lost all dash lights

[Funnyman141]

Well I hit a bump in a alley in town and lost all dash lights (I wasn't being stupid with it either) the fuse is good and from what I could tell the ground for it is still connected. I still have parking lights, and headlights.
any ideas?

 

[robmedina]

No ideas, but when I got my truck all the dash bulbs were blown except for one (all the way to the right) showing the fuel. I wonder how all of them were blown, was it an all at once thing or one at a time, over time....

It is real easy to pull the dash though- takes about 5 minutes.

 

[martin]

If you have the light switch that pulls out and the panel light dimmer that is controlled by turning the round knob. There is a resistor in the switch that controls the dash lights and the resistor sometimes fall apart.

 

[mp3deviant721]

If you have the light switch that pulls out and the panel light dimmer that is controlled by turning the round knob. There is a resistor in the switch that controls the dash lights and the resistor sometimes fall apart.

Would this cause that dimmer not being able to dim the dash lights? Mine just recently starting doing this. My dash lights still work, you just can't dim them. Do you replace the whole unit or can you just replace the resistor? Sorry for the thread jack.

 

[Spott]

Well I hit a bump in a alley in town and lost all dash lights (I wasn't being stupid with it either) the fuse is good and from what I could tell the ground for it is still connected. I still have parking lights, and headlights.
any ideas?

Didja lose the dash illumination, or the warning lights? They run on different fuses.

If all your gauges and warning lights still work, it's probably not a loose connector. I know it's neither quick nor simple, but the best way to troubleshoot is to get a multi-tester, pull the cluster, and follow the circuit back from the lamps, to the fusebox, until you find the problem.

Let me know what you find,
Spott

 

[martin]

The resistor is part of the switch.

 

[Funnyman141]

all of my gauges work I just lost the lights for them When this weekend rolls around I'll head to the parts shop for the lights switch then I'll take the dash apart to check everything with the multi-tester.
I also lost my RPM gauge lights so I know its not just blown bulbs.

I guess my truck didn't like its presents

 

[martin]

Take the light switch out first and check it. It does not take long and it's possible it might not be the problem

 

[Funnyman141]

I changed out the switch that wasn't it, I checked/changed the fuse again that wasn't it, I cleaned the contacts (nasty) that wasn't it either.
anybody have a complete wiring diagram for the dash? my book has $hit for wiring diagrams and the ground I found wasn't for the dash. So I hope its just a grounding issue, and not a power wire problem.

Oh the joy of electrical gremlins

 

[azhrei]

result?

just wondering what you ended up finding? and if you could share... lost mine a while ago also in my 87 and replaced switch thinking this to be the problem, yesterday the radio went (aftermarket) and went to replace and that one also won't work and pulled meter and there is power?

thanks

 

[det107]

Would this cause that dimmer not being able to dim the dash lights? Mine just recently starting doing this. My dash lights still work, you just can't dim them. Do you replace the whole unit or can you just replace the resistor? Sorry for the thread jack.

This could be it @ dimmer switch-

 

[4.0B2]

i'm thinking the light pull switch. mine doesn't dim. its either on or off.... so....
if i switched the light switch to a new one it'd work fine.

 

[azhrei]

switch has been replaced, so I'm thinking ground wire! anyone know where it connects for the dash?

thanks
Paul