Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications General Mods Dim gauge lights

Ok I purchased a new set of BNM white gauges (which look awsome) but my Prob is that they are very Dim and have trouble seeing them unless it is very dark. The dimmer switch is on all the way. Any Help????

If you can find the time or means, I'd like to see a picture of them at night to try to figure out what's wrong. Is this on all of the gauges, or just on the tach, speedo, temp, or fuel? As I've said in emails, this is the first I know of this happening... Anyone else?

Brad, My speedo is kinda dim, believe it or not right where the light pipes are. (about at 30mph and then again at 120) Everywhere else is bright. It is very visible once dark, kinda difficult to see at dusk. the temp and gas are VERY bright at all times!
Nothing I can't live with, just wish I could get the lower end of the speedo a little brighter so I don't speed to bad!

I'd send you a pic but there isn't enough light for them to turn out and if I add some fill light then the glow doesn't show up... Any suggestion on getting them to show up good at night?? (seeing you have pics of them at night)

hey thanks
sounds just like my problem lower right and left of speedo is very dim. temp and gas are ok but could be a little brighter.
No way as of now to send a pic of it. let me know if i yall find any thing out.

Are these on the no tach sets? Seeing as how the masking tape is on the speedo to diffuse light, you could probably remove the masking from those two areas to help the light shine through... This is also the case with the regular sets as well.

Picture taking at night is easy with a digital camera. I've also never had to do anything special to take regular pictures at night as long as the developer knows to not try to lighten the image up which makes it look all fuzzy... Maybe lengthen the exposure time just a touch...

Of course the problem could very well be that the lighting is notoriously bad in those areas from the placement of the stock lighting from Ford. My stock SVT gauges were quite dark and hard to see at dusk in those mentioned areas. I had no problems at night either, but dusk really sucked with the stock ones. Just my .02

Rick

Buckshot is right! Make sure you have th dim turned all the way up. This may seem simple but not everyone know about it!@

-Andy

Thanks... I have no tach w/ mine. I'll tear into it again the weekend and try removing the tape in those areas. I'd think that it would be brightest where the light pipes come up, but it's just the opposite??? I'll try and fool around w/ my camera to get some pics too once I get my car back... in the shop again, it won't shift into park and release the key!
Oh, and the dim switch is all the way up.

Ok Brad, here is an attempt at getting you some shots of them at night even after I removed the tape behind the prob areas. Note that they are a little brighter than they appear so don't be too alarmed, but it still shows how the speedo isn't as bright at 30 and again at 100 or so. and I did check again and it is dim right were the light pipes are at

Is this one any better...

Ok Think I have found a solution!! Took gauges off and cleaned all of old glue off and re-taped the gauges back down along the edges and this seemed to have worked. Lighting is now about 60% better at night but still not as bright as original gauges.

Brad will your indiglow gauges make it brighter???

Thanks for all the help