.
Job done!
I hope that this guide may be of some use to somebody suffering from the same lack of illumination.
Andrew.