Misting center gauges?

A couple of mine do the same thing, but only in extremely high humidity. Foggy mornings are particularly bad. Lgith fogging, you can still read the gauges.

How about taking a hair dryer to them to see if they've got some captured moisture in them? Might be able to heat it out of them.

Can't really pull them out and re-seal them. The chrome trim and glass is, at least the time I tired, very difficult to remove without damaging it.

 

Also used to happen on my Mondial. Only under cool, damp or foggy conditions at night or in the morning.

 

Blow them with Nitrogen as is easy to get now that is popular in tires

 

mark, same thing happens to my guages. DZ

 

MAybe get at them from behind through the fitting for the lightbulb.

Pull the bulb, a little blast of nitrogen, then back in. Lot of wotk just to solve a 4x a year problem though. I think hair dryer is an easier 1st attempt.

 

I do not believe that what you are seeing is water vapor. I, as everyone else, experience a fogging of the plastic lenses. However, I believe it is an age/heat related deterioration of the plastic such that when illuminated from behind we see a cloud-effect towards the center of the plastic. In addition, I see a "spattering" of stain towards the center. I think that some of the white paint of the dial indicators has evaporated and condensed on the surface of the lense. This is likely due to the "boiling" of the paint from the internal light bulb when the lights have been turned on.

The bulb holders do not provide access to the lense. The dial and various mechanical/electrical items sit between the bulb and the lense. Blowing nitrogren or Fairy Dust into the bulb holder will not accomplish anything.

I have tried to remove the plastic lenses to clean, and after messing the chrome ring up, cleaning the plastic lense was unrewarding. It still had the cloudy translucency. The problem is within the plastic lense, not on its surface.

Jim S.

 

Is easy to replace with a modern one that you can easily fabricate, I have extras.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=87701&postcount=13

 

Fogging and discoloration are separate problems. Plastic lenses do discolor and there is nothing that can be done. Color goes clean through. Clock lens is plastic and I found out the hard way. Most lenses are glass so fog is the only problem there. Fogging is real and is moisture inside case. Remove panel, pull lamps and blow Nitrogen or Dust-Off down in instrument using a plastic tube to get gas down in and let exhaust back out. A hair dryer to warm things up first is a good idea since gas will be cold. Driving regularly at night helps keep moisture out. Lamps warm things pretty well. Unfortunately lamps also seal the openings so effect is small if moisture does get in somehow. I have blown out instruments a couple of times over last 21 years and cure lasts pretty well. Car lives outside in a carport and temp excursions run 40 degrees from night to day and back. Good test.
John

 

I get the same problem too.

I removed the gauges and sent them away for recalibration and repair, main reason to fit new chrome rings and black bezels which the prevoius owner butchered some time ago. It doesnt cure the problem of fogging unfortunately. NO2 will only remove the moisture temporarily it doesnt stop it.

IMHO i beleive it is because the seal on the spare tyre compartment is letting by, this allows air passing from the radiators to be forced into the bulkhead and into rear gauge console.

Low humidity over here is a rare event.!!!

Tony

 

mark, did not take car out on tuesday. but am sure the guages would have fogged up as they seem to most drives. will take a good look next time. DZ

 

with all the gauges looking the same, i have to wonder why the clock has plastic and the others glass. almost every clock i see has the cloudiness effect on it.