Help with Dashboard Lights Please

[msaif]

Hi all,

I've got a 2002 3.6L Carrera with white/silver dials factory installed and the dashboard does not light up correctly at night. The analogue dials are not bright and look 'broken up with lines through them' at night even with the dimming button turned up all the way. My local Porsche dealer in Kuwait told me that they will not touch the instrument panel lights as they had a previous case whereby changing a dashboard bulb resulted in a complete new instrument hood having to be installed at their expense as they could not put the original back together. They are an excellent garage and have been good in all my other dealings with them so I do not have any reason to doubt them.

I am traveling to the UK soon and was thinking of getting the Kuwait Porsche Dealer to remove the instrument hood and taking it with me so the Porsche Dealer in Swindon (UK) next to my UK place can to the necessary. Questions are:

1) How easy/difficult is it to remove the instrument hood, time wise?

2) Should I change all the bulbs at the bulbs at the same time?

3) Can the UK Porsche Dealer test it once they have done the work without it actually being fitted to a car?

4) How long will it take the UK Porsche Dealer to do as I'm only in the UK for a week?

5) Any idea of the approximate cost for the UK Porsche Dealer?

Thanks in advance for your input, I've searched the form and could not find the answer. I'm nearing the end of a year long (and about £6,000 lighter) restoration project and would be so happy if this niggling issue could finally be fixed.

Thanks, MS

Edited May 15, 2011 by msaif

[Loren]

1. Less than 10 minutes once you know how.

2. You could if you have the bulbs but not likely needed.

3. No, not unless they put it in another car.

4. Less than 1 hour but they will not likely guarantee the cluster will work (no way to test).

5. I hour labor would likely do it. Plus the cost of any bulbs (which will likely be outrageous prices).

This is not a difficult procedure as long as the rest of the cluster is working (graphic display). It has been covered here in the 996 section.

You could likely do it an hour or two with common tools and a little patience.

[msaif]

1. Less than 10 minutes once you know how.

2. You could if you have the bulbs but not likely needed.

3. No, not unless they put it in another car.

4. Less than 1 hour but they will not likely guarantee the cluster will work (no way to test).

5. I hour labor would likely do it. Plus the cost of any bulbs (which will likely be outrageous prices).

This is not a difficult procedure as long as the rest of the cluster is working (graphic display). It has been covered here in the 996 section.

You could likely do it an hour or two with common tools and a little patience.

Thanks, I spoke to the UK Porsche dealer who said they could not carry out the work. They said that facelifted 996's (3.6L from 2002 onwards) use LED's which are no longer in production. They said the whole instrument cluster could be replaced at a cost of £1,200!!!!!!

I

[Loren]

Find a good Porsche speedometer shop - they can replace the LEDs.

[msaif]

I contacted a specialist in the UK who does work for Porsche GB. My while dialled factory fitted gauge faces are not illuminating brightly. After reviewing multiple photo's of my instrument cluster, he said "Porsche used high quality stickers applied over the standard black and white gauge face,hence,the light has to pass through the transparent white numbers and markings of the original gauge face and then the transparent black of the sticker,reducing the illumination by 50%. We have rectified this problem for Porsche Cars G.B. and private customers by fitting a set of our screen printed gauge faces in the appropiate colour,our gauge faces illuminate as original factory faces." As for the LED bulbs, he said "facelifted 996 and later Porsche LED's in gauges are not replaceable,they are soldered directley onto the circuitboard." There is an unteresting article in either the May or June 2012 edition of 911 & Porsche World concerning this subject. The company is called REAP Automotive Design.

I will be removing the instrument cluster to take with me to the Uk to complete the work and I'll be upgrading the central rev-counter to guards red and the rest will remain white.

Hope this helps

[Richard Hamilton]

Julian Reap has an excellent reputation over here for his work. The only thing I would say is to make an appointment and take it there yourself. He gets so busy sometimes that lead times stretch.