Dimmer switch removal
Discussion
Yatesy350i said:
JV
I would think you should be able to just bridge it out as its only a variable resistor. Sounds like yours is toast. Karl.
What they don't like is being set just off full-bright; either full-on or quite dim and they're OK but just off full puts too much current through the carbon track and it burns out.I would think you should be able to just bridge it out as its only a variable resistor. Sounds like yours is toast. Karl.
When you think about it there's about half a dozen 2W bulbs trying to suck juice through what's little more than a transistor radio volume control...
I thought they were wirewound? Usually pots have a "land" at the end of the track so the zero ohm setting dissipates very little power in the pot. You start to get problems when it's very slightly off this land and you have maybe 10% resistance, you have almost full current but the power is concentrated at one end of the track. This is why they burn out near the end.
One quick fix is to swap over the "ends" (the wires on the end terminals that is) which means you'll have to twist it the other way but you'll have another 25 year's worth of operation...
Maybe that's why they went over to a 3-position switch?
One quick fix is to swap over the "ends" (the wires on the end terminals that is) which means you'll have to twist it the other way but you'll have another 25 year's worth of operation...
Maybe that's why they went over to a 3-position switch?
As fair as I know the dim setting go via 2 wire resistors in the engine bay.
But as Adam says swap the dim and bright over in the switch, so only the bright works.
Or by pass the resistors in the engine bay, (i.e. remove and join the wires) so both settings are bright.
Don't know why they used the big resistors and did not just a POT ?
But as Adam says swap the dim and bright over in the switch, so only the bright works.
Or by pass the resistors in the engine bay, (i.e. remove and join the wires) so both settings are bright.
Don't know why they used the big resistors and did not just a POT ?
TVRleigh_BBWR said:
As fair as I know the dim setting go via 2 wire resistors in the engine bay.
But as Adam says swap the dim and bright over in the switch, so only the bright works.
Or by pass the resistors in the engine bay, (i.e. remove and join the wires) so both settings are bright.
Don't know why they used the big resistors and did not just a POT ?
They did use a pot on many cars, maybe it was the later Ford column that had no dimmer that required them to go to fixed resistors?But as Adam says swap the dim and bright over in the switch, so only the bright works.
Or by pass the resistors in the engine bay, (i.e. remove and join the wires) so both settings are bright.
Don't know why they used the big resistors and did not just a POT ?
The very early Tasmins actually had about four feet of wire coiled up at the back of the switch to act as a resistor for the dimmer...
Was in the garage quite late last night (Wife & Kids were in bed, so I had some "Me time"). fitted new Clock & also replaced all the bulbs in the rest of the instruments ... the result is a lot more "Green" and a working clock 
I had a quick look at he dimmer switch, and apparently it does still work !!!... 3 positions, off, dim, bright ... although the dim is so dim, only sat in a pitch black garage could I actually tell the dashboard was illuminated, and the Bright was ... well, lets just say "dim!".
I think im going to bypass it and just keep the illumination bright and also change the bulbs in the rest of the clocks to see if the amount of illumination is better.
This is "Bright" !!...
This is the center console now..
I had a quick look at he dimmer switch, and apparently it does still work !!!... 3 positions, off, dim, bright ... although the dim is so dim, only sat in a pitch black garage could I actually tell the dashboard was illuminated, and the Bright was ... well, lets just say "dim!".
I think im going to bypass it and just keep the illumination bright and also change the bulbs in the rest of the clocks to see if the amount of illumination is better.
This is "Bright" !!...
This is the center console now..
Edited by JVaughan on Tuesday 29th April 16:54
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