[C1] No dash lights
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 805
Likes: 198
From: NH
No dash lights
This summer I am finally enjoying my 62 after spending all last summer working on it. A couple days ago I convinced my wife that we should take it when we went out for dinner. (The compromise was that we kept the top up so as not to mess up her hair before dinner, but could put it down for the drive home.) It was a beautiful summer evening and so great to be cruising along in the vette again, except I had no dash lights! I don't remember the last time I drove it at night, but I know I had dash lights then and nothing that would affect that has been changed since then. It is unlikely that all the bulbs blew at once. Everything else - headlights, dimmer, parking lights, directionals - all work. The parking brake light doesn't work either, but I don't remember if it did before. The High Beam light works and the gauges work so I don't think it is a ground issue with the cluster. My best bet is the light switch itself - maybe the rheostat - but I cannot think of how to test that assumption without buying a new switch and I have heard horror stories about repro light switches.
So, my questions to the assembled knowledge base are: 1)Is there any way to determine if, indeed, the switch is the problem? and 2)Are there better (and worse) repro switches and who sells the good ones?
So, my questions to the assembled knowledge base are: 1)Is there any way to determine if, indeed, the switch is the problem? and 2)Are there better (and worse) repro switches and who sells the good ones?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,181
Likes: 4,178
From: Kannapolis NC
Either the tail light fuse OR the inst lamp fuse will kill dash lamps. Check both. The other possibility is the dimmer in the headlight switch if you have it rotated fully counterclockwise (short of the courtesy light position) they should be on full. Try rotating the headlight switch left and right, and see if the dash lights flicker. The
rheostat in the dash switch could be bad.
rheostat in the dash switch could be bad.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 805
Likes: 198
From: NH
Well, that was almost too easy. I had forgotten that the inst. lights had their own fuse. Sure enough, it was blown. Replaced it with another 3A fuse and it blew too (or possibly was bad to start - I didn't check it for continuity first, but it looked OK) The next smallest fuse I had was 10A so I tried that - lights! They seemed appropriately bright and dimmed correctly with rotating the ****.
I'll pick up some smaller amp fuses as I'm not excited about having a fuse 3x what is called for, but if a 10A didn't blow, it cannot be a dead short so where do I go from here in trouble shooting? Could a bad rheostat in the switch cause this? It was kind of scratchy when I turned it, but the lights didn't go out, just dimmed like they should.
I'll pick up some smaller amp fuses as I'm not excited about having a fuse 3x what is called for, but if a 10A didn't blow, it cannot be a dead short so where do I go from here in trouble shooting? Could a bad rheostat in the switch cause this? It was kind of scratchy when I turned it, but the lights didn't go out, just dimmed like they should.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,181
Likes: 4,178
From: Kannapolis NC
Well, that was almost too easy. I had forgotten that the inst. lights had their own fuse. Sure enough, it was blown. Replaced it with another 3A fuse and it blew too (or possibly was bad to start - I didn't check it for continuity first, but it looked OK) The next smallest fuse I had was 10A so I tried that - lights! They seemed appropriately bright and dimmed correctly with rotating the ****.
I'll pick up some smaller amp fuses as I'm not excited about having a fuse 3x what is called for, but if a 10A didn't blow, it cannot be a dead short so where do I go from here in trouble shooting? Could a bad rheostat in the switch cause this? It was kind of scratchy when I turned it, but the lights didn't go out, just dimmed like they should.
I'll pick up some smaller amp fuses as I'm not excited about having a fuse 3x what is called for, but if a 10A didn't blow, it cannot be a dead short so where do I go from here in trouble shooting? Could a bad rheostat in the switch cause this? It was kind of scratchy when I turned it, but the lights didn't go out, just dimmed like they should.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 867
Likes: 260
From: Hinesville, GA & Oswego, NY
Clean the fuse holder prongs with a contact cleaner and a 22cal wire brush, apply dielectric grease to the fuses and replace them, I couldn't find a 3 amp fuse so I use.a 5 amp fuse, which I have never had to replace, just clean every few years.
I drive my 60 just about every day it doesn't and I have to do this every few years, it always seems to to be the fuse for the brake and instrument lights that go first, just cleaning the fuse and holder always cures the problem.
Bill
I drive my 60 just about every day it doesn't and I have to do this every few years, it always seems to to be the fuse for the brake and instrument lights that go first, just cleaning the fuse and holder always cures the problem.
Bill
