LED warning lights for DASH voltage?

[VWKat]

Hello good people,
Does anyone know the voltage for the LED Warning lights on the dash?  I cannot find this information anywhere.
I am having trouble with my battery light not working.  Instrument cluster out and I'm currently repairing it with Epoxy and have hard wired the LED instrument illuminators - which so far is looking good.
Thank you and have a lovely day.
Katherine.

[silverbullet]

Check the little blue wire ring terminal at the alternator, this is for the charge warning. It connects inside the engine bay junction box.

[VWKat]

Yes thanks, I've already done that.
it could be the altenator brushes but I've only had that altenator for 6 years or so.

[maxstu]

1.2 volts comes to mind for oil and battery warning lights

[VWKat]

it's around 2 volts.  I found that out by measuring the voltage of the only working LED I had (the green one) and using a 12v plug from the wall socket.  So I have replaced the LEDs and I have also replaced the Alternator, so now I have a spare alternator as there is nothing wrong with it - it is something wrong in the circuit board in the dash.  My MOT is on Tuesday :oops:

So right now I'm typing into Google : red diode with 2 red stripes and a black stripe from 1985

doesn't seem to help me.  I have checked all the diodes (if that is what they are called) behind the cover on the instrument cluster and notice that the red diode has continuity.  is this right? or  ....uurrghhhhh  I guess this is me getting to know my Dashboard! 


 

[silverbullet]

You didn't need w whole new alternator, just a regulator/brush pack which is about £20 delivered at the most.
Its quite common for T3s to have wiring issues, start at the infamous earth crowns at the base of the LH A post, behind the dash. If your earths are corroded or high resistance, nothing works properly.

[TwinTurbo]

the LEDS will all get 12V current limited via a resistor  . diodes ere either black with a white stripe or glass with a black stripe with some exceptions. Red unsure what you mean but if its coloured bands sounds like a resistor. if you check for the replacement dash thread you sgould find documentation on the values. 480ohm ruings a bell but dont quote me

[VWKat]

I've spent the last 2 days eliminating what could possibly be wrong and I found out that the pins in the 14pin plug where not aligning to the circuit board - so with this fixed, plus a new alternator and rewired my dash illumination leds - plus also had an issue with the high beam led - it was not illuminating when the ignition is on - I took the dash out for the 8th? time - then seems like I have a short somewhere between the pins and the water coolant warning light on the negative side - so I've soldered a new negative directly to the top diode which routes to the negative side of the high beam - now it works but I'm not sure what is happening otherwise, everything looks ok and good so far - either I'm going to get the uprated dash rebuild kit from Campervan culture or rewire it myself sometime after the MOT.  arrgghhhh.. what a day.  Good weather for the next few days - so hope to have a beach day maybe soon with the van :0)  

Oh and I was having some crazy ideas about wiring into the dash a Tacho, AFR, clock and Voltmeter - that would be amazing and even better, wire into the dash internet help via voice search - such as Alexa plus some flashing lights so it looks like I'm talking to the van  hahaha, would be better than any conversation and definitely more help with directions than the last 2 exes I've had. lol  I presume modern luxury vehicles have this kind of thing maybe? probably.

[Aidan]

several of the wires going to the earth crowns are done as two wires in one spade terminal, if there is corrosion at that point you can get current taking path of least resistance, ie back up the other wire instead of to earth - hi-beam led is one of those I have experienced issue with myself previously, and a 20mile drive home on the well lit motorway in the dark with only side lights at the front, slowly, no overtaking; but before there were cameras everywhere, and fortunately timed it when the plod were on refs or shift change so I didn't get pulled

[VWKat]

I see, thank you for that - so then it's best to split the negative wires and add their own connections separately to the earth point.  I will  have a look at that.  Van passed the MOT, now it's a job to make some new curtains and seat cushion covers as they are old now and faded and mouldy from not using it during the winter.

Can't wait to have a holiday in it though - this year I hope.

I don't know if anyone has seen this but I think it seems very helpful if you want to rebuild your dash:

https://www.cjh.me.uk/MyPhotobucket/alb ... 20v0.4.pdf

I have no idea how I stumbled upon this, someone has done a lot of work and spent a lot of time creating this.

[The Hairy Camper]

Glad your van passed it's MOT Kat. As your van was made in 1985, it may be Tax and MOT exempt now. Worth looking into.

The link/manual you shared was made by a user (CJH) on this forum back in 2018. It's was made to replace the blue PCB ribbon behind the dash board on our T3's. He stopped making them and seems to have left the forum now unfortunately.

I've been making a new version which you can check the progress on here (if you're interested): viewtopic.php?t=182605&start=150

Hope you have fun in your camper this year.