Illumination went out

[Clutch_Hutch]

Hey all a couple days ago the illumination for the interior lights went out. I check ed and replaced the respective fuses and pulled the gauge cluster out and didn't notice anything melty. What makes this even more confusing is I installed a new radio and the dimming worked on it just fine. Any ideas as to what the issue is? I thought it might be because my license plat lights are currently out but that can't be because of the radio. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Make sure you don't have the dimmer turned down all the way.

Did the dash lights ever work with the new radio?

 

[Clutch_Hutch]

Make sure you don't have the dimmer turned down all the way.

Did the dash lights ever work with the new radio?

I have no idea i just put it in today after this issue. Also I just used the oem ground provided through the wiring. Do you know where the ground could be for an 89 rangers dash? Ive heard they can get loose

 

[Shran]

Could be a bad headlight switch. The one in my '86 sometimes needs a couple pushes & pulls for the dash lights to come on but the headlights always work. These switches were somewhat known for problems, a lot of them that I've seen are melted to some degree or the connector is melted. Might not hurt to at least inspect it.

 

[Clutch_Hutch]

Could be a bad headlight switch. The one in my '86 sometimes needs a couple pushes & pulls for the dash lights to come on but the headlights always work. These switches were somewhat known for problems, a lot of them that I've seen are melted to some degree or the connector is melted. Might not hurt to at least inspect it.

Ive checked it out and didnt see anything but im also an amateur so I'll give that a shot thank you so much

 

[Shran]

Unplug the headlight switch from its connector and see if it's all melted or corroded. Sometimes reseating it will be enough, if there is corrosion on the terminals then they should be cleaned up though. I think the dash lights going out when the radio was installed could be a coincidence but hard to say. Not sure how that would have affected things unless it's somehow wired wrong and the radio is feeding voltage back into the dimmer wire or something like that.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

25 years ago I popped the fuse in mine because I thought the illumination wire for the factory radio was the ground wire.

IIRC all was well until I turned the dash lights on.

 

[Clutch_Hutch]

Unplug the headlight switch from its connector and see if it's all melted or corroded. Sometimes reseating it will be enough, if there is corrosion on the terminals then they should be cleaned up though. I think the dash lights going out when the radio was installed could be a coincidence but hard to say. Not sure how that would have affected things unless it's somehow wired wrong and the radio is feeding voltage back into the dimmer wire or something like that.

Ah it shouldn't be the radio, the lights went out before I put the new radio in

 

[Clutch_Hutch]

I don't know if yall can tell but the radio gets brighter with the dimmer engaged but my gauged cluster doesn't light up. Honestly at a loss