Electrical: Instrument cluster lights?

[ihopethatsnotrust]

Hi all,

I have a 1989 240 estate.

I noticed at night recently the bottom half of my heater cluster instrument panel does not light up. I can see the upper dash heater controls just fine, but not the floor heater controls.

I removed the dash section to look behind it and I see this

Which looks to me light a bulb holder? My questions are should I have a bulb that goes there?

[Bob Meadows]

Yes you should:~
From memory a push in bulb/holder, the light travels along the plastic/Perspex?
band to illuminate (similar to the dashboard panel arrangement)
As with most of these fittings the light output is very poor.

The bulb holder may have been pulled out but remains in the loom at the rear.
Trust it helps.
Bob.

[ihopethatsnotrust]

Ah fantastic, thanks Bob,

when it's bright out again I'll have a poke around and see if i can find the bulb holder somewhere in there.

Matt

[ihopethatsnotrust]

Hello again,

I've searched behind my heater controls and I can't find the lower bulb housing however at the top of my dash as shown in the photo below with the brown & black wires, I have 2 bulb housings.



For clarity, I have 2 loose bulbs that look like this:


Has someone mucked about with these bulbs and got them in the wrong order?

Also these two lights never come on so does anyone know where to find replacements/ what type of bulb these are?

Thanks very much!

[SnineT]

They look like number plate bulbs, the small ones with a flat bottom to insert into the holder and the one that's showing does look blown.

[Moomoo]

From memory, when I had the same issue, the bulbs are little push-fit affair with wire contacts. As Bob says , it’s almost a fibre-optic effect , with the light travelling through the Perspex. I used bulbs I had. I wish I’d checked to see if brighter ones were available. It’s ok .👍

[Othen]

If I remember correctly these are 286 bulbs; you can get them at places like Wilko and Halfords, and cheaper online:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255055813...3ABFBMhIjar7Nh

[Bob Meadows]

The bulbs shown in the above post are correct:~
They can be replaced with small LED types but watch for bulbs that could be longer than the original type (longer will give a poor fit in the holder)

From memory: if the bulbs are on the dimmer switch then check it is actually clicked to the on position.
I have a feeling that the holder shown is for panel light switches? not the heater illumination- I'm sure you will sort that though.
Bob.

[Big 240]

I have recently had my whole centre console out and have updated the bulbs to LED lights, and I had some switches where the bulbs needed replacing. I used these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293889022920

[ihopethatsnotrust]

Awesome, thanks everyone

Those led ones look great think I'll order a set.

Yes so at the moment only the top set of heater controls have a functioning backlight.

This still leaves me confused about why there's two loose bulb holders above the heater controls as if the bulbs have been placed back in the wrong location? any ideas?