Removing instrument bulbs ?

[JohnLiles]

On the face of it , I lay on my back with some handy illumination and grip the wire terminal bits and pull....

However none of my accessible bulb fittings respond to this treatment , so before ramping the effort up I thought I should check here for the best way to do this. All the old bulbs work , I just cant see them working , and not because the rheostat (!) is turned down. I do have a set of LEDs to fit .

[Harlan Halsey]

You need to pull on the bulb socket not on the wire. Pulling on the wire usually works but it risks dropping the bulb into the instrument. If reasonable force applied to the bulb socket won't do it, then your recourse is to remove the instrument and do it on the bench.

[Hugo Karasawa]

Like Harlan said pull the socket not the cable or spade terminal. Try to pry with your nails between the socket and instrument and wiggle it. If that does not work, pry between the bulb socket and the instrument with a small screwdriver, doing this with the instrument in the car is difficult.

By the way, these are the LEDs that I am using, the large one for illumination and the small ones for the indicator lights.

[John Brooks]

I have used what appears to be the same LED's. BA-7 base in the required color except for the longer white one. They work super except for the turn signal indicator arrows, with out changing the flasher, it flashes once and outside LED's work fine but not enough current to heat the internal switch for the Indicator.

Jules Dielen has a tried and true complete kit if you are trying to upgrade to LED. I spent a couple months last summer trying different BA7 BA9 BA15 LED combination. Jules has the best Kit.

[Jules Dielen]

Thank you for the kind words John. The turn signal indicator should work just fine with the stock relay. Only if you change the front or rear bulbs with an LED is where an electronic relay comes into play. I will contact you offline to support.

And as indicated above, try a very small screwdriver to get the bulb holder out. After many years it may take a bit to get them to loosen. Pulling the wire is a bad idea.

[Martin Benade]

The screwdriver method is improved greatly by using two if it’s really stuck.

[Hugo Karasawa]

Forgot to tell you, if you are doing the screwdriver method in the vehicle, disconnect the battery ground cable. Accidents can happen.

[Mark Roth]

Be careful when you do this. There are VERY OLD paper tubes inside the instruments that surround the bulbs. When I replaced my bulbs I must have accidentally bumped/moved one of the tubes causing the light to bleed into parts of the gauge where it wasn’t supposed to be. Fortunately the shop I was using in CA at the time was working on a 911 which required an instrument guy to come out for that car and he put in a new tube for me.

[Jules Dielen]

Only the check lights have paper tubes.

[Mark Roth]

Jules,
I didn’t remember exactly but your post reminded me. I think that the white/yellow gauge lights were bleeding into the check light lens, making it appear that the check light was on. I have your bulbs and they were a big improvement.