Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Took Amelia out for a spin this evening, dash lights are extraordinarily dim. The switch on the dash to turn them on/off does nothing, it does light up when turning it though. Is this a rheostat? Are the dash lights intended to dim?

Reading light is also fairly dim; the 6v sealed beam headlamps also leave a lot to be desired...

Dust on the bulbs may make them dimmer. Low voltage can be an issue. The system voltage should be around 6.7 to 7.5 volts with the engine running just over idle speed. Loose or corroded connections, including ground connections, can cause dim lighting. As far as I know, the 115 and 120 cars did not have a dash light dimmer rheostat, and the stock bulbs are very dim, or at least mine are. I think there is a slightly brighter bulb that will fit with no modifications. As for the headlights, they need clean contacts, full voltage, and good grounds to work at their best. My dash lights are on a sliding switch under the edge of the dash to the right of the starter button. The heater control knob is a rotary switch/rheostat, also under the dash, left of the starter button. The heater fan control lights up when the heater fan is turned on, and gets dimmer as the knob is turned to slow the fan down. Perhaps your dash lights are connected to the heater control. (?) On my car, the dash lights are always off unless one of the headlight modes is on. The toggle switch turns the dash lights off or on when moved right, in the middle position, the dash lights and map light are off, and in the right hand position, the map light is on. A battery that is in poor condition can contribute to low system voltage as can poor connections or a voltage regulator that is out of adjustment.