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New Owner with Dash Light Questions

Kip

By Kip,
in Four Door Family & Wagoneers

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Kip Contributor

Kip

Posted
Posted

Hi Stageans,

I picked up a new-to-me RS260 last week. Having a good time getting to know the car, but have some things to learn. A couple general questions about what I'm supposed to be seeing light up on the dash and one random button question:

  1. When I turn on the headlights, there is no indicator light on the dash. I assume there should be the usual, generic headlamp image (usually green) somewhere on the dash. I have the blue, high beams, headlamp issue when the high beams are on. Assuming I have a bad bulb, but don't want to tear into the dash to chase an indicator light that doesn't exist. Does it exist?
  2. Similar question about the driving lights. The switch on the stalk has two positions for the driving lamps: fronts only and rears and fronts. When I roll the switch to the first position, I have no indicator light on my dash. When I rol the switch to the second position, the amber, driving lamp image lights up on the dash. Is that the correct function or is there potentially another dash bulb out?
  3. Rear driving lights: I assume there are two of them in the back. I only have one working. Rear driving lights are a bit of an anomoly in the States, so wanting to confirm I should have two in the back before I go disassembling things.
  4. To the right of the steering wheel and below the instrument binnacle, there is a two position toggle switch. It has the image of the rear windscreen, if I'm interpreting it correctly. Press it up, a light on the switch comes on, so I'm assuming it's "on". Press it down, the light goes off. I can't tell that it's doing anything. What the @#$! is this switch? Rear defrost?

Thanks in advnace.Sorry if these questions have previously been answered, but my search turned up nothing.

-Kip

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Duncan Grand Master

Duncan

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I. can't be certain of 1 because mine (was) auto not manual cluster, but I don't have a main headlight (not high beam) dash light. The hint is that the dash backlights come on

2 and 3, these are fog lights. Position 1 on the switch gives you the front fog lights + parking lights including dash illumination. Position 2 turns on one rear red light as well as the dash light.  As a result you only get 1 reversing light and will forever have kindly people stopping you to tell you one of your reversing lights is out.

4. Is for the front not rear screen, you have the "Winter options pack". That switch turns on the front windscreen wiper de-icer (element in the windscreen, if the windscreen has never been replaced). You should also have heated mirrors, a centre diff lock switch and the fog lights from q 2/3. There is a separate rear demister switch

GTSBoy Grand Master

GTSBoy

Posted
Posted

Almost no cars from that era have a low beam headlight indicator on the dash. As Duncan said, the fact that the dash lights come on used to be enough for us to know.

Modern cars with all their unnecessary bullshit (ie, backlit LCD instrument panels and daytime running lights)......that's when people started "needing" an indicator light to tell them they had the headlights on.

Kip Contributor

Kip

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Excellent info. Thanks (Great detail, Duncan!)

  1. Sounds like everything is working properly as far as dash lights are concerned. Good to know. Yeah. I know the backlight comes on as an indicator that lights are on. I was just wondering if I was missing something. My previous cars, old ones too, have had a low beam indicator light. Maybe it's a US thing, IDK.
  2. Good to know about the fog lights, not driving lights. It's funny you mention helpful people letting you know you have a burned out reverse light. My bonus daughter's boyfriend let me know that one of my taillights was burned out. In reality, I was driving with the fog lights on, so only the one side lit up. He's "helpful" too.
  3. Winter options pack. Interesting. I'll look for the element on the windscreen. I do think I have an indicator on the side mirrors, but I shouldn't trust my memory. I'll look for those too. Where would the differential lock switch be? What do you mean "fog lights from a q 2/3"?

New question: Is there a way to adjust the brightness on the dash backlight? Feeling stupid, but I'm not finding it in the "normal" places.

-Kip

Duncan Grand Master

Duncan

Posted
Posted

Sorry to be unclear, I meant that the fog lights from your questions 2 and 3 are also part of the winter pack. Generally, a bunch of rust is also part of that pack so please check the car out carefully including removing the door mirrors to check underneath.

Mine has the winter pack too and despite being rescued from snowy parts more than 20 years ago the door mirrors still needed repair.

There is no factory way to dim the dash lights. It is possible to fit a dimmer if it does trouble you, for a while adding one was part of compliance when cars came into Australia. You basically just add a variable resistor into the wire that supplies power to the dash backlight globes

Kip Contributor

Kip

Posted
  • Author
Posted
17 hours ago, Duncan said:

Mine has the winter pack too and despite being rescued from snowy parts more than 20 years ago the door mirrors still needed repair.

There is no factory way to dim the dash lights. It is possible to fit a dimmer if it does trouble you, for a while adding one was part of compliance when cars came into Australia. You basically just add a variable resistor into the wire that supplies power to the dash backlight globes

I read about the rust in the door mirrors. From the outside, they seem solid. But yes, going to get in there and check them out at some point.

The dash light isn't too bad. Some modern ones really glare. These are reasonably subdued. At this point, not worth it to install a resistor. It was more of a question about not finding the adjuster. I thought I was going mad.

Again, thanks, Duncan. You seem to know your stuff.

Stick180 Enthusiast

Stick180

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, Kip said:

I read about the rust in the door mirrors. From the outside, they seem solid. But yes, going to get in there and check them out at some point.

The dash light isn't too bad. Some modern ones really glare. These are reasonably subdued. At this point, not worth it to install a resistor. It was more of a question about not finding the adjuster. I thought I was going mad.

Again, thanks, Duncan. You seem to know your stuff.

When you do look inside the mirrors, be sure to remove the sponge that is jammed in there. That is the culprit.

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