Although i have nothing to compare it to besides my 1.8t jetta, does anyone else have a really dim dashboard in their RA? I can barely see the milege or anything...yes, i know there is a dimmer switch.

 

Maybe there is a problem with your dimmer switch.... But in our RA's, the interior lightning is not so good IMO.

 

I admit that the RAs dashboard is a lil dim but if you can barely see it then that may be something wrong there... Are all the fuses intact in the car? maybe something blew out... Only other thing i could think of is that a light behind the dash went out.

 

Mine's about the same age and has a bulb blown out behind the guages. I can see most of it alright because there's other lights around it, but it's still pretty dim. Just can't read the odometer at night.

It should be lit fairly evenly. If there's any dim sections, there could be a bulb burnt out.

 

There's three main bulbs behind the gauges...the first on the left side of the tach, the second between the tach and the speedo, and the third to the right of the speedo, left of the gas and temp. You can tell pretty clearly when one of them is out.

And I agree with wake, the lighting isn't so good...especially at dusk.

 

I agree, the lighting is dim, but i've never had a problem reading any of the gauges at any time during the day.

 

Does anyone know how to replace these bulbs or do we have to have the dealership do it?

 

yeah..I've always thought that the dash is pretty dim..but not as dim as you say yours is.

the "lancer" 'gauge' on the right is the darkest area of the whole dash for me..can't even see it, really...not that it's of any importance.

 

A couple of the bulbs have to be bought from the dealership.(the ones that look like LEDs wrapped in red plastic. I tried a couple auto parts stores and they didn't carry them. Changing them is pretty easy. Two screws to remove the shroud. then you have access to the screws holding the gauge cluster.

Some pics I took last night on my camera phone. I still haven't changed the bulb, but can see everything when the dimmer is turned up. My brake light was so bright, it made the phone less sensitive to everything else.

 

Well your gauge is nothing to complain about... its not like you need to view the mileage anyway right? unless you're worried about getting an oil change

 

whats the wattage on those led's? how long have you had them on your car and what brand are they?. the cluster does look way brighter than with the stock bulbs!

 

Um, no, those are the stock lights. One picture looks brighter than the other because I took it in 'night mode' which basically has a longer exposure. The brighter one is pretty much what it looks like with the naked eye.

 

^ mine looks like that with the naked eye, empty gas tank and all haha :P

 

My guess would be dealership then in order to fix it...

 

Nah, taking out the gauge cluster is pretty easy. If if weren't so cold out, I'd make a DIY thread (I am gonna do my needles blue come spring). Taking out the cluster and changing the bulbs requires a Phillips screwdriver and a needle-nose pliers (the pliers for those of us with big hands).

If you go the DIY route, I'd upgrade to LEDs while you're in there (https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/ev...-exterior.html, this is from Curt@MrLED, previously dafarmer...the Evo cluster bulbs are the same and will fit).