Just installed a different Boost gauge in my FD, and I hooked the wires up to the ashtray light so it dims with the switch - The problem is the bulb is just far brighter than the rest of the cluster. I have 2 of the red autometer bulb condoms on it, and can't fit more or the bulb wont fit in the socket. The color is perfect, just a little too bright.

Can I wire a resistor or something inline with the positive wire to reduce the voltage to the lamp, therefore "dimming" the gauge? I have already looked for a smaller wattage bulb with no luck..

 

holy crap, you actually have a problem dimming the blub??? in anycase, lower wattage bulbs should beable to give you what you want, perhaps you jsut did not go low enuf. you can also put a potentiameter (SP?) in there to dim it.

good luck

 

Tks for the reply

yeah I know I can use a POT but I was thinking a resistor might have the same effect, cost less, and wire in easier.. It is just SO much brighter.. almost like the difference the rest of the gauges are taillights and the boost gauge is a lit brake lamp eheh.. The reflection in the window always makes me think theres an ambulance somewhere around

I could not a find a lower wattage bulb of the same size, or Id just swap it

 

A resistor in series should work fine. That is just a guess, but I cannot think of any way it wouldn't work, even with the weird gauge dimmer circuit. It would be no different than installing a lower wattage bulb from a system standpoint, and it will lower the current through your gauge bulb circuit, which will certainly make it dimmer. I am not sure what value resistor to use, but you could try a few and see what works or use a pot to match the brightness and measure the pot resistance after removing it from the circuit.

-Max