RIVNIK Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 HELP!! Im having a real time with my instrument lighting.....I know Shmiddy & Roadmaster have recent experience in this area, but Im open to suggestions from everyone. I am trying to install LEDs in the inst. cluster. The easy ones were a snap, but there are two that I just can't reach around the speedo. The top receptacle is totally out of reach so Ill probably have to remove the dash pad for that one( something I am dreading, considering it already has a small crack) I got the one closest to the middle out, but am struggling to get it back in. I was able to get it back in only once (after many tries) but it would not illuminate. I finally got it back out & tested it in one of the easier to reach positions and it worked fine. Then I realized I had one of two problems. 1: The LEDs have to be properly polarized, so apparently the receptical has to be revolved 180 to work. However it is so difficult to change and I can't tell if I have it reversed or not. On the right cluster I can remove the bezel & faceplate and simply reverse the bulbs from the front side, leaving the receptacles in place. Not so on the left. The speedo faceplate doesn't pop right out like the one on the right. Problem 2: On one of the easily accessible positions I discovered that the copper circuitboard material that delivers power to the receptacle had come away from the backplate where it makes contact & had peeled up, apparently from my repeated bulb changing. Fortunately I could reach that one and was able to apply a tiny drop of superglue to it and reattach it. That may also be the problem on the hole that won't light up... unfortunately I can't see that one clearly. Is it possible to unbolt the speedo unit from the housing & pull it out enough to reach the bulbs from the front? If not, how do I go about removing the instrument panel, & can it be pulled loose enough to view the circuit board & change those recepticals without disconnecting the power, (so I can test it without reinstalling it). And finally, can the panel be removed without removing the dashpad? I know thats a lot, I appreciate any help you can give. Thanks again, Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 The dash pad is the easiest thing to remove; only four screws attach it to the frame. Sorry, but you cannot get to the bulbs from the front. The circuit board is on the back of the housing and the speedometer and gauge clusters are on the front. Besides that, if you wanted to remove the speedometer, you'd still have to get behind the housing to undo the speedometer cable. Once you have the trim off the front, and the speedometer cable and wiring harness off the back, you can pull the housing. Then you can take a look at the printed circuit panel. It does not need to been attached to the housing to work. I'm not a big fan of OPGI but if your circuit board is bad, they make a repo. I've not heard of anyone using this one so there is no way to review it. Perhaps someone has and will chime in. I've never done it but I think a rear window defogger repair kit could be used to fix a broken section of a circuit panel. https://www.opgi.com/riviera/BR06131/ Good luck and keep us posted. Ed 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 Thanks ED Ive had mostly good luck with OPGI over the years mainly because I know their reputation and choose what I buy from them carefully. A decent used part is always better than a repo that doesn't fit. Not sure if I would trust their circuit board. Actually the circuit wasn't broken on mine....the end of one of the circuit's "fingers" that feed the bulb receptacle was loosened & scrunched up by one of the contacts, more than likely through repeated use. It was the most accessible socket and I was using it to test polarity on the LED bulbs&recepticles before installing them in the other sockets. I would test the bulb-recepticle in the easy-to-reach spot, then move it to the hard spot, & it wouldn't work. It took quite a while of pure dumbfoundedness before I realized that the receptacles themselves were reversible( Ill say it for you, "DUUUH") . What an idget! As most of us know when working on an old car sometimes you only have about three chances to mess with something before it finally breaks. Exactly my concern with the dashpad. I removed the screws and it didn't want to budge with moderate effort. Guess I have no choice but to go out & give it a harder tug. Im not sure how durable the clips are which hold it in place. I suppose they're anchored in 50 year old foam like others Ive seen. Any advice? Will keep you informed of my progress Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Once the four screws are removed from under the lip of the dash board, pull the dash straight back. There are some spring loaded "Clips" toward the front. You may need to do some wiggling to get the dash clips to release from the frame. On your 65, you also need to be aware that the radio speaker comes out the the dash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted February 13, 2017 Author Share Posted February 13, 2017 Thanks ED! I got out my little mirror on a stick and spotted the offending circuit, on the lower right bulb position( adjacent to steering column). I could possibly repair it, (like I did two others, in place) by applying a dab of gel superglue with the tip of a long wooden skewer. However, in order to get to it I need a little more wiggle room. If I loosen the two bolts securing the steering column, will it drop down maybe an inch or two? Thats all I would need to have a straight shot at a it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 Yep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIVNIK Posted February 15, 2017 Author Share Posted February 15, 2017 Success! Thanks ED! I removed the nuts holding the steering column and dropped it til the wheel rested on the seat. That gave me plenty of room to repair the damaged circuit & replace the bulb.....took all of 5 min. This after spending a crazy amount of time trying to work through the fusebox door. From now on the only thing I will ever fear is actual fear itself..... Hey! What a great saying! I think I'll write that one down! (Could use a slight rewording I guess.) Anyway, once feeble instrument lighting is now spectacular. This is one thing that has bugged me about the Riv since I bought it 25 yrs. ago. Problem solved!! Thanks to Roadmaster, Shmiddy, Ed , and everyone else who threw their $.02 in. Anyone considering switching to LEDs, I assure you will not be disappointed ! RIV(beat)NIK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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