Dashboard lights
 

My dashboard lights don't work. Anybody have any suggestions? thanks.

What year & model car???

The dashboard lights on my 1984 300TD seem to not be working completely. One side of the instrument panel has light on it, but the other side is dark. Are there two bulbs in there? Are they hard to get to?

Didn't mean to hijack your thread, Phlatc, but thought this might be relevant to you, too.

It's a 1984 380SL.

On my 78 300D it is the rheostat (dimmer). If i tap on it the lights will come on. Try jumping it at the rheostat and see if they come on.

On my 560SL, there are 2, both at the top of the cluster. One is 'hard-wired' to the cluster (gray or red, I forget which, one is attached to the holder) and gets its power (or ground) from contact with the casing when you turn/insert it into the socket. The other has spring-loaded tangs that contact the printed circuit when the holder is pushed in and turned.
Both bulb holders are about 2 1/2" long black plastic 'tubes' that put the bulbs at the front of the cluster. One illuminates the tach, the other all the other instruments.
I'll add that they are both really flakey, in that I tested the bulbs for function, inserted them properly, then made sure the holders were seated right. I even verified that they were working with the cluster out of the dash, then again after putting everything back in. After re-installing the steering wheel, I STILL have to tap the cluster from time to time to get 'em both to work.
And, BTW, solder a wire across the rheostat terminals while the cluster is out. This will eliminate this pesky piece of s**t as a source of trouble (like your lights go out while driving at night!)

Sounds like mine are similar to yours. Thanks for the info.