Really dim instrument lights

[JimVR6 10]

Does anybody know why my instrument panel is really dim at night? The little brightness wheel is turned all the way up and I can see the computer/clock just fine. I just can't see the speedo or rev counter, both work but very dim.

[MarkFoster 0]

It's a design feature, lol! People get round it by going for the DDI or spoonfed dials which are backlit.

 

I myself get over the problem entirely by simply not driving the car at night!

 

M.

[JimVR6 10]

Well the not driving at night thing is pretty much an impossibility for me but I will look into alternate dials. It's not really bad but just annoying.

[davidwort 0]

the bulbs do blacken with time, I'd put some new ones in.

[JimVR6 10]

Do you know what kind of bulbs they are?

 

Jim

[dragon green 5]

The new ones have blue bases,(old ones were green) the blue ones don't omit as much light as the green ones !

http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?46064-How-to-change-blub-in-instrumental-panel

[CazzaVR 0]

Get them from VW. Not cheap though!

[Corradochris16v 10]

Am sure there's someone on here that can convert the bulbs to led so there a lot brighter and can have pretty much any colour you want

[tony_ack 0]

I had this... I fitted the wrong bulbs.

 

The ones behind the clock/computer are 12v 1.1w/1.2w

The three above the dials are 12v 1.8w

 

I had fitted 1.2w bulbs throughout and the dials were really dim. Picked up some 1.8w bulbs from veedubmachine (VW were too pricey) and they're bright again now.

[fla 9]

leds wont work unless you have 3 per dial of the SMDs. If not, just get bulb replacements from Maplins.

[5dOt1 0]

Hmm, I think you will need one of this:

Never to dim :D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four 0805-SMD LED per dail (12 in sum), full dim-able. Feasible in bright, brighter or extra bright :D

 

Special fitted to our VDO Corrado clusters.

 

The same for the LCDs:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[robrado974 1]

Just got mine back on the road and noticed my dash is dim , im positive it was never like it before , i changed mine from green to red with the stuff from maplins a while back .

[robdriver 10]

leds wont work unless you have 3 per dial of the SMDs. If not, just get bulb replacements from Maplins.

Maplins sell a strip of 12 volt led on a self adhesive strip

I installed a strip of these across the top of the binnacle in place of the bulbs and if you leave the green strip in place it looks exactly like standard.

I then took the green strip out and I was pleasantly suprised at the brighter dash illumination that I now prefer

last month the clock bulb went and I ordered a bulb from VW that was not the right on

I installed the same Maplins LED strip behind the clock and it works fine though a bit brighter now than the other display

Ill convert that one soon to get the balance right

The led bulbs dont give off heat like the std bulbs