DIY: Brighter Gauge Lights

[tymarbry]

<font color="red" size="20"><b>Ok</b></font>

So I got tired of the very dim green dash and gauge lights for my 280z. I didnt see anyone on the forums so far doing this yet so I decided to take a crack at it.

Gonna try and make this easy to follow and understand.

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If you too are tired of having to squint in at your gauges when driving at night, then you might want to also consider this.

Just some basic info:

Most production cars use wedge type bulbs for gauge lights that twist out of the back of the gauge. These wedge bulbs also usually have a type of plastic coating on the tips that is Green/Blue so that when installed and turned on they give off the color they are coated with. Like green or blue as described.

Our Z cars use a different setup (atleast the 240z-280z). These Z cars use an older system of bayonet style bulbs that you push in and twist to lock in place. And instead of the bulbs having a coating on them to give off a certain color, the gauges themselves have clear plastic domes fitted into them that filter the light. In our cases the Standard Green.

When the dome filters the light its also cutting its lumen count down also. Which means its not as bright.

<font size="2">This is a comparison of a wedge type bulb and a bayonet bulb</font>

[tymarbry]

Now

Some Tools:

Screwdrivers (Phillips and Flathead)

-Small and Wide heads

8mm Wrench (Removing Climate Cont. Faceplate)

Hammer (Something simmilar?)

Hole Punch or Thin Nail

-I used a Nail Gun Nail 1^1/2"

Possibly a Drill

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I might miss some small steps here but Im sure for those who follow this, that it will be easy enough.

Steps:

I started by removing the center console screws. 280Z has 2 screws in the sides where the passanger/drivers knee would be roughly.

Also 3 more inside the center console storage.

I didnt remove my center console, I just took the screws out so I could move it back a bit.

I then Removed the 4 screws to the Middle Vents and Map Light bezel.

Remove the plugs to the maplight and Fuel warning light (Also floor temp light if Cali model).

Then unscrew the Center Vent bezel mounts that hold it to the dash.

I broke my climate faceplate on accident, but to avoid this in removing it: Use a 8mm or a 5/16 wrench (they are the same) to losen the side bolts on the climate faceplate. The bolts face outwards to the left and right so you cant use a ratchet unfortunatly.

The first thing that would be easy to upgrade is the climate controlplate. This faceplate uses a wedge base bulb. You can put in an LED if youd like but it still wont really improve its visibility.

What I would recomend is to take the faceplate and unscrew the light housing from the back. Should be 2 screws on the back.

The housing has a green plastic dome in it that I removed.

To remove these little green domes all you need to do is tap in the 2 little pegs that hold the dome in place. For this I use a thin nail with a flat tip.

After giving it a light tap the pegs give out.

Here is the back of the climate contrl. housing, this shows the pegs that hold the dome into place. I drilled these pegs a bit because they were heat pressed into place and couldnt be tapped out.

To get the dome out I just poked it out with my pinky finger after the pegs were drilled enough.

As I said before the Climate plate uses a wedge base bulb, so I had a choice in using the stock bulb or a spare Amber bulb I had as a spare.

I used the amber because it provided more detail of the climate controls in the dark and it also matched the gauges after I removed the green in them also.

Here it is with an Amber Bulb

[tymarbry]

Next re-assemble the Climate faceplate.

To get to the middle 3 gauges (Oil, Temp, AMP/VOLT, Time, etc.)

You need to remove the AC/Heater divider that sits behind the middle vents.

Its held in with 2 hoses on each side that can be tugged off.

Using a short philips head screwdriver you can remove the retaining straps to the 3 small gauges. I removed the Oil/Temp gauge first.

After removing the retaining strap you can push the gauge inwards then pull it from below after pulling its plug connection.

This can be easy if you can squeeze your hand into the hole that the gauge sat in and press the sides of the connectors, allowing them to be pulled and released.

Removing all of the 3 middle gauges are similar.

Also these 3 middle gauges use bayonet style bulbs (1189 or 1198 I believe) and each have a metal strap on the back that will need to be removed.

The back strap on the guages are held in with 2 very small screws and have divits to help them align back up when you put the strap back on.

To remove the plastic green domes inside the gauge you need to tap the 2 pegs with a small nail. Use light taps so you dont damage your gauge.

After both of the pegs are tapped and the dome is freed up inside the gauge, you need to remove the 2 screws that hold the face of the gauge to its backing.

After you free the dome and remove the screws for the face of the gauge.

Take the face of the gauge and just rotate the gauge until the plastic dome comes out. It should slide past the gauge easily.

Tapping on these domes shouldnt damage them, mine came out with no problems. I kept mine in case I needed them later. =P

Here is the Oil/Temp gauge after I took the green dome out. Now the light is less filtered and shines a bit brighter.

Remember, all 3 of these gauges are similar and I think they all use just 1 (1198? or 1189?) bulb to illuminate the gauge.

The volt gauge has a seperate light for the over-charge warning.

[tymarbry]

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Speedometer and Tachometer

The tach and speedo are a bit harder. For one they are a pain in the arse to remove from the dash.

My dash has a cap and its especially hard. I spent quite a bit of time tugging and pushing and cursing getting the speedo out.

I didnt do the Tach yet as I ran out of time but it also is good for the end result comparison.

To remove the Speedometer:

I removed the 45 Deg screw set in the gauge itself and the screw that is on the inside of the dash.

To get the speedometer out after the screws are out you must also remove the Tripometer line (I left mine unplugged from when I removed my dash, I think its useless) and the Speedo cable.

The tripometer has a small screw that hold the line on. This screw is on the side of the line right behind the gauge in the bottom right corner.

The speedo cable can be removed by unscrewing the outter sleeve from the back of the gauge.

After everything is unscrewed and only the harness is attached, you can push the gauge from behind the dash and pull it out at the same time.

To each his own really, whatever works, works.

It will be easier if you dont have a dash cap for sure.

When you get the speedometer out,

you can remove the screw that holds the harness and the ground for the gauge.

When you remove that, then the speedometer is all yours.

There are a total of 4 small screws on the sides of the gauge that hole the main instrument to the tunnel thing. The screws may be covered in Electrical Tape.

To get the plastic domes out of the Speedometer you actually have to remove the faceplate since there is no space for the dome to slide past when you tap the pegs out.

So, remove the needle in the center of the gauge and be sure to mark/write/remember where the needle sat before you removed it. For my car the needle sat at the 10mph position.

The needle will be hard to remove and be sure not to bend or twist as you pull the needle off. The cylinder that the needle attaches too needs to be straight to give an accurate reading on speed, DUH.

After removing the needle you can remove the 2 screws to the faceplate or go ahead and tap out the pegs to the domes (There are 2 in the speedo and tachometer).

The speedo also has 2 rubber boots that direct the light for the brake light warning and the high beam indicator. Make sure to not lose these and place them in the correct spots if they come out.

My speedo gauge was covered in oil so I cleaned mine up a bit and re-assembled it.

The domes I removed from the gauges

[tymarbry]

Here is what my dash looks like now with the green removed from them.

I did leave the Green domes in for my tach and my clock because the clock doesn't work. This is also good for a comparison as well.

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Results:

You can barely even see the clock and tach when compared, so I think the end result is great. I also like the orange over the green as well.

If you need help or have comments, feel free to reply or PM me.

[Reverend]

Very nice!

[spdcrazy]

i was just thinking about atttempting this a week or so ago. glad it worked out for ya.

i would like to find some amber bulbs for the speedo and tach tho, the stock clear bulbs are 52 i believe. but i don't think they make a 52na.

Edited March 23, 2011 by spdcrazy

[esmit208]

Nice results. I'm still not clear on the removal procedure for the speedometer needle. Please detail that if you would.

[FastWoman]

Dunno.... It looks nice, but the green instrument panel glow has a familiar sort of vintage feel for me. I wouldn't have it any other color than green.

FAIW, my 3.4W (?) original bulbs were getting pretty dim, and my 4W Eiko 72 (?) replacement bulbs made the panel much more readable. No problem with visibility. I wonder whether it would be possible to make replacement bulbs with green LEDs -- not white LEDs filtered green. Perhaps an electronic dimmer could be made from a chopper circuit.

On the other hand, I sort of like the glowing filaments too. Some day, when instrument panels are all LED back-lit LCDs, there will be something very cool about a hot-filament backlit mechanical panel. It will have the same feel to it as a vacuum tube radio or even a vinyl record has today.

[sblake01]

That's an interesting upgrade and nice work too but I never had any problem with the visibility of the gauges in my 78. In fact, I had to dial the brigntness down a little for night driving. When I bought mine, all I did was clean all of the contact areas and replace the bulbs. As well as cleaning all of the connection/contact areas throughout the car. I think the bulbs I used were also 4W as I don't think you can get the exact OEM equivalent anymore.

[tymarbry]

Nice results. I'm still not clear on the removal procedure for the speedometer needle. Please detail that if you would.

I tried to make a drawing to help show what I did, since Im a visual person.

To take the needle off of the gauge you just pull it straight off. Dont bend or twist as you pull the needle off as you will damage the instrument.

The needle on the gauge has a small pin on the back of it that fits into a cylinder on the gauge itself. Press the needle back onto the gauge when you are done removing the green dome or whatever you are doing to your gauge.

Edited March 25, 2011 by tymarbry
Graphic needed changing

[tymarbry]

Yeah I didnt mind the green, I guess but it was dim and I did replace the standard 3.4W with 4w bulbs also and it didnt help much. Even with my rheostat on the highest setting it still wasnt bright enough for me.

If you do want to go with green LEDs you wouldnt need to remove the green domes inside the gauges as green light would not be filtered (hardly at all if any) by the green LED.

Also LEDs have a limited degree of output. Most standard bulbs have a range of like 270deg or more of light eminating from the source. While LEDs usually at most have 120-160deg output. So im not sure if the LEDs would be good for gauges as the light wouldnt be spreading throughout the instrument to illuminate it.