Can’t get dash lite on the D 200 to work.

[bo dawg 516]

Put new bulb in cleaned the end that bottom of bulb touches. Still won’t work. Wire is good as you can see in pictures, using test light. What am I missing?

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,020]

If you remove the bulb how many terminals/contacts do you see at the bottom?

There are 2 wires to the socket?

What is the bulb number?

[bo dawg 516]

3 hours ago, gwest_ca said:

If you remove the bulb how many terminals/contacts do you see at the bottom?

There are 2 wires to the socket?

What is the bulb number?

 

just 1 in the middle, 1 wire. I figured socket making contact to the tractor should be the ground. Cant read a number on old bulb. I bought new one that looked just like the old one.

[bo dawg 516]

Guess Ill have to figure it out myself

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,020]

Does the bulb have two contacts. They do exist and will not work with a single contact socket.

Let us know what you find.

[bo dawg 516]

On 10/28/2023 at 10:14 PM, gwest_ca said:

Does the bulb have two contacts. They do exist and will not work with a single contact socket.

Let us know what you find.

1 contact bulb. I can get a pic tomorrow if need be. 

[8ntruck 6,969]

If you have a VOM, check for continuity between the end of the wire and the center contact in the socket.  Also check for continuity between the side contact of the socket and the ground contact on the outside of the socket.  If these don't check out, you have a bad socket.

 

Also check for continuity in the bulb itself to make sure it is good.  Many small bulbs look the same, but are meant to operate at different voltages.  If the bulb was meant for 1.5 volt flashlight battery, a 12v battery might burn it out.  If the bulb was meant for 34 or 48 volts, 12v might not be enough to light it.

 

You could take the old bulb into a NAPA store and have them match it to the same size 12v bulb.

[bo dawg 516]

On 10/29/2023 at 11:02 PM, 8ntruck said:

If you have a VOM, check for continuity between the end of the wire and the center contact in the socket.  Also check for continuity between the side contact of the socket and the ground contact on the outside of the socket.  If these don't check out, you have a bad socket.

 

Also check for continuity in the bulb itself to make sure it is good.  Many small bulbs look the same, but are meant to operate at different voltages.  If the bulb was meant for 1.5 volt flashlight battery, a 12v battery might burn it out.  If the bulb was meant for 34 or 48 volts, 12v might not be enough to light it.

 

You could take the old bulb into a NAPA store and have them match it to the same size 12v bulb.

 

Yea i got bulb at Napa this is what they gave me. I have continuity, tried bulb again and it worked off the battery, installed it and hooked it up and worked once at switch. So I guess now I need to clean switch terminals up. switch works fine for head lights but doesnt for dash light. Well at least Im closer than I was to having it. Lol

 

[BMW1 42]

That does not look like the correct bulb.  The dash light is supposed to have a hood over top of it that unscrews.  It does not look like that bulb would fit inside the hood.

Below are pictures of the light assembly and the bulbs that work for me.

[bo dawg 516]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:44 AM, BMW1 said:

That does not look like the correct bulb.  The dash light is supposed to have a hood over top of it that unscrews.  It does not look like that bulb would fit inside the hood.

Below are pictures of the light assembly and the bulbs that work for me.

 

yea mine has the black hood that gos over the bulb. 

 

[bo dawg 516]

[bo dawg 516]

Well I went ahead and re wired the whole tractor just because there were SO many connectors that was connecting to another connector and splices. So I gutted and cleaned it up, also hoping to make a difference with the 1 wire dash light. Lol! Thats kinda where it all started. I was gona wait and re wire it all later on down the road, but what the heck, I enjoy doing it.

 

So now the dash light works most the time and when it doesnt I have to just touch the housing pushing on it and it comes on. 

Do you think its still not gounding good to dash? Like I say its only a 1 wire light. 

[BMW1 42]

If the bulb is in solid and not moving around it does sound like it may not be getting a good ground. I would cleanup the area on the metal panel underneath the dash where the washer/nut are to ensure it gets a good ground. Maybe add a star washer that fits snug or a snug lock washer if there is enough room. Glad you got it working.  

 

Be careful when you tighten the nut so the plastic dash panel on top does not crack.

 

I am by no means a D series expert but I have to admit I have never seen a dash light that big on d series.  

I have two and have disassembled a couple of others and they all had the smaller bulb and two wires on them.

I do understand why someone may have put the larger light in.  The small one does not light up that much of the dash panel.

I replaced all my gauges with lighted gauges,