instrument cluster bulbs

[chrisdevon]

Nights are drawing in noticed my dash lights don't work.
the ones that would illuminate the speedo etc.

i have had the cluster in and out a few times, to fix the odometer, so not sure if ive broken something.
That said bought the car in May, don't do much evening driving so may have already been like it.

One bulb had blown so replaced it but none are working.
Don't think its the fuse, as all over stuff works,

the rest of the cluster seems to work, the little lights, i.e. oil, battery, indicators..

any ideas, or what I can test/prove?

thanks..

[mark1gls]

They can be a pain and not create a good connection on the circuit, does the other lights work on the heater control and ciggy lighter?
Could be the dimmer control on the headlight switch is on low, give it a wiggle to clean up the connection as its usally just left in the same place.

I hate to say but you may need to remove the cluster again and give the bulbs a wiggle to see if they work..

Do any bulbs work, there will be 3, 1 above the speedo, 1 above the Rev counter and 1 behind the clock Led display.

[chrisdevon]

thanks for reply.
don't worry Im getting pretty good at taking the cluster out.

the rear heater and cig lighter do illuminate and dim and brighten with the dimmer switch, but that's all.
Non of the three bulbs work, I also had a voltmeter across the printed board, by one of bulbs (with side lights on) and no voltage there, so don't think wiggling the bulbs would do it.

[mark1gls]

You can try and bulk out the connection as over time the little Spring connneters go a little flat and they do not make a good connection.
Remove the plastic cover.



Bulk it out with wrapping some tape around the plastic tab, this will make a better contact.


It may not help with the dash lights but worth doing.

[james butler]

i had bulbs constantly blow on my car untill i got fed up of replacing them and fitted a bright red cold cathode tube in there.
plenty of light and adjustable on the dimmer too

alternatively you could use LEDs

i took a feed from the cigarette lighter illumination because the blue pcb is a bit ropey.

[chrisdevon]

thanks Mark, mine looks a little different, is yours a mk1? mines mk2, but get the gist...
cheers James, might rig something up from the cigarette lighter light.
I wondered if the light switch itself can be a problem, read that somewhere I think ? might try and fiddle first.

[mark1gls]

Yes the pictures are from a mk1 but I've done the same in my Mk1 golf which has the same instruments as yours.

Better picture etc here.. You will see my mk1 instruments are different there.
http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php ... my-digital