Need help with dim interior lights.

[Guest Shiin]

I just picked up a Z this weekend and found that the interior lights behind the gauges are dim. Even after turn the knob for the interior lights as bright as they can go the gauges are still very hard to read. Is there a way to make them brighter? If it's just the bulb, then what bulbs do you recommend. Or could it be done with a relay. Was planning to replace the gauges with autometer gauges later on and will the stock interior lights be okay for the gauges?

 

Thanks for your help

[DavyZ]

Shiin, my 260Z was exactly the same way...in fact every 240Z and 260z that I have seen is the same way! Pete's site has great info on relays, and yes, relays do make a difference! Good luck.

 

Davy

[BLKMGK]

Couple of things... That knob is attached to a rheostat - it could be "dirty" inside. Try to find some "tuner cleaner" from someplace like radio shack. Electrical contact cleaner might also work. If you can get it in there that might help. Another problem is dirt - the bulbs get dirty, the lenses they sit in get dirty - all sorts of stuff. Clean them if you can and you may see an improvement. Last but not least - the supply voltage. What's th evoltage going to the circuit in the fuse box? Lot's of Zs have problems with corrosion in the fuse box. Flip the fuse box over and look at th eterminals - often they begin to melt due to high resistance which causes heat. A side effect of this is lower supply voltages to darn near everything! If your contacts are dirty there this could also cause problems with the dash lights and other things too. Hrm, and are you sure ALL of the bulbs are working? Maybe a few burned out?

[260DET]

You can get more powerful bulbs, from memory go up 1/2 a watt but use the small glass bulbs, not he big ones. Removing the green plastic bulb surrounds helps a lot. But if you want to keep the green light feature then just clean the surrounds.

 

Don't use too powerful bulbs, the extra heat may cause damage.