No dash light. Where to start?
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: glencoe AL
No dash light. Where to start?
I have an '82 and the dash lights don't work. The instrument panel too. However, The blinkers and high beam indicator work fine. Where should I start looking to fix this problem? When I bought it, the previous owner had the wipers switch replaced, if that helps any? Thanks in advance.
Racer
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 460
Likes: 0
I used a 1980 wiring harness in my vette while rebuilding and had to convert things, and adapt to work with a '76 speedo & tach dash while keeping the center console the 1980 ! GM with their infinite wisdom (lol) ran the main lighting for the speedo & tach thru the windshield wiper switch first............... I suspect your,s is the same way ! Make sure the power is going to and from the wiper switch fot the lights and that should take care of your problem --- it took me a couple of weeks to figure out this problem and the laminated wiring diagram was a great help ! Hope this helps !!! Rick
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
Likes: 38
From: Fremont CA
Your headlight switch probably has a "open" in the dash light dimmer reohstat. Pull the driver's side dash panel out to get access to the back side of the headlight switch, locat the dash lights on a wiring diagran and jump-out the dimmer section of the switch. I find that 98% of the Vettes that have this problem have failed dimmer switches.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,128
Likes: 21
From: North Alabama
Originally Posted by Solid LT1
Your headlight switch probably has a "open" in the dash light dimmer reohstat. Pull the driver's side dash panel out to get access to the back side of the headlight switch, locat the dash lights on a wiring diagran and jump-out the dimmer section of the switch. I find that 98% of the Vettes that have this problem have failed dimmer switches.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,128
Likes: 3
From: Deltona (son of Deland and DAYTONA) FL
Same thing happend to mine. I replaced the HL switch and it was fine.
If you want to test to see if that is the problem without pulling out the side of the dash you can run a jumper wire (i put an inline fuse in mine) from a socket on the fuse panel labeled IGN to the right side of the fuse socket for the instrument lights. If the right side doesn't work, try the left side, but I'm pretty sure it was right.
turn the ignition on and the dash lights should come on. If not you might have another problem somewhere down line.
If you want to test to see if that is the problem without pulling out the side of the dash you can run a jumper wire (i put an inline fuse in mine) from a socket on the fuse panel labeled IGN to the right side of the fuse socket for the instrument lights. If the right side doesn't work, try the left side, but I'm pretty sure it was right.
turn the ignition on and the dash lights should come on. If not you might have another problem somewhere down line.
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
After 2 weekends in the garage with the wiring diagram. I found that is was the Headlight switch too... (head lights and parking lights still work fine)... you can test for this (on a 79 anyway) by taking the wiring harness off the headlight switch and hot wiring the red power wire to the green wire... the dash lights should come on as well as the buzzer indicating that you lights are on (when you engines not)
