Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

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Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

April 18, 2011, 12:06:30 AM

Ok the digi speedo gauge lights up in the day time but as soon as I turn on the headlights or parking lights my speedo light goes out and I also have no dash lights, heater control lights. I haven't got a chance to dig into to this just yet hoping tomorrow once I get the back window done and the rear deck carpet replaced. I just love these cars with almost nothing I've already get the feeling that I don't want to share this one with the wifey either much less let my soon to be 16yr old drive it. Gotta have dash lights for them to drive it maybe them not working is a good thing! LOL

Thanks again
Stuckman

Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

Reply #1 – April 20, 2011, 01:45:16 PM

I finally got this lined out. I dug into what fuse does what and Found that mine was blown. Replaced the fuse and I got dash lights with the headlight/parking lights. Easy as that. Here I was worried it might take some real work to get this fixed.

Thanks again
Stuckman

Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

Reply #2 – April 28, 2011, 01:14:22 AM

Well So I thought I had it fixed. Took her out to the store tonight. Started her up the auto headlights kicked on and the dash and heater lights never came on. The Clock dimmed. I seen them working just the other evening maybe they were playing a trick on me. It was kind at sunset. This car does have the Auto headlight, along with the dim/bright feature. I guess once the rain is dried up I can go out and dig into this deeper.

Thanks again
Stuckman

Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

Reply #3 – April 30, 2011, 01:31:57 AM

Ok so today was nice and I was caught up on all my other pressing cs so I got some time with the 87 Bird. I pulled the after market radio out and made sure that that nothing was hooked up to the illumination wire. I used those plugs so I just plugged into the factory radio harness. I checked the 5 amp fuse in the fuse box and it was blown again. I installed a new 5amp fuse and is seems to be staying good but still no dash lights. I took out the headlight switch and blew it out with some cleaner. I had some quiet so I slowly rocked the headlight switch to help me locate the relay for the dash light. I could hear it clicking while I worked the switch but I found a stack of them. Kinda got called away to help a buddy over at his house so didn't get back on this. I did get bk out there after dark and still I have no dash lights. So as long as the fuse stays good I was thinking that maybe its the relay. If I have time tomorrow I'll pull the relay and install a test one. Also might just do some jumpering to see if can make any dash light or heater control light come on.

thanks for any help
stuckman

Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

Reply #4 – April 30, 2011, 07:17:08 PM

Ignition switch? My lights went bad when my switch started to die. Also,when I ran a screw thew the sunvisor harness, it killed the dash lights.....then the fuse box. Bad stuff.

Glad that is fixed.

Reply #5 – April 30, 2011, 11:43:21 PM

I got this all lined out today. I pulled the cluster, and the radio so pretty much had the whole dash in pieces. Without the cluster or the radio installed I could keep a fuse in the box good. I could make the headlight switch plate bulb light. So since it was out I cleaned up the cluster and found a good reason not to ever have gotten a Check engine light. There wasn't any bulb holder or bulb in the socket for the C.E. light. Robbed a spare out of my extras. While it was out I also found out the night Speedo bulb was blown so got a new one installed and checked all the rest of the bulbs. So from there I just worked backwards. Installed the cluster and checked I still have dash lights. Installed the radio and did a check dash light fuse goes POP. Even though I used those plugs to wire in the after market radio it seems some thing was wrong. After I broke out my meter and doing some checking. I found the car side harness doesn't have a ground wire the wire they claimed as ground had 12v coming out of it with the lights on. It must have been grounding though the dash light circuit. Unhooked the stereo ground wire and found a good solid ground for it. Reinstalled the radio replaced the fuse and all was good Working dash lights. Now to get back out there tomorrow and get all the finish panels cleaned up and installed.

Thanks for looking.
Stuckman

Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

Reply #6 – April 30, 2011, 11:54:24 PM

Good to hear you figured it out.

Dash lights Fixed Finally 4/30

Reply #7 – May 01, 2011, 07:00:54 AM

Feels good to solve those PITA problems. I've said over and over. For me, it's not the problem or fixing it that bothers me at all, it's the "not knowing" what it is that drives me crazy.