Midget Dash Lights

[GlennLBC]

Hi. I've got a 79' Midget. Can anyone tell me if its normal for the dashboard/gauges lights to be so dim? I can only see speedo, tach, and engine gauges in complete darkness. Is there something with the dimmer knob? Could a burnt out or missing bulb in the instrument panel cause this, or is this just typical MG nonsense?
Appreciate any help ya'll could give me. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
Thanks!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

They are dim, and there is no dimmer control. I do not drive much in the dark, so I put 7.5 V bulbs from radio shack (#272-1133 which is a #50) in the guages. They won't last as long (but I don't drive much at night), but they are dirt cheap and make a big difference. www.lbcarco.com sells halogen replacement bulbs, but they are VERY expensive. HTH

 

[Bugeye58]

[ QUOTE ]
I can only see speedo, tach, and engine gauges in complete darkness.

[/ QUOTE ]

What else is there to see?
Jeff

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I think he meant to say he can see the guages only in complete darkness. The word "only" was slightly misplaced.

 

[Bugeye58]

Trevor, that would make more sense. I certainly don't have anything else to see but those gauges at night! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
I've never owned an LBC that had very bright dash lamps, but that's fine with me. I run everything with the instrument lighting turned way down anyway.
Jeff

 

[GlennLBC]

Thanks Trevor for correcting my poor grammer.lol
Call me crazy, but I LIKE to see how fast I'm going or how much gas I've got left....

 

[aeronca65t]

I'm pretty sure that Victoria British sells small halogen bulbs that will fit and are better. Probably other vendors too. I understand that they are good but expensive.
Also, if you car has a rheostat (I think some newer Midgets do), try hot-wiring across it so that the bulbs get full current (the contacts inside the rheostat may be oxidized, creating extra resistance).

 

[Mike H]

I put the halogen bulbs from LBC in my Midget.
Makes a big difference. They are now as bright as you will see in an American car. Yes, they are a little expensive but it will probably be a one time expense since dash lights tend to last a long time.

 

[GlennLBC]

Thanks aeronca65t.
It does have a rheostat. The lights seem abnormally dim. They are on, but are basically useless. I can't believe that MG would have bothered putting dash lights in the car if they were SUPPOSED to work that poorly! I'll look for oxidation or similar problem as you suggested....

Oh, and Mike H. Thanks for your reply. I'm glad to hear from someone with firsthand experience with this problem. Glad you were able to correct it...

Thanks again!!

 

[jerryfra]

look to the right of the steering wheel there should be a small round knob on the dash board. This is the rheostat for the dash light. It does not make the lights very bright but you should be able to just see your gauges at night. If not reach up behind it and short across the rheostat and see how bright the lites get. Check in the archives of the MG forum for some good info on dash lites. They are and will probably never be the brightest bulbs in the lot.

 

[Matthew E. Herd]

I have a similar problem with my dash lights. There is a rheostat. When adjusting in darkness, at one point, I can see some light from the temp/oil press guage. The others do not light at all. The problem with this, however, is that the tachometer suddenly drops to a reading about half of what it was before the rheostat was adjusted (giving an incorrect reading). I am not sure exactly why this happens, but I have not taken the time to thoroughly research the problem. Any suggestions?