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'72 Instrument panel lights

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Old Jul 7, 2019 | 01:50 PM
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Default '72 Instrument panel lights

'72 convertible restore. Instrument panel lights have never worked. Replaced the headlight switch while the dash was being restored. Instrument lights still do not work. INST fuse is good. Checked voltage at INST fuse with car running and headlights on. No voltage.

Looking for suggestions on where I should look next.



Thanks in advance for any/all suggestions.

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Old Jul 7, 2019 | 04:24 PM
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Didi you check only of the sockets with a test light? Is it all instrument panel lights? Is the ground straps still in place on the back of the speedo and tach?
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Old Jul 7, 2019 | 05:07 PM
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Electrical ground for the dash lights is a wire behind the gauge bezel which connects to chassis metal in the trans tunnel console. Run a bare ended jumper wire from the chrome trim on the gauge bezel to a known good grounding point (fuse block?) and see if they light up.
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Old Jul 7, 2019 | 06:22 PM
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Default Do you have tail lights?

The tail light fuse feeds the instrument fuse.
If the instrument fuse blows only the dash lights go out.
If the tail lamp fuse blows both the tail lights and dash lights will be out.
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Old Jul 8, 2019 | 07:23 AM
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Originally Posted by djmc52
Didi you check only of the sockets with a test light? Is it all instrument panel lights? Is the ground straps still in place on the back of the speedo and tach?
All the instrument panel lights are out. Going to check ground and trace green wire that runs from headlight switch to the fuse panel.
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Old Jul 8, 2019 | 07:24 AM
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Originally Posted by 7T1vette
Electrical ground for the dash lights is a wire behind the gauge bezel which connects to chassis metal in the trans tunnel console. Run a bare ended jumper wire from the chrome trim on the gauge bezel to a known good grounding point (fuse block?) and see if they light up.
I will try this this morning.
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Old Jul 8, 2019 | 01:20 PM
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Appreciate everyone's help. I found the problem. The ground to the instrument panel is bad. When I stated earlier that the INST fuse had no voltage I took my reading using a ground that turned out bad. This morning I ran a ground wire to the battery and checked the voltage at the INST fuse again. It has voltage. I then unplugged a bulb from the back of the tach and checked continuity from the green wire at the headlight switch to the end of the grey wire that provides power to the bulb. Continuity was good. I then took my ground wire that is connected to the battery, turned on the headlight switch, touched the ground to barb on the bulb connector and the bulb lit up. Now I have to figure out how to correctly fix the ground problem.
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Old Jul 8, 2019 | 10:44 PM
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Here's a diagram of the black ground wire:


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