Dash Bulbs

[lawser]

Anyone know where i can get bulbs for my 1994/5 2.6 coupe dash, they seem to be slightly different from others round heater controls etc ?

Cheers,

lawser

[chairman_mo]

Virtually any good motor factors should have them. I went to GSF for a set of dash illumination bulbs as some bright spark had fitted blue LEDs (which looked shocking) and they were reluctant unless I could hand one over. So I ended up dismantling the dash to get a bulb out before I could get new ones.

They are very automotive generic bayonet fit 12V filament lamps, nowt special.

[chairman_mo]

According to the Ring website they are R286 but these are NOT the ones I fitted

[lawser]

Thanks, yes the bulbs may be correct but mine are fitted into a little orange plastic cup which have small contact connected to them, they then push into the back of the dash & are turned to connect....Unfortunately these are no use....Perhaps a trip to main dealer required ?

[chairman_mo]

I think they are T5 bulbs, get one out and take it to any decent motor factors and they should have them by the bucket load

[lawser]

Cheers, i'll give that a try tomorrow

[andrewaudi]

My bulbs are all fine, but they are a little on the dull side, do these bulbs wear out easily? Will fitting new ones make mine any brighter? Mine is the pre-dashboard-facelift cabrio, so still has the old style dials.

[chairman_mo]

This is stating the obvious but have you adjusted the dashboard brightness control ?? Little knob sticking out of the instrument cluster (on a Coupe not sure about Cab's)

[andrewaudi]

This is stating the obvious but have you adjusted the dashboard brightness control ?? Little knob sticking out of the instrument cluster (on a Coupe not sure about Cab's)

Yup :) Not as obvious as you think, working in IT sometimes the easiest fix is the one you overlooked staring you in the face! :)

I have turned it all the way up, still a bit dull....

Stuck together a wee guide if anyone fancies it, I only did by clock bulb today because Halfords wanted £2.50 a piece, i'll see if I can get the other 6 cheaper elsewhere before I do them.

http://andysbitsandpieces.com/Blog/Entries/2011/1/20_Audi_80___90___Coupe___Cabriolet_Dashboard_Ligh tbulb_change.html

[chairman_mo]

Sometimes turning it off and back on again just doesn't work ;)

LEDs might be brighter than filament lamps, maybe

[andrewaudi]

LED's are shocking, I tried going for the whole Golf look once with blue LEDs, they were terrible, had to swap them right back.

[m50yre]

I tried LEds in mine and they didnt work at all, it was when i plugged in the multilead that has the wires for the dimmer switch, i had a look around on the net and some people seem to think LEDs dont work with variable voltages?

[chairman_mo]

When I bought my Coupe last year the previous owner had fitted blue LEDs to illuminate the dash, it looked woeful. Red switch illumination and this murky blue colour illuminating the clocks and aux gauges.

But LEDs are available in a variety of colours so getting clear ones shouldn't be a problem

[andrewaudi]

The problems with LED's are that they will only work beyond a certain voltage, and they have to be the right way around because diodes only allow the flow of electricity one way.

The light from them is also quite limited in direction, i.e. straight up, where the bulbs go all around, and the way these plastic channels that direct the light look, they need the 'all round' light to work properly.

The blue LED's I tried only lit up the areas of the clocks directly beneath them, not all round.