Dash Lights Out

[Michael M.]

My dash lights went out when I was driving my '68 the other day.

I pulled the instrument lamp fuse and it fell apart as I was removing it. It appears to have blown, but I can't be sure.

Anyway, with the fuse removed and the key in the "On" position, I have no power at either side of the fuse holder for that circuit.

I would think one side should have power all the time with the key in the "On" position but that's not the case. All the other circuits (fuses) have power.

Where do I go from here? Am I looking for a broken wire? And if so, am I looking under the dash? Thanks for any replies.

[Joe L.]

Re: Dash Lights Out

My dash lights went out when I was driving my '68 the other day.

I pulled the instrument lamp fuse and it fell apart as I was removing it. It appears to have blown, but I can't be sure.

Anyway, with the fuse removed and the key in the "On" position, I have no power at either side of the fuse holder for that circuit.

I would think one side should have power all the time with the key in the "On" position but that's not the case. All the other circuits (fuses) have power.

Where do I go from here? Am I looking for a broken wire? And if so, am I looking under the dash? Thanks for any replies.

Michael-----


Why not just put in a new fuse and see what happens then? You're going to need a new fuse in there regardless of what the problem turns out to be. However, based on what you've found with no power at the fuse block, I suspect the fuse is not the problem. The first thing I'd look to is the headlamp switch. There is a rheostat on the switch for the dash lights and it has a habit of failing.

[Michael M.]

Re: Dash Lights Out

Thanks Joe. I'll try it and see. I sure hope it isn't the headlight switch as it's brand new.

[Michael M.]

Re: Dash Lights Out

Well, I tried a new fuse and it blew right away. I realized that the fuse block had no power at that circuit because I didn't turn on the lights. Once I turned on the lights I had power at one side of the fuse but not the other (because it blew). Now the search is on for a dead short.

[David D.]

Re: Dash Lights Out

Michael,
I just had a similar sounding experience....it turned out to be a light bulb on the the clock mount. I noticed you said you just replaced the light switch with a new one. Did you happen to change any other parts?

If you did not have a dead short before these potential new swaps, I'd start by checking these new parts first. Maybe even try the new light switch in the parking light mode (half way out) instead of full on lights. You'll still have cluster lights.....Also, If you still have the older parts that worked, try sticking them back in, one at a time.....unless your good with a meter....

Good luck,
David

[Jim T.]

Re: Dash Lights Out

Michael I would check out all four taillamps by removing the bulbs and check for one grounding out in the socket, front lamps, and the side marker lamps as well, you decide what order you want. This is the easy part.

[Michael M.]

Re: Dash Lights Out

OK, I found the problem. There were some loose and frayed wires under the shifter plate console. My dash harness is an absolute mess and needs to be replaced so no surprise that it was hacked into at least three different times in this area. The problem was with the instrument lamps so I focused on gray wires. I taped off what I thought were the offending wires and I am back in business. All the rest will be rectified when I spring for a new dash harness.

Thanks to all for the help.