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So I want to make the lights on the dash and such dimmer, as in, not so bright. I know there is that **** under the Tac that lets you adjust the level of brightness, but it does not go low enough for me. In my old Hyundai Excel I could turn them all the way off, and I am used to having them really really low and I would like my civic dash lights to be really really low.

I found the scattered DIY on how to take apart the dash and such. It is really easy compared to what people are gripping about. I first figured I could mess with the adjuster to make it go lower, but I figured that would be difficult since it looks like it would require sodering and such. So my next thought was replacing the light bulbs themselves. I thought of getting a lower wattage bulb , but one of the lights is already at 1.4 watts and from playing with those 3 way light bulbs that go from 100 to 150 to 250 leads me to believe that point whatever watts less would not be noticeable. That same bulb is 14 volts, so I assume the others (dash, climate control, and buttons) are all 14 volts. So then I thought that I could put higher voltage bulbs in with the idea that a 28 volt bulb would shine half as bright as it would normally since it was only getting 14 volts.

Then I talk to my dad about it and he was telling me that a 28 volt bulb on a 14 volt circuit would require twice as much current/amp. And cars only have so much and he was concerned that I may ware my alternator out. I went to Radio Shack’s website and looked up the same types of bulbs and most of them don’t go more than 100 mA. I did see a few in the 200 to 300 mA area. Is 100 mA a lot for our cars?

So I am basically clueless as to amps, volts, watts, and all the rest of it. My High School days are long gone.

Would it be really that hard to make the **** turn more so the light dimmed more?


My dad was thinking that I could paint the bulbs back and that would make them dimmer, but i have read that that does not last. He then suggested the paint you use on your engin block.

 
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Well, one thing you could do, instead of replacing or painting the bulbs, just put another layer over the current lense - it's kind of greenish color, and if you added something like cellophane, or whatever, that would certainly make it dimmer. I took out my lenses and replaced them with gels - available at any major music store that handles stage lighting, it talks about it in some of the DIY posts - anyways mine are now blue, but they also appear to be a lot dimmer, which is kinda buggin me - but may help you. A giant sheet - available in every color imaginable - only costs like 6 or 7 dollars, depending on where you go. So that's an idea, and you might try that. It would also let you change the lights from puke-green to any other color you wanted, and since they're heat resistant, they'll last a pretty long time. If you want more info on it, lemme know - I can give you instructions on how to do every single light - I soent the afternoon yesterday doing that very same thing. Uhh .. ok, that's long enough ..

Hope that helps!

 
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Well I suppose changing the gel would not be a bad idea either. I could just change it to a darker red. I would like to keep it the same orange-ish red color that it is now. But I would only do that if I would change the Stock Head Unit too. I started to realize that getting at the bulbs in there might be more than I want to do especially because of the LCD screen.

I was taking to an electrician today, I really hate the guy and more that once he has been wrong, but he says the adjuster **** thing is basically a variable resister. He said if I just add more resistance to the resister, it would dim the lights. So I suppose if I resisted the current before it gets to the variable resister as much as the variable resister already resists I could cut the brightness half its lowest setting.

It makes since in my head [IMG]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/IMG] I suppose the next part is actually doing it. I hate soldering......

Since you offered, how to I take the circuit board off of the white thing. I tried the 5 1inch screws, but there is still something holding it together. I am sure it’s the needles, but I am really nervous about touching them.

 
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I finally got the *****. I just pulled a little harder on the needles and they poped right out. now that I look at the needles, how did you all get them blue?

 
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They don't go go dim enough for me, huuuuuuuh.

 
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there is a fuse in the fuse cluster under the hood next to the battery that only controls the dash lights, its a 15amp fuse, on the lower left. run a pot to that and you could kill them all togeather if you wanted.

 
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i got some spelling experience

 
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First you mock me, and then you insult me. You guys are so nice.

Anyway, I found out the company that makes the variable resister (the **** that dims the lights) and found that its 20 ohms and that they make a 50 ohm one too. I am trying to get in contact with them to see if they will sell me just one. I don't think they are that type of company, but at least they could point me in the right direction.

 
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you could just add a resistor to the circuit

 
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I thought about that, But I don't know how to add it. There are 4 prongs and I don't know which prong does what. I woud not know how to hook the resister to it.

 
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Oh .. you're talking about the gauges ..

When you said "dash lights" I thought you were referring to the A/C controls and such, which I can easily help you with. Unfortunately, I never took my gauge panel off (yet) so I have no idea how to make them dimmer. Sorry! I paid some schmuck to install my indiglo gauges for me. And no, my needles are still orange. Sorry for the mix up, and best of luck to you!!

Here, this is for when you're all done. it's on me .. [IMG]i/expressions/beer_yum.gif[/IMG]

 
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try the two outside prongs. it would be best to solder it but you could just twist it on.