Dash/Console Lights Issues
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Dash/Console Lights Issues
Hey ya’ll. While driving at night, my console lights on my 1980 model recently went out and I smelled an electrical burning-like scent for a few minutes, then the smell diminished. After about 30 mins, the console lights came back on, and smelled the same electrical scent again. I was pulling up at the house and turned the lights off by this time. I changed the headlight switch today, and to no avail, as soon as I turned on the headlights, the console lights came on, same electrical smell, then they went out again. The headlights/turn signals/ running lights all work fine the entire time. Just the console lights (speedometer/tachometer/center gagues) go out. Any ideas on what to check next? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 729
Likes: 118
From: Kelowna British Columbia
I"ll tell you but you won't like. Not a fun job to remove the drivers side dash but you have a project. You have to drop the steering wheel column and support it. Then pull the speedo and tach cables. Remove headlight switch plug. Remove screws and take out dash. Label the wires with tape where they go to lights . Now you can look at wiring harness here. First see if any the wires are touching or welded together. Probably a short somewhere. Check if any wires are brittle. If you bend and insulation cracks you will need this harness. If ok you should find wire in question causing your short. Should be obvious. Pay attention to where tight curves in wiring are and note the clips that hold your wiring harness is routed to make easier to reinstall. All dash lights are grey wires I believe. Ground for this area should be cleaned. It is on right side pillar. While you have dash off if you want to do any speaker work (4x6) or door adjustments (top) now would be the time.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 428
From: Cape Girardeau Missouri
Fortunately '77+ has a one-piece dash that is FAR easier to remove. That said, I wouldn't remove the dash yet. There's a very good chance that the smell is coming from one of the flexible printed circuits used for the gauge pack and the speedo cluster. The problem is that their layers delaminate and allow the copper traces to touch--if just barely touching you'll get heat and the smell of burning plastic but the fuse won't blow.
Neither the gauge pack nor the cluster are particularly difficult to remove but they do take some time. Do some searching and/or ask questions if you're unsure how to remove them.
Neither the gauge pack nor the cluster are particularly difficult to remove but they do take some time. Do some searching and/or ask questions if you're unsure how to remove them.
Just another Corvette guy
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,518
Likes: 3,863
From: Palm Springs, CA.
From what you've described, I would check your circuit protection first. If something is getting hot enough to give off an odor, it should certainly pop a fuse first. Is there a chance that the fuse for your dash lights has been replaced by one with too high an amperage rating or been bypassed/tapped into?
Start there.
Start there.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
I appreciate the prompt reply. Just to make sure I’m following you, you are suggesting to check the printed circuits before taking the steps of pulling the dash and checking the wires/harnesses? If so, I’m not sure how to accomplish that. I’ve got a Factory Shop Manual on the way, but it hasn’t arrived, yet. I would appreciate any directions you or anyone could offer.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Thanks, Greg. I’ll check the fuse and all. When I test drove the car (twice) before I bought it, it all worked fine. There was no issues with the console lights, and certainly no smell. It started about a week ago. When you say “circuit protection,” what exactly do you mean?
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Just another Corvette guy
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,518
Likes: 3,863
From: Palm Springs, CA.
Should have a 5 amp fuse for the instrument lamps. But if it was replaced with a 25 or 30 amp fuse, this could be the problem. If not, at least the dash lamps are a fairly easy circuit to work with.
When this happens do your speedo and tach lights stay on or do they go out as well?
When this happens do your speedo and tach lights stay on or do they go out as well?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
The speedometer, tachometer, and all center console gague lights go out. When I turn the headlight **** counter-clockwise to see if the overhead dome light and floor courtesy lights will come on, they won’t come on either. But the headlights, running lights and tail lights all work fine.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Greg, many thanks to you! I believe you helped me solve my issue. I checked the ‘Instrument Lamps’ fuse like you suggested, and there was a 10 amp fuse there. I pulled it and put a 5 amp in, cranked the car, but nothing. I noticed the tail lights, running lights were not on while the headlights were on. I checked the fuse for the taillights, and it was burned to a crisp. I replaced it with a fresh 25 amp fuse, and everything works like it should. I sat in the car for about 10 mins with everything on, and no burning smell and everything stayed on like it should. I checked the new 25 amp fuse just to be safe, and it was good. Is it possible that incorrect 10 amp fuse caused the other fuse to overheat or something, since those are tied in to the headlight switch as well?
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Mississippi
Sure will. (Actually it was a 20 amp I put in the tail lights, not 25 amp like I said earlier). But I’ll definitely let ya’ll know if anything re-occurs. Again, thanks to all the helpful information from all the replies!
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 428
From: Cape Girardeau Missouri
Good that it's working now but there's no way that an overrated fuse would cause the problems you described. I very much suspect that there is a tiny and intermittent short circuit in one of the laminated printed circuits that power the gauge pack and the cluster. The properly rated fuse [should] prevent serious damage--like a fire--but in the very likely event that the fuse blows you need to investigate further. While both of the circuits have the same problem I would start with the gauge pack. If you do wind up replacing that circuit, you need to use something like a piece of pasteboard (back of a scratch pad) to ensure the low fuel module stays in place. The replacement circuits (they actually seem superior to the originals) are significantly thinner and the low fuel module will easily come loose (at least it did in my '79).