Instrument Lamps (Fuse) ?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
Instrument Lamps (Fuse) ?
Still trying to find the reason why the instrument panel lights do not work. When I pull out the 5amp fuse for the Instr. Lps at the fuse panel, I don't see 2 female "connectors" for the fuse inside the fuse panel. I only see one in there. Should there be 2 in there for both tips of the fuse? 
See the bad pic here . It is the fuse space on the right that has the 1 receptor:
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/sho...cat=500&page=1
See the bad pic here . It is the fuse space on the right that has the 1 receptor:
http://www.photohost.org/gallery/sho...cat=500&page=1
Last edited by 79vetter; Apr 20, 2005 at 07:55 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
oh yeah thats a problem....do yu have a 12 volt test light? if so stick that in there and see if you get get it to light up....if you can't there is a problem.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,128
Likes: 3
From: Deltona (son of Deland and DAYTONA) FL
I just crawled up underneath there. This is a place in the upper left of the block right? Yup, there should be two places with copper colored contacts for the fuse in there. I wonder if it fell out and behind?
Did you test for power with the HL **** pulled out at least on parking lamp?
Did you test for power with the HL **** pulled out at least on parking lamp?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
Isosoles,
Yep we are talking about the upper left hand portion of the fuse panel- however it is not the upper most pair of copper contacts- It is actually the pair (or lack of) right below that top pair. My pic was taken sideways - with the pair on the left being top most --(that is not used if I am not mistaken)...
So yours officially has 2 coppers for the instrument panel fuse?
I wish that I knew what color wires are supposed to be connected to the back of that fuse holder. I didn't see one dangling off when I pulled the fuse panel to take the pic...
Yep we are talking about the upper left hand portion of the fuse panel- however it is not the upper most pair of copper contacts- It is actually the pair (or lack of) right below that top pair. My pic was taken sideways - with the pair on the left being top most --(that is not used if I am not mistaken)...
So yours officially has 2 coppers for the instrument panel fuse?
I wish that I knew what color wires are supposed to be connected to the back of that fuse holder. I didn't see one dangling off when I pulled the fuse panel to take the pic...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,128
Likes: 3
From: Deltona (son of Deland and DAYTONA) FL
Yes, there are definitely 2 copper contacts on both sides of that fuse socket.
On my wiring diagram (which you need an electrical engineering degree to read and I don't have) I see yellow, tan, and LT green coming off the back of the HL switch, one of those will be a wire carrying varied voltage from the dimmer. Over near the dash light section of the diagram, I see LT green but not the other two. Hope that helps.
If you don't get power coming from that one socket on the right when the HL switch is on, try running a jumper wire from the IGN labeled socket with the key on to the right side socket for the instrument lights. IF it works, you can always use an inline fuse
like thishttp://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct_id=270-1213
until you find out what happened to that other wire. Use male spade connectors on each end and put a 10 amp fuse in the holder. I think that left side missing wire is the power side coming from the HL switch.
The dash lights will come on with the ignition wired like that.
On my wiring diagram (which you need an electrical engineering degree to read and I don't have) I see yellow, tan, and LT green coming off the back of the HL switch, one of those will be a wire carrying varied voltage from the dimmer. Over near the dash light section of the diagram, I see LT green but not the other two. Hope that helps.
If you don't get power coming from that one socket on the right when the HL switch is on, try running a jumper wire from the IGN labeled socket with the key on to the right side socket for the instrument lights. IF it works, you can always use an inline fuse
like thishttp://www.radioshack.com/product.as...ct_id=270-1213
until you find out what happened to that other wire. Use male spade connectors on each end and put a 10 amp fuse in the holder. I think that left side missing wire is the power side coming from the HL switch.
The dash lights will come on with the ignition wired like that.
Last edited by isosceles; Apr 20, 2005 at 09:55 PM.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 395
Likes: 0
From: Shoreline WA
The instrumnent fuse should have has three wires associated with it, a Dark Green and a two Gray wires.
Power comes from the head light switch to the instrument fuse on the Dark green. The gray wires on the other end of the fuse goes to instrument lights.
Check the Dark green coming from the headlight switch for voltage when the lights are on. The voltage you see will depend on where your dimmer switch is set. WIth your volt meter between the Dark Green and ground, you should see the voltage change when you turn the dimmer switch.
Hard to tell if it is the dark green or the grays missing from your fuse panel. I would think it is the Dark Green, because you didn't see any voltage when you tested the remaining post. You should have saw some voltage there regardless of the dimmer position, unless "it" is bad.
Power comes from the head light switch to the instrument fuse on the Dark green. The gray wires on the other end of the fuse goes to instrument lights.
Check the Dark green coming from the headlight switch for voltage when the lights are on. The voltage you see will depend on where your dimmer switch is set. WIth your volt meter between the Dark Green and ground, you should see the voltage change when you turn the dimmer switch.
Hard to tell if it is the dark green or the grays missing from your fuse panel. I would think it is the Dark Green, because you didn't see any voltage when you tested the remaining post. You should have saw some voltage there regardless of the dimmer position, unless "it" is bad.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
My headlight switch is new so I don't think that is the problem. My headlights work just fine too.
When I pierce the green wire from the H/L connector I don't get any voltage on the meter at all. This is with the h/l switch pulled out and the dimmer all the way on.
When I pierce the green wire from the H/L connector I don't get any voltage on the meter at all. This is with the h/l switch pulled out and the dimmer all the way on.
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,881
Likes: 9
From: staten island ny
The other thing to consider after you get the missing female connector sorted out is whether the brake light fuse is good. On many GM cars if the brake light fuse goes the dash lights also go out as a reminder that the brake lights are out.
ESU
ESU
Racer
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 395
Likes: 0
From: Shoreline WA
79Vetter,
Where are you probing the dark green wire, at the fuse panel or the headlight switch or some where in between?
If your tail lights work with the headlight switch in park or on (12 V measured on brown wires on headlight switch connector) , but you don't measure any voltage when probing the dark green wire from the headlight switch connector, it can only be one of the following:
1) Dark green wire is broken somewhere between where you are probing and the headlight switch connector.
2) Bad connection between the headlight switch and the connector.
3) Bad dimmer in your new headlight switch.
The tail lights are feed from the same 12V source through the headlight switch as the instrument lights. The only difference is the instrument light circuit is routed through the light dimmer before it comes out of the headlight switch on the dark green wire. So if you can measure voltage on the brown wires but not the green wire at the headlight switch connector when the headlight switch is on, that would point to a bad dimmer in your headlight switch.
Mike
Where are you probing the dark green wire, at the fuse panel or the headlight switch or some where in between?
If your tail lights work with the headlight switch in park or on (12 V measured on brown wires on headlight switch connector) , but you don't measure any voltage when probing the dark green wire from the headlight switch connector, it can only be one of the following:
1) Dark green wire is broken somewhere between where you are probing and the headlight switch connector.
2) Bad connection between the headlight switch and the connector.
3) Bad dimmer in your new headlight switch.
The tail lights are feed from the same 12V source through the headlight switch as the instrument lights. The only difference is the instrument light circuit is routed through the light dimmer before it comes out of the headlight switch on the dark green wire. So if you can measure voltage on the brown wires but not the green wire at the headlight switch connector when the headlight switch is on, that would point to a bad dimmer in your headlight switch.
Mike
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,583
Likes: 5
From: Richardson Tx.
Here is what I have discovered:
Power was not making it from the green wire to the fuse block because somewhere in my testing I blew the coil on the rheostat ( the wiring had severed).
I also found that my fuse location is now the top most pair of coppers because the green wire and the 2 gray wires are hooked to that one. Since I got the switch working correctly it now blows the 10 amp fuse whenever I try to turn the switch on.
The wiring diagram shows that one of the gray wires goes to the instrument panel lights and the second one goes to the radio. I tried to trace that wire to the radio but have yet to find it.
My friend says that I have a dead short somewhere because I am blowing the fuse now.
Power was not making it from the green wire to the fuse block because somewhere in my testing I blew the coil on the rheostat ( the wiring had severed).
I also found that my fuse location is now the top most pair of coppers because the green wire and the 2 gray wires are hooked to that one. Since I got the switch working correctly it now blows the 10 amp fuse whenever I try to turn the switch on.
The wiring diagram shows that one of the gray wires goes to the instrument panel lights and the second one goes to the radio. I tried to trace that wire to the radio but have yet to find it.
My friend says that I have a dead short somewhere because I am blowing the fuse now.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,496
Likes: 503
From: Willowbrook IL
St. Jude Donor '13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by isosceles
On my wiring diagram (which you need an electrical engineering degree to read and I don't have) I see yellow, tan, and LT green coming off the back of the HL switch, one of those will be a wire carrying varied voltage from the dimmer. Over near the dash light section of the diagram, I see LT green but not the other two. Hope that helps.
Don
Racer
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 395
Likes: 0
From: Shoreline WA
79Vetter,
In addition to the gray wires going to the instrumnet panel lights (both the gauge cluster and speedo/tach cluster) and radio light, it also goes to lights for your heater controls, transmision selector (if automatic) and to the wiper washer light.
Mike
In addition to the gray wires going to the instrumnet panel lights (both the gauge cluster and speedo/tach cluster) and radio light, it also goes to lights for your heater controls, transmision selector (if automatic) and to the wiper washer light.
Mike
