Dash illumination / Ambient lighting

[kidcrewbob]

Can anyone advise what should be illuminated / backlit as standard on a Mk2 dash - obviously the main cluster but what about the switch gear and passenger side, centre console / gear shift area (I have an auto) - my guess is that there's not a great deal so would be interested to know what (subtle!) custom improvements anyone has made in this regard

TIA
Bob

[mark1gls]

I’ve seen different colour led fitted in the instrument cluster and some of the gauges but it depends on what year your car is as later cars the heater control light is inside the plastic so you need to carefully open the whole thing just to get to a bulb..

[WreckTangle]

The auto gear selector is illuminated. As is the ashtray, any gauge fitted to the right of the ash tray, the decal above the blower switch and the heater control panel. The switches to the right of the instrument cluster are illuminated. I’m not sure about the headlight switch. If it is then the bulb has blown on mine. The green surround to the cigarette lighter is also illuminated.

The console illumination which comes on with the headlights is wired in blue/grey striped cable. There will be a wire from this circuit to the radio too. How the radio uses it will vary by model.

If yours isn’t working check the dimmer first before assuming all the bulbs have blown. It might just be turned all the way down or it may have gone faulty.

There is no illumination in the glove compartment on mine but I gather it was installed on Storm and GTX Models so that is a possible “upgrade”.