Dash Light Dimmer Controls

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Originally Posted by Graeme

Opening the picture in a new tab in my browser provides a full screen view of the picture. Without reloading the WSM to find the page, its in the instruments section.

The control is on the power supply path to the instrument back lighting only. That the power is common to side lights is immaterial because the modulated feed is only to the 3 backlights. Npte that the warning lights/LEDs are not dimmed.

The wiring schematic smacks of someone having measured the resistance between the switch wires when doing the documentation as the 1K and 5 ohm circuit is nonsense. A single 1.2W globe has a resistance of around 120 ohms so feeding its supply through a 5 ohm resistor will have nil visible effect and the 1K to ground will do absolutely nothing.

The ebay item will generate a much higher frequency signal than needed for incandescent globes but that should still be OK because the pwm signal simply supplies power for only a percentage of the time. The 3 back-lights, if indeed 1.2W as previously reported (not be me), will consume less than 4W so a mini version of the ebay device is all that is needed. (connect its o/p negative to earth/its input earth).

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Ok i managed to open the pic as you said in a new tab also i found it in the instruments section too... what can i say, it's a contradiction between that one and two other docs(the diagram and the description from "Electical library") corroborated by the fact that USUALLY when some controll using PWM signals is required it should be on the earth path not on the feed, that's it, the oddities of RAVE and Land Rover ... though IN REALITY the circuit through header C0759 from F33 goes to the binnacle/dash switches and clock too not only to the 3 dash backlight bulbs, as in the diagram, remove F33 and you'll see(it's a difference between facelifts and early modells on this cos on facleifts this illumination is on F3 not F33 not shown in any diagram), also i measured the joints in the header's bypass plug(the one in the pic which is not made by me just posted it for clarification) which confirms the diagram... as about the rudimentary voltage divider scheme in the diagram from RAVE which doesnt show the variable resistance only the top limit when the switch is on maximum ''load'' it's 1005 ohm resistance between the feed and bulbs which would drop the voltage to 0.06V.... i insist on the rheostat method cos it's more simple IMO... at least we all learned something

My problem is that dash lights were on and working at night, then I go for a night drive and no dash lights.
That's when I started looking for a dimmer and evidently there is NO dimmer. D2 2003.
Is it more likely that the actual sensor that adjusts dash lights has failed, rather than the actual dash globes?
If so where is the sensor? Is it that knob in the centre of dash under windscreen?

There is no sensor for the dash lights at all

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Originally Posted by sierrafery

There is no sensor for the dash lights at all

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OK, so no "sensor" (I'd somehow got the impression that on some there was a sensor that automatically set the level of dash brightness), and no way to adjust the dash with a dial rheostat or such.
Since I cannot find any "adjuster" on this vehicle I assumed I must have got one of those that came with a "sensor".
Cannot find any way to adjust /turn on/off the dash lights.

Have also lost the lower rear bumper tail lights (21w globes so assume they might be brake lights).
Wondering if the problem is linked??

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Originally Posted by vbrab

OK, so no "sensor" (I'd somehow got the impression that on some there was a sensor that automatically set the level of dash brightness), and no way to adjust the dash with a dial rheostat or such.

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Originally Posted by vbrab

Since I cannot find any "adjuster" on this vehicle I assumed I must have got one of those that came with a "sensor".
Cannot find any way to adjust /turn on/off the dash lights.

Have also lost the lower rear bumper tail lights (21w globes so assume they might be brake lights).
Wondering if the problem is linked??

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Your dash lights come together with parking lights around the cars (2 on front headlight, 2 on the bull bar if you have a bull bar, 2 on rear tailight which in fact they come as what people call Taillight and will stay together with the brake light in one single bulb with dual filaments, and 2 for the number plate light), which actually needs you to turn on the left tab on the steering wheel, one step before you go two steps for the main headlight.


In my experience, the most effective way to adjust the light on your dash, or whatever light you want to show off, would be changing your dash light bulbs to LED, then you install one of 12V dimmer switch right on the power wire before it goes to the dash light. This means you can simply adjust the power going into the dash light system. And because LED will response very sensitive with low power, you will see them a lot dimmer or brighter on your turn of switch.

I do believe that the original halogen dash light would response quite well to the dimmer switch as well.

Something like this would work.

E67B 12V 8A LED Strip Light Switch Dimmer Brightness Lighting Controller Tool 691006106393 | eBay

(Please correct me if I am wrong).

Didn’t the NAS model D2’s come standard with a dimmer?
Positioned near the drivers right knee I believe.

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Originally Posted by maxperformance

Your dash lights come together with parking lights around the cars (2 on front headlight, 2 on the bull bar if you have a bull bar, 2 on rear tailight which in fact they come as what people call Taillight and will stay together with the brake light in one single bulb with dual filaments, ... ..

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Pretty sure the D2 tail brake lights are separate, unless they changed it on some models.
All three I have here have separate tail light, single filament 5w, and the brake light is the lower more inboard red square 21w again single filament.

Bar lights are tails too. Could be out due to bulbs or wiring, there's a take off point from up in the D pillar that sends power down to both bar tail lights.

Using the AMR 47.. (whatever numbered) part is the nicest option. Only prob is finding one at a reasonable price. They all seem to cost about $100 or so delivered at the moment.
I found one a few years ago out of the UK, very cheap(cost $27 posted!) and fitted to my D1.
Best thing for those dark roads, very easy to fit, was worried about cutting the square out of the dashpod, thinking the plastic is extremely brittle, which it is! .. but it cut well.
Small file on the rough parts, you may need to play a bit with the file to get clearance for the rheostat to turn smoothly. Couple of carefully chosen screws for size, again to be sure plastic didn't split for the screw posts on the back.
D1 had the loom wire there, so a matter of plug 'er in and [thumbsupbig]

I didn't add any PWM, or electronical gizmology .. and LEDs run nicely around town at full brightness, and nicely dimmed for dark back roads.

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Originally Posted by AK83

Pretty sure the D2 tail brake lights are separate, unless they changed it on some models.
All three I have here have separate tail light, single filament 5w, and the brake light is the lower more inboard red square 21w again single filament.

Bar lights are tails too. Could be out due to bulbs or wiring, there's a take off point from up in the D pillar that sends power down to both bar tail lights.

Using the AMR 47.. (whatever numbered) part is the nicest option. Only prob is finding one at a reasonable price. They all seem to cost about $100 or so delivered at the moment.
I found one a few years ago out of the UK, very cheap(cost $27 posted!) and fitted to my D1.
Best thing for those dark roads, very easy to fit, was worried about cutting the square out of the dashpod, thinking the plastic is extremely brittle, which it is! .. but it cut well.
Small file on the rough parts, you may need to play a bit with the file to get clearance for the rheostat to turn smoothly. Couple of carefully chosen screws for size, again to be sure plastic didn't split for the screw posts on the back.
D1 had the loom wire there, so a matter of plug 'er in and [thumbsupbig]

I didn't add any PWM, or electronical gizmology .. and LEDs run nicely around town at full brightness, and nicely dimmed for dark back roads.

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On a 99 to 2003 D2 the rear bar lights are called “rear guard” lights and are intended for use when driving in fog. The on / off switch is at the top left on the instrument binnacle and they only operate in conjunction with the with front main-beam lights.

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Originally Posted by onebob

On a 99 to 2003 D2 the rear bar lights are called “rear guard” lights and are intended for use when driving in fog. The on / off switch is at the top left on the instrument binnacle and they only operate in conjunction with the with front main-beam lights.

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[thumbsupbig]

Never knew. will check on the D2 next time.

LIGHTING 86.65.37

Part number AMR2745


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