hi guys

have an annoying problem with my ef fairmont ghia
radio light works fine nomally (as in normal brightness)
but when it gets dark & i turn on headlights, dash lights
and radio light almost disappear (very dim)

has anybody had this problem before ?

cheers

my ef futura has the little slider switch next to the headlights. make sure that is halfway and it should make the dash brighter.

O.wise it would be an earthing problem.

The Fairmont and Ghia have a continually variable dimmer, (IE it isn't "Bright" or "Dark" it can be anything.)

Leaving the lights off, hold the dimmer switch in the "up" position, to ensure that during the day your lights are their brightest. Holding it for about 20 seconds ought to do the trick. The dimmer will spring back to the centre position automatically.

Now, turn on the headlights, (parkers will do)
Do the same, (hold the dimmer in the "up" position. You should see the lights start to brighten.

The dash will "remember" what your preference is, and whenever you turn your lights on, it will "fade" to that setting, (not all at once though, it "fades" like the interior light when you close the door but don't lock the car.) Turn your lights off and the dash will "fade" back to full brightness.

The Fairmont and Ghia dimmer "switch" is actually more of an adjustment lever, ie its analog.

NOTE: The fading is NOT connected to the radio. When you turn on or off your lights the radio will "jump" to the dimming setting without fading, but it DOES control what brightness the radio is at when the lights are on.

thanks 4 the info guys

dash lights have started working again by themselves
used the dimmer as suggested and light up heaps bright
only prob is the clock is on the blink-sometimes works

if it was a globe it would be out all the time yeah ????

Most likely.

It could be a bad earth, as someone suggested above.
Earthing is the most common fault with lights being intermittant. Next after that would be the connection for the globe itself