Boosted Falcon

hey guys , just got my first car like few hours ago and its a 89 fairmont ghia in very nice condition.

now to my question , the trip computer is soooo dim i can barely see it and have to look very hard to read it.

seeing as im not very good with cars this being my first any ideas on whats wrong with it ? i couldent find a brightness button or anything lol so im assuming the things screwed.

mmm I had the same problem...I assumed it was normal!

But the battery had to be replaced in mine and that actually fixed the problem?

How old is the battery? maybe disconnect and reconnect?

The globe is probably blown. It takes about 10-15 minutes to change, all that dash trim has to come off to get to it.

Either that, or there is no globe installed?

When dad put a clock into his EF GLi from an XR-6 or something... there was no back light, we had to wire one up.. borrowed the power from the remote lead on the head unit.


there might be a hole in the back of your trip computer with 2 tabs either side of it... thats where a plastic bracket with a light globe slots into, just push the globe in then turn to lock it in.

hmm , it has a month old battery. Maby the globes out then cause you can see it but its extremely faint. Just wondering my trip computer says instantaneous fuel usage is at 99 lol but the average goes to around 13.9 ext , is 13.9 about right for a 89 fairmont ? its done genuine 90 000 k's


forgot to ask , where can i get these globes and is it any specific globes to replace the burnt out?


thanks for all previous replys ill get the interior off and have a look.

Any auto parts seller like Bursons, repco, Autobarn supply the globes, think the specific type of globe from memory is a W5W Wedge Bulb.


here is a tutorial that may give you a hand changing any dash globes like trip computer etc
http://boostedfalcon.net/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=4908

thanks alot guys. ill get onto to it after exam 2moro lol.

jesus it guzzles hard

If it's not a 5W wedge bulb, post a pic of it and we can identify it.

That fuel economy is acceptable for an EA in city driving, especially a 3 speed. If you want better, a manual conversion and less restrictive exhaust are among the best mods, or an LPG conversion if it's a question of running costs.

Guys another question ... when i turn on my car with low petrol it keeps beeping and the trip computers on the range which says about 65k's and it wont stop beeping unless i reset it.

is this normal ? pretty stupid system if so lol

your dash lights arent just dimmed right down are they....

dash is fine , nah the problem is the light bulb is out like previous posts..


do u know why it keeps beeping ? is it suppose to lol , my petrol isent even on the orange thing but im assuming it means low petrol

You have to press reset every time the beeper goes off for low fuel, as a an acknowledgment of the warning or whatever.

yeah if its the same as the el one then the default setting is 80 km dte from memory

Thanks alot guys.

i get it now **** its annoying haha , 80km is heaaaaaaaaaaaaaps as well its stupid to warn you that early

As for it reading 99 in the instant display mode it will always do that when the car is standing still, that's normal. Check it while you are moving and it will give you the proper reading.