I just installed LEDs in place of the stock lights on the instrument cluster. They seem much dimmer then they should be, even at the brightest setting. I can barely see the instruments at night (before or after). I'm pretty sure the voltage was low when I put the multimeter on the contacts, but I can't remember now exactly how low (maybe ~10 volts). What should the voltage be on an 82', I'd think something over 12. Is the rheostat faulty or is there some way to boost power without too much rewiring (electric isn't my strong point). Thanks.

And where would I source a new dimmer other than a junk yard?

leds only use one or 2 volts themselves thats why you have resistors on them...if you bought the buld replacement type from a company they have to much resistance and you need to try a different company

and if you hard wired them yourselve try a lower ohm resistor