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I like it Jack, clear vision on the troubleshoot. I will check the green wire as instructed but if it is properly seated, I love the idea of bypassing the stat. In all my driving life, I have never adjusted instrument lights lower. That said several members have reached out to me regarding the common reality of poorly manufactured aftermarket parts or potentially wire melting experiences with aftermarket parts. I have no interest in relocating my bed out to the garage so as to have a fire extinguisher at the ready due to a simple switch. If necessary, your bypass advice will solve my problem. YOUR DA MAN!
If you're going to bypass your rheostat for the dash lights for regular use, you need to connect the jumper to the LEFT side of the 3rd fuse from the bottom in order to leave the fuse in the circuit. Running a jumper to the right side of the inst fuse was just for troubleshooting the rheostat and fuse wiring. An EASY and clean way to do that is to take the connector loose from the headlight switch, release the pin that holds the GREEN wire in place and move it over to the empty space right beside it (shown by the orange arrow). That space already has available the lug with 12v when the headlight switch is in EITHER park or headlights on, so you only have to move the green wire over and reconnect the plug and you're done. That electrically connects the green wire that goes up to the left side of the inst fuse to your headlight switch output for park and tail lights, the only change will be that the dimmer is no longer in the circuit.
As an interesting side note for anyone reading this, that is the same spot that you can move the purple wire in the connector to IF you want the front park lights to stay on when you turn on the headlights.
Well Jack, this is what my plan is/was depending on your agreement. I had, while I am in there, planned to move the purple wire over so as to have my parking lights on with my headlights. Pondering how I could jump the 2nd/3rd fuses to resolve my panel light situation, a google search turned up a produce called FlexFuse which would snap into the existing clips while providing new female clips to accept a modern fuse as well as a male spade on one end for a jumper. The jumper would simply be a short wire of the correct gauge with two female bayonet terminals crimped on. Two of these units would cost 10 bucks plus 5 for shipping. Assuming you do not believe this to be a recipe for burning my car to the ground it would afford me a way to accomplish both objectives.
Connect the green wire and the purple together and plug both into the empty slot. That will leave your inst fuse still in the circuit in case of a short in the dash lighting, and the dash lights and the parking lights will be on all the time when in park or lights on position.
Advance has a set of various adaptors in a package for $4.99. This one is included. Just unplug your green and purple wires and plug them on the dual end, then plug the open single end into empty spot in connector and you're done.
