How do I remove the binnacle?

[ColinM50]

Over the winter I plan to see about adding a LED bulb or two wired into the speedo so I can read it better. I'm sure many of you have the same "age related" problem. The idea is to pop a bulb behind the card on the speedo hence brightening the display.

 

How easy is to get the binnacle out? Can't see any obvious screws and am loathe to start levering things with a screwdriver unless that's the right way.

 

Any help or advice welcome. Or does anyone have another idea? Thought of a head torch but reckon I'd look a total ****head 8-)

 

Oh, motorhome is a 2017 Peugeot Boxer but same layout as a Fiat Ducato

[Derek Uzzell]

How to remove the instrument-cluster is described (with pictures) here

 

https://www.lockwoodinternational.co.uk/media/wysiwyg/instructions/Fiat/C120_C124_Etc_Fiat_Ducato.pdf

 

It’s not particuarly difficult if you have appropraite tools to undo the torx screws mentioned, but I’m doubtful that your idea of putting a bulb behind the speedometer ‘card’ to provide additional illumination will be practicable.

 

This issue has been discussed here several times, with various suggestions offered. This thread was fairly recent

 

https://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Peugot-dashboard-darkness/49962/

 

(Doesn’t your Boxer’s dashboard lightoing (including the instrument-cluster) illuminate automatically when you turn on the vehicle’s ignition? I was under the impression that this feature would have been standardised by 2017.

[ColinM50]

Thanks Derek, and yes my dash lights do come on when ignition's on but speedo is still pretty dim so lighting it a bit could help. Dunno, maybe ???

 

thanks for the link, will have a look.

[Derek Uzzell]

This link may also help with removing the instrument-cluster

 

http://gayleybird.blogspot.com/2017/02/opening-instrument-panelchanging-speedo.html

 

and this video-clip shows a disassembled cluster.

 

 

The reason I’m doubtful that it will be practicable (or wise) to attempt to increase the backlighting by installing a bulb behind the speedometer’s face should be evident from the video-clip. All of the cluster’s electronic ‘guts’ are on a large complex OPAQUE printed-circuit-board that carries the original backlighting light-sources, so where would the extra bulb go?

 

Extra lighting of the speedometer’s face will definitely improve readability in dim daylight conditions, but (as will be apparent from the attached photo) a successful result can be achieved relatively simply by externally lighting the complete face of the cluster without needing to carry out surgery to put extra lighting inside the cluster.