marshal135

Hello Forum,
So at the advise and suggestion of other forum members who have used the Super Bright BA9S-WW Led bulbs in their dash, I purchased same and changed out all dash lights except the two in the clock and the single heater/Defroster **** light (this is a different shaped bulb)
I also changed the Head lamp switch after getting no improvement over the old dull original bulbs.
Any other suggestions or something I'm missing?
If the ground was not present they wouldn't work at all correct?
I installed... push in and turn and snap back into the rear of the dash housing on all gray wires. I did the dash only like 9 gray wires.
I'm no where's near the brightness of other posters.
After disappointing results, I installed an NOS headlamp switch thinking the Rheostat was weak.
Still no change.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Marshal

Vettrocious

A less that ideal ground will restrict current flow and can dim lights. It can’t hurt to remove the ground next to the radio and clean the tie bar surface to bare metal, steel wool the terminal, and clean the screw threads to bare metal. Additionally, the radiator tie bar ground should get the same treatment. It may not help, but it’s always a good idea to get maximum surface contact on those grounds.

marshal135

Thank you, I figured a possible weak ground but not sure. I can start with these two grounding points. Any other critical grounding wires on a 65 convertible?
Thanks,
Marshal

Avispa

The instrument cluster housing has a ground contact, a single spade lug held in by one of the screws that holds the instrument mounting plate to the cluster housing. A single plastic insulated female terminal slips over the spade lug to ground the cluster housing. You may want to check that one to be sure it's clean and making good contact. The radio ground will affect the lamp in the radio, but not the ones in the cluster. Ditto for the radiator ground.

Plasticman

Sounds more like a dirty lens, but it does not hurt to check the ground.

If you are positive that dirt or a cloudy lens is not the issue, then a voltage check would be in order.
I would unplug one of the common lights, and check the voltage at that socket, while the other dash lights are lit.
If the voltage is 12 volts or so, then you know it is not an electrical issue.
If it is less than "battery voltage", then it is probably a power supply issue (fuse block, headlight switch, and wiring, etc.).
You can also plug the bulb back in, and with the socket "in hand", touch a ground wire to the socket body, and witness how bright or dim it is, then go from there, suspecting it is a grounding issue.

Good luck.
Plasticman

polo91

One thing about an LED is that it draws so little current that the ground has to be near perfect. The low draw won't bridge a weak connection.

Tampa Jerry

Marshal: Sounds like you are really digging into the car. When in doubt, for testing purposes, bring a wire directly from the battery to the ground wire on the gauge. See if that makes a difference in the brightness. Jerry

marshal135

Happy New Year Jerry,
Yes, I will need to find a clean grounding point for trouble shooting. If need be I can run a length of wire from the battery ground post and touch the back of the dash cluster and see what if anything changes. Yes, it's a beautiful car I'm just catching up on the neglected stuff.
Thanks everyone who responded as well.
Marshal

rjmonty

I have the same problem. Gray wire lights are very bright when not plugged in to holes in the back of the cluster. However, plugged in the light is very weak. Even touching a direct ground wire from the engine block to the side of a plugged in light makes no difference. I am baffled.

JrRifleCoach

Well yeah, all of them.