HC Fairley wrote:It's also worth noting if your ignition bulb is not working then your alternator will not charge the battery, as usual I learnt this the hard way. I'm no autospark but that's what mine told me and when he got the bulb working it did cure the problem. It must be required to complete the charging circuit?
Yes, I believe the current runs through the warning light.
I've just had the dash pad out of my Firenza, in fact it's still out. What I did:
Remove the dash infill panel to the left of the steering column.
Remove the steering wheel (you *may* get away without that)
Remove the steering column top cover
Remove all the nuts along the bottom of the dash - feel up behind the bottom of the dash to locate them. I think it's a deep drive 3/16" socket required.
Disconnect the main electrical connector.
Disconnect the speedo cable.
Mine's a seven-dial dash so there are more connections to remove, to the oil pressure gauge, rev counter, clock and battery meter. Well, not to the clock on mine as it's a separate battery-operated module. But normally there would be wires to it. I'm not sure what other connections are on the strip dash. Reading the manual suggests the strip speedo / instrument panel isn't fixed to the dash cover like the rest are.
It should then pull forward. If it's never been out, or not been out for a long time it will take a bit of moving as bits of foam will probably have stuck to the dash top. But take it very steady - you can easily damage the vinyl cover doing stuff like this.
Or, picture being a thousand words: