Several threads have mentioned cleaning/painting/lining the light tunnel and prism to improve brightness. Are these components removable from the instrument panel or are they cleaned on the cluster? Thanks for any advice.

John

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Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
2002 F250 powerstroke with Plantdrive WVO conversion
1983 300SD 190K miles ,sold
2006 E320 CDI

Once the cluster is removed, silver tape on top of the "tunnels".

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83 SD

84 CD

I'll give it a try. I had no dash illumination so I replaced the stock bulbs with LED's, but the only difference I noticed is the turn signal indicators are now constantly lit (they do flash when stalk lever is flipped and dim with the rheostat).

Any ideas?

John

__________________
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
2002 F250 powerstroke with Plantdrive WVO conversion
1983 300SD 190K miles ,sold
2006 E320 CDI

Sounds like a plug or two have been reversed.
The pics show a 123 and a 126 cluster, the latter has white tunnel covers, for lack of a better term.
In the second pic, near top, the larger bulb backs are the cluster lights, there is only one way, I think to plug in the multi pronged plug, so can't figure out why they are reversed.

Attached Thumbnails

   

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83 SD

84 CD

the LEDs were so bright that the light was "bleeding" over into the turn signal area....causing the turn signal to be dimly lit all the time.

By the way, does the silver tape really work? When I pulled my instrument cluster, I spray painted the litle cavity white. Helped some, but only the right bulb works........the left one must not be making good contact. One of the PO had put 5watt bulbs in there and had melted the plastic.

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daw_two
Germantown, TN

Links:
Sold last car --- 05/2012 1984 300D Light Ivory, Red interior
No longer selling Cluster Needles Paint
No longer selling New Old Stock (NOS) parts

Past:
3/2008 1986 300SDL "Coda"
04/2010 1965 190D(c) "Ben"
& many more

Maybe, yet there are separation partitions.
I've heard, the tape thing helps.

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83 SD

84 CD

U said that you replaces dash lts w/led. What bulb # did you use?

HID white SMT 5 LED bulbs 45689. I found them on Ebay. Here's another link. http://www.ledlight.com/detail.aspx?ID=167.

I haven't tried repairing the light tunnels yet. Since the add ons are still working I'll wait till they quit.

John

__________________
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
2002 F250 powerstroke with Plantdrive WVO conversion
1983 300SD 190K miles ,sold
2006 E320 CDI

I finally pulled the cluster today, lined the instrument light sockets with aluminum tape and plugged it in expecting bright panel lighting. Instead there is no power to the cluster lights, yet the turn signal indicators are lit and respond to the rheostat. If I remove the cluster lights from the sockets, the turn signal indicators act normally.

I have grounded the cluster to the back of the speedo. Could this be causing the problem or is it more likely a broken circuit?

John

__________________
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA)
2002 F250 powerstroke with Plantdrive WVO conversion
1983 300SD 190K miles ,sold
2006 E320 CDI

dangit,
My lights in my 300d do the same thing. I just put some tape over the turn signal indicator and decided to live w/ it

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http://www.libertyagrifuels.com
1984 300D Turbo
1980 300SD Sold
1983 300TD Sold
Dagger 16 ft. Legend Canoe (for the weekends)
Marin Northside Trail Mtn. Bike