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Gauge dial lights tempermental

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VwinWilli Casual Dubber

36 posts · joined Apr 2016 ·

#1036023
Hi all,
I have a small job which is driving me mad.
The rear dash light for the speedo and clock dials are very tempermental in my type 3 but assume all vw are the same. I've tested the power going to the bulb and all is ok. Cleaned every connection up etc but when I turn the lights on without the light holder being in the dial they don't turn on. However when I fit them into the dial when back into position they will turn on but very tempermental. Speedo light is worse than the clock but to turn it on all I have to do is push the bottom of the glass on the dial to move it a fraction and it'll turn on?? Same with the clock but that's not as bad. For the time being I have to wedge some cardboard in the edge of the dial and dash pad to try keep it lit up when driving.
Just cannot work out why this is happening. One of those small things you just want to get sorted. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you

pv370 Officially Full-On Dubber

272 posts · joined Apr 2014 ·

#1036024
sounds like a bad earth to me....
the reason they wont light up when not in the gauge is that the metal body of the gauge is the earth...
thus the metal tabs need to be in good contact with the slot in the dash to make a good connection...
in later model type 3s the gauges had an earth tab on the back with a brown wire going to each and earthed up under the dash onto another tab...
if you are handy at soldering you can solder a wire to the back of the gauges and earth it to the body under a screw up under the dash...

VwinWilli Casual Dubber

36 posts · joined Apr 2016 ·

#1036028
Ok that makes sense now, thought it may have been earthing from there but wasn't 100% sure because I cleaned the metal tabs inside the gauge holder too with no difference. It's an early type 3 so no earth tab at the back. That's really helpful thank you I did something similar for the fuel sender. Sounds an easy solution this one so will get this job done tomorrow.
Thanks again

pv370 Officially Full-On Dubber

272 posts · joined Apr 2014 ·

#1036033
no worries.....
had to do the same with the panelvan.....
the repro dash wouldnt let the metal tabs on the fuel gauge earth properly so the earth wire was the way to go...
i think i soldered a tab onto the gauges then used the wire from a later model to earth under one of the dash screws....

VwinWilli Casual Dubber

36 posts · joined Apr 2016 ·

#1036044
Worked a treat thank you. I ended up running a wire from the screw on the back of the gauge to the under dash earth screw. Will solder a tab on the clock I'm sure it will have the same success.
Thanks again

pv370 Officially Full-On Dubber

272 posts · joined Apr 2014 ·

#1036049
glad that solved your problems................happy to help............
Cheers

wombatventures Wolfsburg Wizard

680 posts · joined Feb 2013 ·

#1036079
Any tricks to make the gauges a little brighter Peter?
Change the bulbs?
DUBS BY THE RIVER 2021 Morgan SA - Sept 18-19 2021

Currently suffering from delusions of sanity!

pv370 Officially Full-On Dubber

272 posts · joined Apr 2014 ·

#1036083
yeah a brighter globe will do the trick.
the service manual says the 6v globes are 1.2watts so i assume the 12v are the same.
if you can get 2watt globes give that a try..........

pv370 Officially Full-On Dubber

272 posts · joined Apr 2014 ·

#1036090
looks like the 12v globes are already 2watts. the globes are ba7 bases.
next best thing go for LED globes.
a quick check on ebay for 12v ba7 led brings up some.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#1036111
VwinWilli wrote:Worked a treat thank you. I ended up running a wire from the screw on the back of the gauge to the under dash earth screw. Will solder a tab on the clock I'm sure it will have the same success.
Thanks again
Makes You wonder if they had that problem when assembling the cars in the factory?? LEDs are not very bright when used in VW Gauges, although some speedos have two bulbs to light it up. The Hella speedo I have fitted to My dash is the worst to see at night. I used 10mm LEDs in all My instruments.
They fit neatly into the opening for the bulb fitting... naturally they use resistors to get them to work on 12v and not burn out instantly... I fitted them a few years ago, so I will need to check on the light output of the latest LEDs. They are constantly changing. The angle of light is also slowly getting wider..

LEE

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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#1036114
Dash with gauges.
can't find the pic of the gauges at night... LED's are blue.

Leedash - RHD Beetle- My Beetle.JPG
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- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

wombatventures Wolfsburg Wizard

680 posts · joined Feb 2013 ·

#1036127
Sounds like the go Lee. Will look into it.
Not that I drive often at night but when it goes happen I'd like to be able to see the gauges let alone red them....
🙄
DUBS BY THE RIVER 2021 Morgan SA - Sept 18-19 2021

Currently suffering from delusions of sanity!

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 ·

#1036141
wombatventures wrote:Sounds like the go Lee. Will look into it.
Not that I drive often at night but when it goes happen I'd like to be able to see the gauges let alone read them....
🙄
Apologies, Speedo is OK
the problem I have at night is the tachometer...
You can see it from 1000rpm up but below 1000rpm it is difficult to see the idle speed if it is lower.. Not impossible though..
The 10mm LEDs have a lip on them, which You can file down easily [maybe 1mm lip] and they do fit inside the holes..
You can buy them with a resistor so they can be hooked up to 12 volts...

Most of the newish LEDs are much brighter than the ones years ago.. and are getting brighter and the angle of light is getting wider too.-------------------------------------------------------------

Now if they would just make LED headlamps in new vehicles
illegal!!! as they are terrible when a vehicle hits a bump - into Your eyes - or even into Your rear vision mirror then into Your Eyes.... YIKES


LEE
- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---