Burned out Auto Meter Comp Oil/Voltmeter Gauges

[prg333]

My Oil/Voltmeter gauges have been dark for 2 years now. They both still work, just no ilumation.


Do I need to get two news ones to have them lit again or is it just burned out bulbs?

It appears that getting to them is not a 1 2 3 easy process. What does one have to do to get to them?

[fastblackmerc]

Pull out the gauge pod, replace the bulbs. I used green LEDs as replacements. LEDs use less power, generate almost no heat and will out last the car.

BTW.. the bulb size is 194.

[prg333]

Thank you! Can they be pulled out without taking apart anything? Soemoen else said you have to remove a whole pannel to get to the gauges

[fastblackmerc]

Like I said, pull out the gauge pod. That is the only way to get to the bulbs.

[prg333]

OK Will do!

[RoyLPita]

See my signature for standard guage pod bulb replacements as an alternative, please.

[Dragcity]

If you use LEDs they probably won't dim with the other dash lights due to their efficiency. If you use LEDS and want them to dim, you will need to add a resistor to the power supply line.

[RF Overlord]

You were going to check the resistor value for me, brah...

[Dragcity]

I'm on it. gotta go find the volt gauge. Where the heck did I put it? Give Me a few ...

[Dragcity]

damn-it. Sorry but we left the resistor in the pod for the new gauge. I thought we left it attached and jumped over to the boost gauge, but we didn't.

My brother sent me a an envelope filled with various resistors and kept trying different ones until I found one that did what I wanted. I thought I posted it up when I first did it. I'll see what I can find.

[Dragcity]

I found this from my original thread on the swap out.......

"My Brother sent me a handful of pairs and told me to try them. The color banding identifies them I think. I'm pretty sure it was gray, red, brown, silver"

[RF Overlord]

That would be an 820 ohm 10%...thank you, sir!

[fastblackmerc]

Just checked mine. The LEDs in the gauge pod DO dim with the rest of the gauge lights.

[Pat]

PRG333;

The guage pod just pulls out, it's just secured by two bayonet clips. The bulbs are easily removed (self evident) but are sheathed in a blue thin rubber condum. This rubber is very weak and tears easily. You can forget the condum and get colored bulbs however.

The bulb is sometimes referred to at the FLAPS as a license plate light.

I just did mine, and had no problems. one blub per instrument.

[MOTOWN]

like fastblackmerc said use led 194 bulbs, easy fix, and they do dim with the rest of the interior lights you dont need resistors.

i posted pics of this fix a while back

[Dragcity]

Wow. That's great that the LED repalcements dim. That solves a LOT of issues fro everyone. Sorry for my misinformation.

See, I swapped in Phantom II gauges which came with non-serviceable LED inside. When I installed them, the gauge lights did not dim one bit through the whole cycle. They were either on, or off once I passed the detent. So, I had to put resistors in line to cut a little power to those. They must use a different bulb at Auto Meter.

[fastblackmerc]

Wow. That's great that the LED repalcements dim. That solves a LOT of issues fro everyone. Sorry for my misinformation.

See, I swapped in Phantom II gauges which came with non-serviceable LED inside. When I installed them, the gauge lights did not dim one bit through the whole cycle. They were either on, or off once I passed the detent. So, I had to put resistors in line to cut a little power to those. They must use a different bulb at Auto Meter.

The Autometer bulb is a standard 194. I went with 194 green LEDs as a replacement. These dim with the rest of the gauges.

[omarauder]

The resistor in series with the LED is there to limit the current thru it to around 20mA for maximum brightness. To dim it you would have to lower the current (increase the resistance) towards 10mA, or "Pulse Width Modulate" it using additional circuitry. Without a current limiting resistor, the LED would burn out.
LED's will not dim the same way as lightbulbs do. Easy way out is to stick to using lightbulbs...

[fastblackmerc]

The resistor in series with the LED is there to limit the current thru it to around 20mA for maximum brightness. To dim it you would have to lower the current (increase the resistance) towards 10mA, or "Pulse Width Modulate" it using additional circuitry. Without a current limiting resistor, the LED would burn out.
LED's will not dim the same way as lightbulbs do. Easy way out is to stick to using lightbulbs...

Actually the LEDs will dim just like the incandescent bulbs they replace.

[mrjones]

I don't think this thread was quite dead yet, but it was probably in a deep sleep. My two console guage lights just went out tonight, both at the same time. This is in my new to me 04, and it seemed to happen about the time I tried the seat heaters for the same time. Is there any connection between the two? On the same fuse? Seat heaters seemed to be working fine, but it's hard to tell as hot as it is here already?

Seems like a weird cowinky dinky for both guage lights to go out at the same time? This happened a block from home tonight so I haven't tried to check it out yet. Just thought someone here might have run into it before.

[fastblackmerc]

I don't think this thread was quite dead yet, but it was probably in a deep sleep. My two console guage lights just went out tonight, both at the same time. This is in my new to me 04, and it seemed to happen about the time I tried the seat heaters for the same time. Is there any connection between the two? On the same fuse? Seat heaters seemed to be working fine, but it's hard to tell as hot as it is here already?

Seems like a weird cowinky dinky for both guage lights to go out at the same time? This happened a block from home tonight so I haven't tried to check it out yet. Just thought someone here might have run into it before.

The seat heaters are not in the same circuit as the gauge bulbs.