Dim Dash Lighting

[DXTAC]

I didn't test the switch but changed the bad DS alternator and now the brightness is great!

 

[edpdx]

OK, I have been sifting through the various manuals and got a new perspective on the instrument panel. It shows the ground wire Warthog pointed out. Here is a picture; I highlighted the ground wire blue. It comes off of the harness that feeds the WAIT and WATER IN FUEL lights (YELLOW). The grounding bus is in RED. From the drawing, it looks as though the elusive Ground Wire is attached to the bus with the screw that holds the bus to the upper kick panel.

I'll have a look and report back.

 

[edpdx]

Yes, the drawing above is correct. When Warthog said a black wire is connected to the grounding bus, I looked for one connected to one of the tangs. It's not. It is plainly routed to the center screw holding the bus to the kick panel. Can't see the forest for the trees thing. I'll unscrew and clean this screw for a hopefully better ground. Thanks all

 

[Warthog]

I should have posted this picture from an old thread of mine.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/cucv/50551-cucv-switches-diodes-relays.html

 

[kcbbqguru]

I didn't test the switch but changed the bad DS alternator and now the brightness is great!

Sorry, What's a "DS alternator"??

 

[doghead]

Drivers side

 

[kcbbqguru]

Drivers side

Thanks, Doghead, I guess I better bush up on my "military terms"

 

[McCluskey]

Thanks, Doghead, I guess I better bush up on my "military terms"

More or less a general car term rather than military.

Earlier in the thread when we got talking about LEDs cluster lights, specifically RED LEDs there is something to consider first. The color combinations may not mix right. Your OEM gauges are black background with white text. When you apply RED it turns into black BG with red text. If you're using incandescent bulbs, the brightness is dim enough to work fine. If you upgrade to LEDs, they can easily wash out the white letters. It can also make your orange needle and '55' mark disappear in the red. A friend of mine did one set-up on his gauge cluster that I am replicating. He took a white gauge face kit and applies it to all his cluster gauges. Basically a semi-gloss sticker with white BG and black text. When you combo that with LEDs, the gauges pop-out at you really well. The now red BG with black text is much easier to see especially in low-light. You do have to paint your needle black or his disappears, but it makes the gauges much easier to read during the day or low-light.

Something to think about.