Dim instrument panel lights

[Tukalama]

My P5's instrument panel seems to be really dim. In the daylight I can't tell if the lights are on or not. This happens when it's raining and I'm driving with the lights on or in the morning on my commute. You guys think that I might have a burnt bulb or something? Can anyone tell me what the lighting setup is like for the instrument panel and how to go about fixing this or or all p5 panels a dim red?

 

[lil_red_wagon]

i have to ask up front; have you tried rolling the little dimmer switch on the left side of the dash?

 

[MazdaSpeeder]

The P5 cluster lights aren't very bright anyway. When I bought the car I thought they were really dim, but I got used to them and now I actually like not being blinded by my guages. If it really bothers you, there are LED replacement bulbs on Ebay that would brighten it up a bit.

If you had a burned out bulb, there would be a dark space in one are of the cluster only.

 

[Tukalama]

i have to ask up front; have you tried rolling the little dimmer switch on the left side of the dash?

lol- yeah, been there done that. no luck.

 

[Tukalama]

The P5 cluster lights aren't very bright anyway. When I bought the car I thought they were really dim, but I got used to them and now I actually like not being blinded by my guages. If it really bothers you, there are LED replacement bulbs on Ebay that would brighten it up a bit.

If you had a burned out bulb, there would be a dark space in one are of the cluster only.

yeah, I don't really mind them at night either. Dim is good in that sense, but I was just wondering if this was something I needed to address. It seems like the top portion (maybe to the right) is a bit dimmer- or it could be just me. I should take a picture later and post it and see what others think.

 

[dxaveP5]

mine seems to be dim too, but as it already been stated, dim = good.
i just wish we had vivid red lights. like the rx8? or rsx

 

[goodfornothing]

Mine are dim as well. The panel light near the AC switch is going out lol.

 

[Tasty]

One of the more annoying features of the P5 IMO. Best cluster lights out there are in the Accord. Bright as the sun day or night.

 

[sephiroth]

my protege's lights were fairly dim when I purchased the car. The great news is that there's nothing special about the bulbs in the dash, every one of them can be purchased at autozone. Fixed my problem and drastically increased illumination. There are two screws that hold the cluster to the dashboard iirc, they're located on the top side, and another two at the bottom. After that, removal is a breeze and the bulbs are accessible via terminals that just twist out from the back. should run you ~ $15 to replace them all.

 

[Tukalama]

my protege's lights were fairly dim when I purchased the car. The great news is that there's nothing special about the bulbs in the dash, every one of them can be purchased at autozone. Fixed my problem and drastically increased illumination. There are two screws that hold the cluster to the dashboard iirc, they're located on the top side, and another two at the bottom. After that, removal is a breeze and the bulbs are accessible via terminals that just twist out from the back. should run you ~ $15 to replace them all.

thanks for the info. yeah, I'll try that out and see if any need replaced. That way I can turn them up during the morning commute, when it might be nice to see them easier, then dim them at night.(drive)

 

[goodfornothing]

What kind of bulbs are they?

P.S.
SILVER FTW!

 

[sephiroth]

What kind of bulbs are they?

P.S.
SILVER FTW!

There are two types, one for the backlight which are 914 iirc and a minibulb for the indicator/warning lights which I can't remener.

 

[mx-p5]

I personally LOVE teh fact that the gauge lights are dim

I rode in a new civic and accord, and, i felt blind at how bright the gauges were. VERY detracting to me from the road ahead

If it's day time out, why do you want to see the amber from behind? You shouldn't have a problem seeing the orange needle over teh silver gauge panel

If it is an issue, as stated, pick up some LED bulbs to put behind the gauge cluster and problem solved

 

[azuelke]

Got my shovel out to bring up this old thread...

Ever since I bought my P5, the outside lights of the cluster have always been extra dim. Today I took out the cluster to find that the outer bulbs were in fact burnt out.

Went to Advanced/Auto Zone, picked up some "74" bulbs only to realize that these are too big and do NOT fit.

What the hell bulbs do I need? These are the little suckers. Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[Grim]

subbin to find out what lights I need, since my dash is pretty dim too.

 

[bucksatan]

^ Where are you in Canada, in Toronto there is a protege club that has a couple of guys that run group buys on LEDs a few times a year.

Side note, I like keeping the dash lights dim, that way it doesn't mess with your night vision. Anyone who likes them really bright should spend a week or so driving with them nice and dim and see if they like it.

 

[karakuri5]

If the bulbs are the original ones that came on the car, most likely the bulbs are "over-cooked"(blackened near the top) - not entirely burnt out though.
A fresh set of bulbs would definitely bring it up to original intensity.

 

[Grim]

^ Where are you in Canada, in Toronto there is a protege club that has a couple of guys that run group buys on LEDs a few times a year.

Side note, I like keeping the dash lights dim, that way it doesn't mess with your night vision. Anyone who likes them really bright should spend a week or so driving with them nice and dim and see if they like it.

I'm in Guelph, so Toronto's about a 45 minute drive. Totally worth it if I can save a good amount - is there a thread for this or someone I should pm?

I agree with the night vision thing... I wonder if it would be possible to exchange the stock lights for red coloured ones (since red doesn't mess with night vision as much) without needing a custom set of gauges/needles.

 

[azuelke]

If the bulbs are the original ones that came on the car, most likely the bulbs are "over-cooked"(blackened near the top) - not entirely burnt out though.
A fresh set of bulbs would definitely bring it up to original intensity.

One of the main bulbs (fuel gauge) was "over-cooked", the other side was burnt out. Either way, it is a PITA so see the very edges of the gauges at night.

 

[azuelke]

So does anyone here know what bulb it is, or where to get it? Or would I just be better off going to the dealer and bothering them?