Dash lights always on
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 8
From: Champaign Urbana IL
Dash lights always on
When the key is in the on position my dash and gauge lights are on even when my headlight switch is off. The lights cannot be dimmed with the headlight switch. Anyone know what could cause this?
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 5,814
Likes: 414
From: Pittsburgh suburbs Pa.
Check all of your grounds , especially for lighting. Bad grounds can cause strange problems in areas that you think are not connected.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,632
Likes: 112
From: Great Plains Iowa
Does it happen to have an aftermarket radio in it? If the radio's dial light is being powered by another electrical source it may be backfeeding into the gauge lights.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 8
From: Champaign Urbana IL
The car is a 77. Ok so after some testing things are getting even weirder. Yes I do have an aftermarket stereo with the constant hooked up to the bat location on the fuse box. I recently installed halo lights up front that are tapped in with the running lights and work through a relay directly powered by the alternator. With the key in the on position, the dash gauges are on the whole time regardless the headlight switch position with no dimming effect. The running lights up front along with the halos come on correctly, HOWEVER they will dim and will eventually turn off if the switch is twisted all the way (this only happens with the key in the on position and the engine not running) thanks so much for the help guys, I'm officially completely stumped
Last edited by addballer696; Jun 24, 2015 at 10:16 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 8
From: Champaign Urbana IL
Well I might need to be making a new thread because things keep getting worse. With the engine running and lights on nothing dims. headlights, running lights, and gauge lights all stay on full blast. Then when i turned the key to the off position the engine kept running, while i was holding the key in my hand 
. (This happened to me once before on a long 6 hour drive at a gas station, then never happened again). The engine and everything else turned off when I pushed in the light switch to the off position. 
. (This happened to me once before on a long 6 hour drive at a gas station, then never happened again). The engine and everything else turned off when I pushed in the light switch to the off position.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 8
From: Champaign Urbana IL
With the key out of the car and the engine off (haha i know, sounds ridiculous). The dash lights will dim appropriately and the running lights will stay on full power as they should. However the brake light/ seat belt lights also dim and the tach needle moves up with decreasing brightness of the gauges and down to zero with increased brightness of the gauges . I'm just praying this is gonna be something simple.
Last edited by addballer696; Jun 24, 2015 at 10:15 PM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski