digital dash bulb - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

aych · 04-27-2008, 08:13 PM

well, i can't find any info on it at all, not too many people have the digital dashes on their 1988 camry le. Mine is really fading badly, and I heard you were supposed to replace a "light source" but I was told it wasn't LED and it wasn't a normal bulb, does anyone have any clue?

Thanks

atobe · 04-27-2008, 10:18 PM

i'll take mine apart tomorrow and send u some pics... i have it from a japanese car which i can't use...

aych · 04-27-2008, 11:04 PM

thanks, dont feel like taking apart my daily driver when i can't even drive it to get parts! lol

atobe · 04-28-2008, 07:19 PM

what color is it when it's on ?

aych · 04-28-2008, 07:27 PM

its the greenish turquoise color.
same as this one
Digital Dash in a Gen2???

atobe · 04-28-2008, 07:53 PM

ok here's what it looks like opened up...

i don't see where you can change those meters if it's broken...
from the back i see all these small bulbs that lights up the idiot lights.. and 2 on top that goes to the glass

so i think it's just tihs bulb that gives it the light

try to replace those ? at the top ??

or you can always check the dimmer switch may be that's broken

aych · 04-28-2008, 08:11 PM

well its not dead yet, just fading. its not the dimmer, just the bulb, if i remember correctly, when we first bought the car the dealer said its a recommended change every 2-4 years or something. we haven't changed it in 20. thanks for the pics though.

can you tell what type of bulb it is? standard wedge style?
i know the whole thing is lit by 1 bulb

atobe · 04-28-2008, 08:25 PM

looks like there's 2 bulbs that lights up the whole thing blue... looks like those bulbs from the PRNDL panel to me but with a difference base... saids 74 on it would track that done first

aych · 04-28-2008, 08:32 PM

im not sure what you mean by "saids 74 on it would track that done first"
are you meaning #74's will fit the PRNDL panel or the dash?

thanks again

atobe · 04-28-2008, 10:09 PM

well i know the PRNDL bulbs are #74.. and the ones i pulled from the digicluster also say 74 on em.. i would think they're the same bulb but on different bases..the diameter sure looks the same .. but the ones from the cluster seems a lil bit longer.. so i would try and see if they're the same if i were you.

aych · 04-28-2008, 10:30 PM

alright, maybe i'll pull out the dash tomorrow or something. maybe i can make it white? =P

drugal · 04-28-2008, 11:46 PM

The small blue bulbs on the top of the unit only light up stuff like the odometer and the words printed on the display. The display itself is made up of several vacuum fluorescent displays, and over time they will fade. If it's the display that's fading (tach, speedo, gas/temp meters), you're probably out of luck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_fluorescent_display

aych · 04-29-2008, 12:10 AM

ooh dang!

drugal · 04-29-2008, 11:14 PM

Forgot to add: If all of the VFD displays are fading evenly, then it's likely a power supply issue on the circuit board. Someone with a know-how on electronics could probably figure it out.

aych · 04-29-2008, 11:42 PM

yes. i was just asking around. its not a bulb, its just a "chip" or as drugal mentioned power supply. atobe, do you mind looking and seeing if you see 1 /2 power supply chips?

thanks!