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Old 03-12-2004, 08:44 PM
DieselFitter's Avatar
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Lightbulb Switch Lights & Interior Illumination

Dear Diesel Fiends:

Please forgive me in advance if this topic has been covered already - I did a few searches and couldn't locate the info I need.

First: I own an '83 300D and have recently lost illumination on the set of four switches to the north of the Climate Control panel. You know the ones I mean: rear courtesy lamp, antenna, sunroof and defroster. I seem to recall reading something about these switches sharing a common source of illumination - is that the case? And how do I get these switches out and replace the bulb or bulbs?

Second: I've read many posts here about the lackluster quality of instrumentation lighting on some MB models, mine included - but am I alone in believing a dark passenger cabin is not necessarily a bad thing? One of the reasons the dimmer's there is to turn things down, right? Have you ever been driving on a dark country road and noticed that interior light "pollution" is making it difficult to see outside the car? Personally, when I'm driving in an area without street/highway lights, I turn my interior lighting WAY down to the point where I can just make out the speedo.

Am I nuts here or does anyone else do the same?

No Xenon instrument bulbs for me,

Diesel Fitter

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Old 03-12-2004, 11:54 PM
Ali Al-Chalabi's Avatar
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I sorry I can't comment on your problem, but turning the lights down at night is a good way to help your night adaptation and vision outside of the vehicle on dark roads.

This is the same thing that we do in aviation at night with cockpit lighting during more critical phases of flight.
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Old 03-13-2004, 01:08 AM
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You need to remove the wood trim around the climate control (carefully pry) and then remove the screws which hold the climate control unit to the dash. After removing it, you'll see what looks like a small octopus. At the head of the octopus is a bulb, and each tentacle is a fiber optic channel which sends light to the four switches that you mentioned.

The fiber optic tips can and do slip out of the switches. If replacing the bulb still results in no light to the swithches (although you can see the bulb itself light up), carefully pry out each switch with a small screwdriver and make sure the fiber optic tip is inserted securely. If the bulbs for the climate control unit are dim (I think there are four of them), it's a good time to replace those too.

The replacement bulb is Sylvania 2721.
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Old 03-13-2004, 07:45 AM
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No, you're not the only one who darkens the dash at night. My Saab 9-5 actually has a "night panel" button that shuts off everything but the speedo; if anything goes "critical" (low fuel, etc.) the relevant display lights until the condition is corrected, and if one changes the radio or AC settings those displays light temporarily. It really does help a bit on rural, light-traffic freeways. Besides, it feels kind of cool..

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