your logicon still isn't illuminating properly, the blue/green and fan speed diagram aren't lit.

 

You're right but how is that possible?
Doesn't the same bulb that lights the sliders also light the scales?

Aaargh!

 

What trick did you do to make your clock work lol

 

Plugged it in.

 

Haha, nice.

 

Lol I wish mine was that easy

 

nope, i believe there is a series more bulbs deeper in. luckily i have just swapped the logicon out completely and had good results with working lights. it's an iritating piece of electronics when the lights fail..

for the specialy bulbs, you can replace the bulbs in the sockets but it is a bit of a pain cutting the tiny terminals and trying to pinch the new ones in place. i don't recall which replacement bulbs i have used in the past, just about any the same size will work but the intensity will vary. i hate using old dim bulbs, but you already know how much work it is to restore one of these cars, since it's apart it's easier to just bite the bullet now.

i know it's something that would bug the **** out of me not seeing all the lights working, after doing all that work. just went through the same thing with the BMW E36 vert's information display, almost all the bulbs were toast, works like new again with a few hours out the window.

 

OK, boys and girls, here's the answer.

There are only two bulbs lighting the logicon face.
They are completely visible on the circuit board once the face is unclipped from the main body.

Their assignments are absolutely counterintuitive though.
The upper/top bulb, as expected, illuminates the pictograms but it ALSO lights the ***** on the sliders (I have no idea how and wasn't about to keep taking the face apart to see what this no doubt elaborate diffuser looks like).
The lower bulb lights the scales for the sliding *****.

It's very weird.

The only apparent difference between the logicon bulbs and every other bulb in the switchgear/warning cluster is the socket size, the logicon's being larger.
It's really not that hard to unbend the bulb legs/contacts and transplant one to the other socket BUT...the legs of the small socket bulbs are shorter than the logicon bulbs and you must be careful they make contact with the traces on the board.
It's impossible to explain but very clear with the piece in hand.

In my case, one leg wasn't contacting the trace, hence, no light.
Fixed now though.

So thanks for pointing that out Ben.
I hated your post but I'm glad it's really fixed now, so we're buds again.

Awww.

 

good to know, i hate messing around with the bulbs and the paths they illuminate can be difficult to trace sometimes.

 

Much as I hated polluting my usual ramblings with real info, it seemed like the thing to do.


Funny thing is, I bought the '91 in 2007, first and only RX7 I'd ever sat in really (my Mom owned a first gen but I only saw it a few times).
I picked it up and drove 30 miles home at night, in the middle of a blizzard.
Distinctly remember being befuddled and pissed at the switchgear and couldn't figure out the heating controls because they weren't lit.
In the light of the next day I sussed it out and never much thought about it again.

This is the first fully functional logicon I've ever had.
Of course, the lighting is now basically irrelevant since I know it all by feel but still, better late than never.

 

Okay, I really hate to say this but what about the LED indicator lamps that are above each of the push buttons for the air flow selection and the A/C and Re-circulation buttons? IIRC, one air flow position should always be lit, be it; Vent, Bi-level, Heat, Heat & Defrost or Defrost. From you night time photos I do not see any of those bulbs lit.

I had three of them out in my logicon, so when I removed my unit and disassembled it on the bench, I re-soldered all the the LED connections. It is great to glance at the unit now and be able to tell if the a/c in on or not and where the air flow is being directed.

 

clokker's log - 10/24/2013: Still working on the logicon. Damn lurkers keep pointing out things that dont work.

clokker's log - 10/25/2013: I have removed the logicon entirely. Lurkers be damned.

 

Almost but not quite.
The LEDs all work, when you remove the faceplate and reinstall it none of the buttons are depressed, so none of the LEDs are on.

 

Also- because you bastards made me paranoid and I HAD to check- the LEDs don't activate till the key is on (which is was not for the pic).
Go ahead and check if you don't believe me.

So ALL the lights and ALL the functions work on my climate controls.

Now If I just had a ******* motor to put in*...


*If Aaron Cake jumps in to remind me that "motors" convert electricity and "engines" do not, I'll commit seppuku.

 

Just scanned through this entire thread, loving the dedication and meticulousness, I wish I had that...I'm in the middle of an engine rebuild and my engine bay could REALLY use a deep cleaning along with every other part of my car excluding the exterior, lol. Great stuff though man.

 

Thank you.

If nothing else, spiff up your bay while it's empty, just a good cleaning will go a long way.
It is so much easier, you can actually hop in the bay and work from the inside ( a lot easier on your back).

I had a friend/mentor in Atlanta who had the most disgusting, baby **** brown, old Chevy pickup with an immaculate engine bay.
The incongruity was very striking and kinda cool.

 

"seppuku"

Nicely done.

 

Okay I resemble that remark. Your welcome and thank you... I think.

 

You resemble roman alphanumeric characters?

 

If it makes you feel any better, in varying what you noted I have found that I have a few more burned out lamps in my switches and dash

 

Why would that make me feel better?
Your car runs, mine doesn't have an engine in it.

Looking back on what I've done, I know that I've only completed the easy part...there's nothing especially unique about the chassis of the FC in terms of servicing- the brakes, the suspension, the electrical...all pretty standard and nothing I haven't seen before.

The engine on the other hand is a mystery to me.
Never had to learn much about it because the '91 always ran very well.
I expect to have all sorts of problems as I stumble through the install and struggle to understand what is going on.
I'll no doubt look back on my logicon issues as the "good ole days" compared to the troubles I fear are ahead.

 

Clokker, a NA rotary is probably the easiest engine to work on, ever. With your skills I think you'll be just fine; it's your attention to detail I think you will have to worry about.

"There's definitely a miss downshifting from 3rd above 4000rpms when I turn left."

 

Lulz. This guy.

 

Yup. This guy. Sig'd

 

just treat the engine block as any other engine on the planet, don't let it intimidate you while it sits on the bench.

i have about 4 core return engines sitting around the shop, i randomly kick them to put them in their place.

the n/a peripherals are about as easy a learning point as you will get, just test the solenoids and sensors and unstick and clean the port actuators and you will be fine. only thing of concern is whether the OMP will still work after sitting dormant, they like to fail just for ***** n giggles. new fuel lines and vacuum hoses are easy to do, just replace them one at a time so as not to mix anything up.