When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hello. I just replaced the bulbs for my turn signal lights but the flasher on the dashboard does not work. The blinkers work fine. What could be the issue? Thanks!
Okay I have a 1980 as well. Okay if I understand you correctly you are saying that you replaced the outside light bulb and it works fine. It blinks but you can't see it light up in the dashboard in front of you? If that is the case, it is probably one of two things, either your light bulb is done, or it is just loose. These bulbs are held on by some twist on bulb holder and it makes contact on the circuit board. My guess is that it is probably the bulb. If I remember correctly they are 194 bulbs.
One other thing, the hazard lights work on a different flasher. Just because these work it doesn't necessarily mean that the turn signal lights are working. I believe they have a flasher on the top righthand side of the fuse box.
Okay I have a 1980 as well. Okay if I understand you correctly you are saying that you replaced the outside light bulb and it works fine. It blinks but you can't see it light up in the dashboard in front of you? If that is the case, it is probably one of two things, either your light bulb is done, or it is just loose. These bulbs are held on by some twist on bulb holder and it makes contact on the circuit board. My guess is that it is probably the bulb. If I remember correctly they are 194 bulbs.
One other thing, the hazard lights work on a different flasher. Just because these work it doesn't necessarily mean that the turn signal lights are working. I believe they have a flasher on the top righthand side of the fuse box.
Thanks for the reply. I was thinking most likely it's a bulb issue and I think I have to take the dash board cover off to get to those lights. Also I totally forgot to check the hazard lights I'm going to check that when I get home from work.
Welcome to the ONE place you can get answers to your Corvette questions without getting a bill! The knowledge here regarding our Corvettes is amazing! Take a moment and fill out your profile so we know what year kind of Corvette
I have found on my older 1968 Corvette that many of the light sockets have little copper or solder contacts. I replaced the bulbs as they break and one day I had a broken right brake light. I removed the bulb and then using a Cotton Q-Tip I applied a tiny amount of the DeOxIt which removes all the corrosion from the surface. When I re-installed the bulb I noticed it was actually brighter than the others. It is amazing how much corrosion you get in 50 plus years.
If you have the printed circuit plastic you might try something more like a pencil "eraser" to clean the copper contacts. Start with the least abrasive so you don't damage the circuit board. It is likely that you have solved this issue already.
It could be bulbs or a loose connection on the printed circuit board connector, or the circuit board itself. I have the same issue but have not looked into it yet. For me I also have a erratic tach that at idle reads 6500 rpm. NO my idle is not that high. I am thinking my problem might be a bad ground but will look into it when I have time.
Just replaced dash lights (4) with new bulbs and the lights still don't work. I checked the dashboard instrument fuse (7.5) and it was working.Is there a relay or circuit board that ma need replaced???
Perhaps the connector in the back of the cluster is loose, or you need a new flexible circuit board.
How did you replace the bulbs? Did you just reach up there and swap them out, or did you pull the speedo/tach assembly? I'd try to test for power on the connector first.
These have gotten spendy. I want to say that I bought my last one for $20-, but that may have been the eBay price.
There were probably better diagrams online before Willcox Corvette went out of business. This is for the center gauge cluster circuit board, but it has a similar connector to the tach/speedo circuit board, and operates the same, with bayonet mounted lights and a glitchy connector.
Ahhh, so a component or multiple components may not work if the circuit is broken. Sounds too simple. Next step is to remove dash cluster and check the board. But first I need a drink.
Ahhh, so a component or multiple components may not work if the circuit is broken. Sounds too simple. Next step is to remove dash cluster and check the board. But first I need a drink.
Try wiggling the connector first, if you can reach up there.
I'm curious why you needed a bulb puller to get the bulbs out, though, or how that would work. The bulbs are mounted on a keyed bayonet receptacle, that pops out (with the bulb) with a quarter turn.
I'll try reaching the connector today. I used a bulb puller because I didn't pull the dash cluster. The bulbs pull right out of you can reach them, but the space is too tight for fingers . I read where another person used a pair of needle nosed pliers to remove and replace but I was afraid I might crush them. So, I used a bulb puller.
How did you reinsert them? You need to turn them 90 degrees (perhaps 120 degrees) to get them to engage with the socket, and to make contact on the circuit board. I don't see how you can do that with pliers, or a bulb puller, unless the cluster is on a bench.
Here are a couple of pictures that show how I removed the bulbs and replaced them notice in the second picture that the tachometer and speedometer lights are shining but the center lights do not work.
You should pick up a shop manual. I have never seen anyone replace bulbs that way. Always from the back.
There's a ring that you press while pulling the speedo cable. Easier to feel than describe. You can see the ring, and the tab at the bottom, in the photo above.
Finally pulled out the dashboard cluster , man I don't want to do that again. I have a new circuit board on order but it won't be here until Thursday so hopefully next weekend I'll be able to put that in and see if that solves the problem.
