Any follow up to this thread? I'm having similar problems with no dash lights myself. Just replaced headlight switch, but I still have to find and clean this ground that is near it inside the car. I have been reading lots of other threads with similar problems, getting pretty frustrated. My problem is intermittent. Thank you to all the guys who have contributed great info on this thread and others that I have saved in my bookmarks. I have some grounds to clean and check, will get back with you guys with details if I can't get my issues resolved, thank you again.

 

What year is your car??? Not knowing if your car is a the old style glass fuse or newer plastic type. Because.....when you pull your headlight switch to turn ON your dash lights. there is a fuse in your fuse box that is protecting this circuit. And even though you replaced the headlight switch and clean grounds all day long....does not mean anything IF the fuse in you fuse panel has been compromised in a any way. I have seen that the terminals in a fuse panel that get dirty will not allow the power to flow and thus...no dash lights or intermittent dash lights. So many times I can simply touch the fuse and it works just fine...but when I let my finger off the fuse it stops working.


SO...you need to 100% verify that when you pull your headlight switch....you can check the INST LMP fuse in your fuse panel and see if ONE of the terminals that holds the fuse is getting battery power. IF it does...then you need to check the other terminal and see if it is also getting the SAME voltage as the incoming terminal is getting from your headlight switch.

I have seen 12 volts coming to one terminal but when I check the other terminal it is at 6 volts...which means the terminals are dirty an need to be cleaned or are loose and may need to be pushed together a little bit to allow it to grip the fuse better.

DUB

 

 

YES...you can by-pass the timer box and make it so the interior courtesy light go OFF the instant you close the doors.

AS for if you are pulling apart your dash due to your gauge lights are not working....that is up to you. BUT you can simply remove the glove box liner to access the ORANGE timer for your courtesy lights.

DUB

 

Yes, on the cleaning of ground wires, I was thinking today about my problems(dash lights are only one) and I believe that it is on the positive side that I have something wrong. I have a 78, I know the small fuse you speak of. I replaced it some time ago. I did not use a voltmeter last night, but I used a test light. I have juice on the right side of the fuse when I pull the HS out. Here is where it gets really weird, when I put the test light on the other side of the fuse, the dash lights come on and the buzzer sounds(the one that reminds you the lights are on with no key).
I think you are right on about cleaning those terminals the glass fuse lays in.
Thank you for your reply, it's a bit rainy out and I don't have a garage so I will get to it when I can. It's my lack of running lights that concerns me as the car can only be driven in the daytime. But I don't want to hijack the thread with that separate issue, yet I think they are related(again, on the positive side of the circuits).

I think my problems are related to this thread as well.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-problems.html

 

Like you wrote...I would check the fuse due to how it works when you touch it...which is just like what I wrote..

AS for your running lights....if you cannot figure them out...let us know. Hopefully I will see that thread and respond if needed or PM me a link to it so i can go right to it....if you want any of my opinions on the subject.

DUB

 

Thanks DUB, I just checked the fuse while in holder for resistance, no resistance, good connectivity, at least in fuse. Now I know that doesn't mean the connections on either side couldn't be dirty.

Anyway....Since I was down there, I went ahead and hooked up the test light to the right side and pulled the HS, nothing. I have an intermittent power problem.
Then I put the test light on the tail light fuse, I THOUGHT that when it had power, that the tail lights worked(again, another intermittent problem), well it had power, but no tail lights. Sheesh
I gotta leave soon for my sister in laws Bday party (uggh) and its Friday night, so please don't give me too much of your time tonight. I can live without dash lights, it's just running lights that gets me in trouble(sheriff pulled me over a few Sunday evenings ago, 2 minutes from where I live). Not to mention the back of my car is totally dark and I have the burgundy color paint.

 

I sent you a PM. If you want .... give me a call. I will be working on Saturday and Sunday at the shop..

The choice is yours.

DUB

 

 

Glad you got it working but the issue you had has nothing to do with what this tread is talking about.

The headlight circuit function has nothing to do with the function of the lights beign discussed in this thread .

DUB

 

An update here, the missing ground strap has been added in lieu of the distributor heat shield ( which according to my AIM is a ground off the blower motor stud). I bypassed the courtesy delay timer and my dome light now goes off/on accordingly with the doors. I can also turn it on by rotating the headlight **** counter clockwise.

My next option would be to pull the dash and check the bulbs/ printed circuit.