Dash Lights Don't Work, '62 Imperial

All

Here are the details, when you turn on the headlights, the dash lights are not working. Not just the dash though, but the radio light as well, which tells me it's not dash bulbs/etc right away.

I pulled the switch harness and all wires are connected, and powered (tested w/my tester). Put the switch back in, moved to the fuse panel.

All fuses are powered (whethere there is a fuse in there or not, which I thought wasn't possible but then again I don't know shit about wiring). They're all powered EXCEPT the one for the dash lights. Swapped the fuse out just in case, no luck though.

I tried tracing the wire back from there but it goes into a loom then either out to the firewall or who knows where...

Where can I troubleshoot from here? Is there maybe another fuse somewhere that powers the dash (instrument cluster) lights?

Help! Thanks!

tinyE a.k.a Jim

 

Run a testing wire from the batt to the fusefor the dash, see if you get lights then.

 

Could be a faulty headlight switch, if you have a spare I would try it. The next thing to check is grounds this is usually a big part of electrical problems in cars. Just for grins check your bulbs in the dash and make sure they are making good contact. I'm not aware of any fuses anywhere other than the fuse panel.

 

Also, many sixties cars have an open rotary rheostat right on the front of the light switch that dims the instrument lights when you rotate the knob. This is always full of dust bunnies and can get so dirty the contacts don't. This normally needs nothing but blowing out to fix.

 

I'm with SMITTY... check the grounds. I had to re-run or jumper most of the ground circuits on the back of my Buick's dash where the little bulbs snap in.

 

Ok.. I'll check the ground(s) is there more than one for the dash lights you think? Something is weird that's for sure. I also forgot to mention, my left front turn signal only "half" works, meaning one of the two filaments line up, I wonder if this is all related...

I'll have to do more digging and see what's up.. by the way, a test wire from the battery to the fuse panel, I'll try that too I won't fry anything will I?

Thanks much!!

E

 

If you fry something, you'll see the smoke, and isolate the problem.

 

wiring in a car is really pretty simple if you look at it one circuit at a time. (i'm talking about old cars like we work on here, not those computerized new sonsabitches that are wired like a frickin tv)
anyway, the juice leaves the battery, goes through the ignition switch, goes through the fuse , then through the switch in question, then through the component, and then to ground.
(actual electron flow is really from ground to positive but this example pretty much covers all accessory circuits)

 

OK, well, it looks as though I've isolated it between the battery and fuse box.. but where that is, who the hell knows.. I don't want to start tearing things apart unneccessarily either. I have a feeling something just came unplugged somewhere or shorted out, because when I lost the dash lights, I lost my taillight fuse too. I replaced both fuses but never got power back to the tail lights.

My guess is something came loose, shorted, then reconnected.. dammit I hate these gremlins it really makes it hard to drive at night.. can't see any of my gauges or speedo.. !

 

I'm big on ground problems, but don't think this is one--on a sixties car, most of the lights snap into the instrument cluster metal box, and if that came ungrounded somehow everything on the dash would be out. Also, several of the lights will be elsewhere, like radio and lighter area, and if they went out at the same time likely the problem is on the feed side. Pull the switch down, check all terminals in the plastic block, check the rheostat. There are TWO power feeds here for different groups of lights. Olde switches often need cleaning, but rarely have anything wrong otherwise--pry back some tabs and you can take it apart, clean, and regrease very easily, and ALL your lights will improve.

 

Hey Jimmy, dontcha know you need port AND starboard lights on that barge too? You might want to check to see if you don't have a short there after mooring up at the dock last Saturday.

Har har.

 

Thanks Bruce. I've had the switch down already but I'll try again. Everything had power when I tested at the switch.. except there is one brown wire, it must be the one. The rheostat has been bypassed because it kept shorting out and blowing the fuse (my tail lights AND dash lights). Also by dash lights I mean EVERTHING, all gauges, radio, push-button trans area, etc etc..

Bypassed meaning I spliced the brown wire (power for the dash lights) into another wire so the rheostat was bypassed. That brown wire no longer has power. So something before it maybe you think or do you think maybe the problem is still in the switch?

Chet - You are my bitch, I'll moore that boat in your prison-tested arse!! HAHAHA

 

Double check the light switch. The dash lights work on a reostat (dimmer) and they get corroded and or take a dump.

But ti sounds to me like the problem is in the plug that goes into the firewall. That's also a common problem, at leat more common than you would imagine. Unplug it and look for a corroded stake on. Sometimes after 40 or so years they just get bad.
Easiest way if it turns out to be the plug in the firewall is to wire around it. Just find a hotwire and take some zot from there to the fuse block. Shazaaam ya got lights again.