fogging gauges

First fix the source of the moisture like a leaking heater valve. Pull up the carpet. Is it moist or dry?


My gauges not only fogged, but had a film on the inside of the glass due to the above. I replaced my console gauges with VDO units. There is no way to disassemble the Veglia gauges without destroying the bezel.

You can disassemble the tach and speedo by carefully prying up the little tabs on the bezel to remove and clean the glass.

quote:

You can disassemble the tach and speedo by carefully prying up the little tabs on the bezel to remove and clean the glass.

That can be done once. A second attempt will usually break the tabs off the bezel.

FWIW, I've had the same fogging, merely from the moisture in the air on a cold morning - no heater core/valve leaks, and no damp carpet.

I have checked for leaks, and there are none. I have replaced my heater hoses, (they are tight)and I also have 2 heater shutoff valve in the hoses. I get the fogging even with the valves shut off.
I only see the fogging when the lights are on.

had the same problem and drilled a tiny hole in the top of the guage close to the face to allow venting and have never had the problem again

quote:

My gauges fog up when I turn on the panel lights.

Drilling one or more small holes in the gauge is a common approach to resolving the fogging issue. You could try using a heat gun or hair dryer to remove the moisture. Don't get it too hot, just a small amount of heat is all that is required.

quote:

some people have tried LED bulbs

Using LED bulbs may not solve the problem. When using LED bulbs, you will not be able to dim the bulbs with the Pantera's factory dimmer (rheostat). They will just turn off as the dimmer knob is rotated.

John

Sonny 4233 is right. Drilling a hole in the case cures the problem. I suggest drilling upside down to try to prevent the swarf from entering the clock. Also put a piece of brake pipe or some other small pipe over the drill bit to stop it pulling in when you brake through. Hold a magnet on the hole to get any little bits. Have you noticed how the amp gauge never fogs, It's always warm with all that current flowing through it and I dont think the case is as well sealed as the others.

Garth, I found a way to get the speedo and tach bezels off without bending the tabs. I shortened the tabs with a little cutting wheel on the Dremel. The shortened tab still holds the bezel in place but it's possible to flex the case of the clock and pop the bezel off. I have done this quite a few times now and it's very effective.

While you have the speedo and tach out of the car it's a good opportunity to add more bulbs and stick some aluminium tape on the back of the inner bezel and on the inner surfaces of the case.

When I did the clocks on the Mangusta retrim I found the small clocks had aluminium bezels and where dam near impossible to remove without destroying them. I found some brand new after-market Smiths bezels that fitted perfectly but had a slightly different shape. I had to paint them because they are only available in chrome. I have not yet tried to remove the small bezels on my Pantera, I intend to do so at some point to brighten them up. I assume the small clocks on the Pantera are brass, this makes me think it may be possible to work your way around with a screw driver if you where very patient!
I made a special tool for reinstalling the bezels. I will post a picture of it when I find it.

Here's a link to the clock resto bit of my Mangusta retrim story http://pantera.infopop.cc/eve/...62/m/3521023895/p/11

The desiccant idea also works but it periodically needs to be dried out in the oven.

Johnny

Thanks for the info. How big should the holes in the top of the gauges be? 1/4"? Are the LED bulbs any brighter. I have 5 watt bulbs in the gauges now.

Dampness in the gauges is good, reminds you you're driving a classic car

i drilled 1/8 hole on the top