'62 dash light question..

[icetech]

so i'm finally working on the electrical on my car, checking everything over, rebuilt the headlight switch so i have dash lights now.. one thing i didn't know was on the shift buttons i think 3 of the buttons light up.. reverse neutral and drive? are the heater buttons on the right supposed to light also?

Also... anyone know a easy way to replace the worn out words on the shift buttons? thanks..

 

[68chargerfreak]

yes all the buttons light up. This is my dash with a green led upgrade

 

[icetech]

yes all the buttons light up. This is my dash with a green led upgrade

View attachment 1658655

ahhh.. damn i knew things were going too good.. The green lights look great are they led? mine have a slight green hue but not like that

 

[icetech]

So. i haven't had my cluster out but looked at some pics of the back of one.. are the shift/heater lights on the controls themselves? possible to change them without pulling the cluster? can't find a pic of them..

 

[BigFlo]

No. The lightbulbs are all either mounted to the circuit board or mounted into the dash frame. Picture of the rear of my 65 dash frame below. The heater buttons are backlit by a bulb that is mounted into the dash at the red circle. This bulb is mounted in a socket on a the end of a wire that comes from the harness. Not sure the earlier 60’s dashes are the same, but I would suspect they are.

 

[icetech]

No. The lightbulbs are all either mounted to the circuit board or mounted into the dash frame. Picture of the rear of my 65 dash frame below. The heater buttons are backlit by a bulb that is mounted into the dash at the red circle. This bulb is mounted in a socket on a the end of a wire that comes from the harness. Not sure the earlier 60’s dashes are the same, but I would suspect they are.

The thing is, the controls aren't in the cluster itself.. this is a pic of a 63 but same idea, the shifter and heat controls aren't part of the circuit board.. i'm sure there is a socket on a wire.. will crawl under the dash and look tongiht, sure glad i thought to do this before putting the seats in

 

[BigFlo]

Pic attached

 

[icetech]

Pic attached

View attachment 1658948

Thanks.. just leary bout pulling apart that 62 year old plastic to get at stuff

 

[68chargerfreak]

i don't think removing the cluster is necessary. i think you only need to remove the plastic gauge bezel to access the bulbs. the heater bulb is inside a steel light deflector and the shifter bulb is located at the center of the plastic push buttons where they join to the shifter. most dash lights on a mopar are orange wires

 

[Charlie Brown]

so i'm finally working on the electrical on my car, checking everything over, rebuilt the headlight switch so i have dash lights now.. one thing i didn't know was on the shift buttons i think 3 of the buttons light up.. reverse neutral and drive? are the heater buttons on the right supposed to light also?

Also... anyone know a easy way to replace the worn out words on the shift buttons? thanks..

I used the product in the attached photo. I believe they are available in white, black and red.

 

[icetech]

i don't think removing the cluster is necessary. i think you only need to remove the plastic gauge bezel to access the bulbs. the heater bulb is inside a steel light deflector and the shifter bulb is located at the center of the plastic push buttons where they join to the shifter. most dash lights on a mopar are orange wires

View attachment 1659217

View attachment 1659218

Thanks charger, got it all apart and was no biggy.. glad i did, it all needs a good cleaning.. those plastic push buttons/stalks look fragile.. gonna order all new bulbs, trying to decide on led or normal.. i kinda like how soft the normal lights are

 

[icetech]

I used the product in the attached photo. I believe they are available in white, black and red.

View attachment 1659280

View attachment 1659281

View attachment 1659282

I might try that... i don't have a steady hand but shouldn't make em worse.. thanks

 

[icetech]

OHH.. that just rubs in the clean off the outer... awesome will grab some

 

[Charlie Brown]

OHH.. that just rubs in the clean off the outer... awesome will grab some

Yep, just cover the complete button with the stick (push hard to get into the letters) and wipe off the excess.

 

[icetech]

Yep, just cover the complete button with the stick (push hard to get into the letters) and wipe off the excess.

That's how i did my wiper/light switch bezel but with white paint.. might try that first.. dunno why i didn't think of it. i wasn't planning to pull all the controls out though. Gonna stay with normal bulbs since the leds aren't dimable and look crazy bright

 

[icetech]

I might do LED for my taillights/turnsignals though... since i only have 1 tiny tailight on each side.. nice to be seen

 

[icetech]

K.. brought my cluster to work to clean it up and put in the new bulbs and stuff (i have a lot of dead time at work) and when i pulled the cluster this yellow wire wasn't hooked to anything, grou although the whole dash seemed to work.. i looked on a schematic/layout but can't find it.. where is this supposed to go? Ground that was behind one of the cluster mounting screws that i didn't notice?

P.S. looking at the trace it looks like a ground, just wanna make sure, hate to let magic smoke escape..

 

[icetech]

Pretty sure i know why no light was getting through some of the buttons.. they are all covered in some weird scum... cleaning em up..

 

[icetech]

Dash back together.. not perfect but will be fine for me. I fixed the light leak on the left after i took the pic.

P.S.haven't hooked up that yellow ground.. need to find a spot for it, doesn't seem like it's needed though..

 

[thehemikid]

"This is ground control to Major Tom,...you've really made the grade...