Instrument message panel has gone half dim, fixable???

[Nomad9]

Hi Forumites,
In the instrument cluster under the speedo is a message centre, displays usually fault codes but on some occasions tells me the klms and trip, plus what gear i'm in D, P, R, N, P etc etc I've noteced over time that the left hand side of the display has gone considerably dimmer than the right hand side, is this fixable or do I need a new instrument cluster? Someone please tell me this is just a globe / bulb problem, please..........

[81stubee]

From my limited use of microcat,

Part No: STC2894

And I beleive there are 3 of these 3.3 watt globes to light up the message centre.

Just go into your local Land Rover place and ask for the globes for the message centre.

Stu

[PhilipA]

From Range Rovers Net

Message Center and Odometer Display Backlighting
Symptoms and Repair Procedure
Kevin Kelly noticed one weekend that half the backlighting on his 1998 Range Rover's dash where the mileage and other information is displayed stopped working. He could still see the numbers, but just barely. Ron Beckett reports he recently had a similar problem and had solved it by replacing the bulbs that supply the backlighting for the display. Ron tells us this is an an easy job; the display is LCD and is illuminated from the rear by 1.2 watt wedge base globes (bulbs). They cost about A$1 each (US 60 cents). The globes are in twist lock holders and can be a little hard to pull out of the holder but they will come out (grip the glass bulb in your teeth and pull - oh, don't bite too hard!).

Wedge-base Bulb for
Message Center Backlight
(Also used for HEVAC light #7 above)To replace the globes requires removal of the instrument binnacle. This is an easy enough job but a little long winded. Our Instrument Binnacle Removal page covers this operation and includes some suggestions not mentioned by the manual.
Note on Sources and Part Numbers for this bulb:
Kevin had some difficulty finding generic US sources for this particular wedge base bulb. Ron Beckett noted that there is no problem sourcing them in Australia or the UK, and noticed that his daughter's Peugeot 405 uses the same globes (he had to replace some). For a picture of the bulb -- see the illustration above.
Ron kindly did a web search for this bulb and offers the following information. He suggests browsing to Don's Bulbs for more details. The replacement bulb is the "286" types, with the following specification:
Category: Miniature
Volts: 13.5
Amp/watt: .09A / 1.22W
Base: W2.1d
Glass: T-1-1/2
Filament: C-2V
Lumens: MSCP:.57 (candle power)
Notes: Indicator and Panel
Regards Philip A

[Nomad9]

Hi Stu,
Great thanks.....phew..... Had visions of great expense

[Kalincho]

I have the same issue with mine, Though I am looking for a instrument surround before I attempt the job, too many years in the sun has left mine with a few cracks that are currently patched up with epoxy. Andrew E doesn't have one at the moment... anyone?? Maybe Nomad and I can do it at the same time together! I am a little nervous!

[Nomad9]

Phillip,
What can I say, thanks......... Perfect

[p38arover]

John Brabyn and I have written a repair page - see here: P38A Instrument Panel Removal