dash lighting and handbrake warning light

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
hi all,
for some reason i dont seem to have a handbrake warning light illuminated with the handbrake up.
instead i have the right hand segment of the speedo illuminated which goes out when you drop the handbrake :confused:
when i have the lights on its annoying as only the left segment of the speedo is illuminated unless i was to drive around with the handbrake up.:rofl:
this isnt normal is it?
 

Sam_C

Club Member
Sounds an easy one to solve. Pull the bulb holder from the right hand side of the speedo and put it in it's rightful place in the hole for the brake light segment. Job done.
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
Sounds an easy one to solve. Pull the bulb holder from the right hand side of the speedo and put it in it's rightful place in the hole for the brake light segment. Job done.

cheers, is it really as simple as that as the right side wont be illuminated at all if i pull it out?
or do you think the current bulb in the handbrake hole will be the dash light one.
how do i get to the back of the cluster? is there space under the dash?
 

Sam_C

Club Member
Yes, I would say without doubt the two bulb holders have been put in the wrong holes. The only query is that, if so, why does the brake warning light not illuminate when you turn the lights on? Logic says the bulb has blown.

They are not that easy to get to, but it is do-able. More by feel than being able to see anything, which is probably how they got mixed up in the first place.
 

Farmer42

Club Member
cheers, is it really as simple as that as the right side wont be illuminated at all if i pull it out?
or do you think the current bulb in the handbrake hole will be the dash light one.
how do i get to the back of the cluster? is there space under the dash?

Probably easier to slide the speedo clock out. Unscrew the cable from the back and depending on whether you have a 240 or 260Z, you need to undo the retaining wing nuts or screws. The 240Z has wing nuts on a bracket and the 260z has a screw under the dash and one at the front of the speedo by the face. The whole thing then pushes forward from the back & is usually quite easy.

The thing about sliding it out is that you can see what you are doing & you don't scrape knuckles etc.
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
yeah mines a 78 260 2+2 so would probably have the fiddlier of the 2 fixings.
cheers for the info
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
Yup you were right, the handbrake bulb is in the wrong hole and the bulb for the instrument lighting was hanging down the back


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