What does an instrument panel bulb do?

A car’s instrument panel, or dashboard, is usually located directly in front of the driver, behind the steering wheel. It displays important information about the performance of your car, such as the speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights and your indicator lights. The instrument panel is usually backlit so requires a bulb to be fitted behind it.

It is essential that this instrument panel is working properly at all times as it provides important information to the driver about the performance and operation of the car. The bulb must be working properly to ensure the driver can view this information at night.

Toyota

The Toyota Motor Corporation is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer, established in 1937, over 80 years ago.

How popular is Toyota in the United Kingdom?

Toyota was the first manufacturer to produce more than 10million vehicles a year, and it has continued to do so since 2012. There are currently 1.7million on the roads in the UK—a number that has shown consistent growth since their introduction to the UK market.

High-quality motoring—right across the board

Toyota’s current range features luxury saloons, hatchbacks and SUVs, all of which are receiving the steady design upgrade from what were once sensible and steady looking vehicles, into sleeker looking executive sports lines, capable of turning heads at every junction.

Toyota: Market leaders in all-electric and hybrid motoring

Worldwide, Toyota is the market leader in hybrid electric vehicle sales. It’s introduction of the Prius in 1997, the first commercially mass-produced vehicle of its kind, set them on their way as leaders in the field. The UK is no exception, as there are over 80k Prius models on our roads.

There’s more to Toyota than good economy and sensible motoring

As much as the modern market leans towards family SUV motoring and super efficient hybrid fuel economy, don’t be fooled into thinking Toyota is stuck into a single groove.

For those who want more excitement than economy from their driving experience, Toyota makes a selection of cars with much more clout than their sensible city options.

Grab a Toyota GR Supra and you’ll be propelled from 0–62mph in 4.3 seconds using every ounce of its 335bhp. If you want a car that was built for fun and have a spare £52k to lose, then why not put one on your shopping list? As with other Toyota models, it offers great value for the amount of car you’ll be getting.

How often should an instrument panel bulb need replacing?

Vehicle dashboard lights help monitor the various gauges in a car. Broken instrument panel lights can leave you clueless as to whether your car is experiencing engine problems, such as running low on fuel, overheating or ABS failure, often until it is too late. Having these lights working is especially vital when driving at night. Therefore it’s important that all bulbs are in full working order so you can stay aware and safe on the roads.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

During an MOT, the mechanic will check that the instruments on your vehicle’s dashboard are illuminated sufficiently. If these components, such as the fuel gauge and speedometer, are not sufficiently illuminated that will lead to a minor, however if the instruments are not illuminated at all this will most likely lead to your car failing the MOT.

What happens when we do an instrument panel bulb replacement on your car?

Our certified mechanics will:

• Remove the instrument panel front

• Check all fuses and bulbs connected to the instrument panel

• Replace any faulty fuses or bulbs

• Refit the instrument panel front and test the lights are working

What causes an instrument panel bulb to break?

Like many other car parts over time faults can occur, and occasionally the instrument panel bulbs can break or blow. Additionally, bulbs can stop working due to electrical faults or if a fuse has blown. Because the instrument panel displays important information about the running of your vehicle it’s important to fix any bulbs when they stop working.

What are the signs of a bad instrument panel bulb?

Usually, there a few signs you can look for:

• Your car dashboard isn’t lit

• Dashboard warning lights are flickering or not displaying

• Your indicator dashboard lights aren't flashing

How often should you replace your instrument panel bulb?

Instrument panel bulbs shouldn’t need to be replaced regularly, however like most car parts they can become faulty over time. Broken or faulty bulbs will make it very difficult to observe aspects of your car’s performance as you’re driving and may prevent dashboard warning lights from displaying. This could mean that serious (and potentially dangerous) faults could go undetected, leading to costly repairs down the line.

What happens during an instrument panel bulb replacement?

During the repair our certified mechanics will:

• Remove the instrument panel front

• Check all fuses and bulbs connected to the instrument panel

• Replace any faulty fuses or bulbs

• Refit the instrument panel front and test the lights are working

Can you drive with a broken instrument panel bulb?

Vehicle dashboard lights help monitor the various gauges in a car. Broken instrument panel lights can leave you clueless as to whether your car is experiencing engine problems, such as running low on fuel, overheating or ABS failure, often until it is too late. Having these lights working is especially vital when driving at night. Therefore it’s important that all bulbs are in full working order so you can stay aware and safe on the roads.