Instrument Panel/Cluster Panel Lights

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Real_Deal_Mo

Member

• Oct 14, 2019

• #1

Hey all... I just changed the fused lights on the Protege5 and replaced them with some LEDs lights. Truth is, the instrument panel lights on the car never worked when I bought the car. My question is, is it supposed to be this dim? The numbers, the speedometer, I can barely see them. And yes, in the photo, the lights appear MUCH MUCH brighter then in reality. I guess that's the phone highlighting the low level lights, phone takes good pics in the dark , anyways... Does anyone have a pic of how it's supposed it look in the dark? Is this normal?

 

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pcb

The Diagram Dude

:

2002 MP5

• Oct 14, 2019

• #2

My dials are lit from the back in orange.

I'm pretty sure all P5's are lit in orange.
Your cluster appears to be modified.

Your backlighting may be disconnected.

Do you have lighting on your other instruments?

My cluster looks like this with the headlights on.



It looks like this with just parking lights.

 

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pcb

The Diagram Dude

:

2002 MP5

• Oct 14, 2019

• #3

Make sure your brightness is turned up.

 

P

pcb

The Diagram Dude

:

2002 MP5

• Oct 14, 2019

• #4

Real_Deal_Mo said:

Hey all... I just changed the fused lights on the Protege5 and replaced them with some LEDs lights.

Click to expand...

Did you replace your headlights with LED's or your cluster lights?

Did your cluster work before the swap?

 

R

Real_Deal_Mo

Member

• Oct 15, 2019

• #5

pcb said:

Did you replace your headlights with LED's or your cluster lights?

Did your cluster work before the swap?

Click to expand...

I didn't change the headlights, they're still the same. The instrument panel lights is what I changed with blue LED lights. The back lighting is so dim however. I was wondering how I would go about to change that so I can actually see the back lighting for the speed.

I bought the car in July of this year, and they've never worked. I didn't even notice when I was purchasing the car because it was daylight at the time.

 

R

Real_Deal_Mo

Member

• Oct 15, 2019

• #6

pcb said:

Make sure your brightness is turned up.

Click to expand...

Haha, excellent post and yes, the brightness is turned up to max.

 

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pcb

The Diagram Dude

:

2002 MP5

• Oct 15, 2019

• #7

Real_Deal_Mo said:

... The back lighting is so dim however. I was wondering how I would go about to change that so I can actually see the back lighting for the speed...

Click to expand...

I remember a guy did it years ago.
He had to pull the needles off his gauges, remove his faceplate then sand the backside of the numbered areas to let more light through.

It was a very delicate procedure and you can very easily wreck your gauges or break a needle. Then you'd need a new cluster.


Here's a link to a guy who managed to get his needles off.

https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/sho...luster-Removal&p=254903&viewfull=1#post254903

 

Last edited: Oct 15, 2019