84' F-250 Instrument Cluster Lighting

[mankypro]

Starting to move away from mechanical issues to little knits and it would seem that my instrument cluster lights are quite dim. I'm wondering if the "voltage stabilizer instrument" might be to blame? Or do the lamps burn out? I'd have to pull the cluster to figure out if I can replace lamps or whatever.

Has anyone had to replace their cluster lamps that could nudge me in the correct direction?

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

thats the weakest point of the older interiors, the lamps are very dim. try to get LED lamps that replace the old lamps.

 

[hesutton]

You can just buy some brighter bulbs as well. I will have to search for the part numbers........if I can find them........but you should be able to get those generic little bulbs from any autoparts store. I just got them with a little bit higher wattage. It's cheap, easy to find, and it works. Someone may beat me to the numbers but, I'll try and find them tonight.

Heath

 

[cleithau]

You're lucky if you gauges work well enough to care about looking at them. Just get some mechanical guages, they'll light up and actually tell you whats going on in your engine.

 

[mankypro]

have temp and oil pressure auxiliaries, i want to see the speedo and tach without having to squint

You're lucky if you gauges work well enough to care about looking at them. Just get some mechanical guages, they'll light up and actually tell you whats going on in your engine.

 

[cleithau]

You are lucky, mine never had a tach and the previous owner installed the clip backwards on the speedo sending unit so it stripped out the gear in the T-case. And my rear fuel guage sort of works.

 

[subway]

i put all new 194's in the last time i had the dash out. even replaced the working ones since i didnt want to dive back in, in 6 mo to do it again. they are the brightest bulb off the shelf in that size configuration. you might be able to get brighter ones though or LED lights. trouble with the LED's is i dont think they will work with your dimmer at all if you try to dim them. sounds like that is not much of an issue though.

there is a thread a while back of swapping LED's in a cluster and it really brightened it up, it took some work setting up some controllers and such though.

http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17243&highlight=cluster

 

[mankypro]

Wow folks, thank you so much for all your input. Next time I pull the cluster the 194's are going in!

 

[subway]

Wow folks, thank you so much for all your input. Next time I pull the cluster the 194's are going in!

sure, dont expect a miracle but they are brighter

 

[Agnem]

That probably means they are hotter too. Have their been any issues with meltdowns? My IVR goes nuts because of the existing bulb heat anyway. If I were to upgrade, I'd ditch that IVR and make my own.

 

[hesutton]

I've had mine in for almost two years with no heat issues at all. I've had the interior light on for over 8 hours at times on long trips w/o issue.

I bet they do get a bit hotter, but it has not been an issue as far as I can tell with my truck.

Heath

 

[subway]

same here two years+ with my old 85 with no issues. i have put them in other vehicles without a problem to.