dash board lights

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racerdan80

racerdan80

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68 Plymouth barracuda, rallye dash. Dimmer switch was replaced years ago, head lights still work, but dash lights do not. All fuses intact, all bulbs in the twist in inserts good. Where is the voltage regulator located and how does the dash ground?
 
If you have a Rallye dash (oil pressure gauge) the VR is inside the fuel gauge. Has nothing to do with lights, is only for temp/ fuel / oil gauge

The dash lighting is a bit of a trick. Is is supplied TO the light switch from the tail fuse. So that circuit must be good fuse and working.

Then it goes through the dash dimmer, and then down to the fuse panel to the INST fuse, the small fuse at one end of the fuse panel. OUT of that little fuse, the lighting is distributed on ORANGE wiring.

Start with tail lights on, dimmer twisted to left. Check for power on that inst fuse. If not, go up to the dimmer / light switch
 
I forgot to mention. If you need a (free) factory service manual and or wiring diagrams, they can be downloaded over at MyMopar. No, LOL I don't work there.
 
I probably will download and print off a manual. My car has lots of little electrical gremlins. My wiring under the dash looks like frankenstein, all cobbled and spliced together. Unrelated to the dash lights, when I was looking under there yesterday trying to figure out the problem; my arm rested on a wire that got hot deal quick and now my turn signals don't work. Somehow shorted out the flasher. One problem at a time lol
 
4 illumination bulbs in this panel. Plus the 4 indicator bulbs for 8 total. If only the 'BRAKE' bulb works ( that 1 grounds at remote switches ) the instrument panel isn't chassis grounded.
I'm guessing you have the panel dangling from its harness connectors.
edit; the above was typed before your most recent post. Good luck with it.
 
Panel is still currently installed. If the panel isn't chassis grounded, then where at? At work currently, have to check this and 67dart273 recommendations when I get home.
 
The panel is grounded through the mounting screws. If you take it out for maintenace, there are a few things you should do. One, is to add a pigtail ground wire which then bolts to the dash frame or column support.

Other problems......

Loose harness connector pins at the PC board which can be repaired

Sometimes the gauge VR "socket" spring clips lose connection to the pc board traces. You must solder jumpers across

The stud nuts for the gauges loosen / corrode, you need to loosen/ tighten them to scrub them clean and tighten, good idea to replace with "real" nuts.

And......of course clean, inspect the lamp sockets and replace the lamps. Some on here have gone to LED with various results

Here's a good thread on PC board repairs

Printed circuit pins repair
 
Pulled connector off of dimmer and found a damaged wire connector. Looked like it was never properly engaged and had been arcing. Also the dimmer switch had a auxilary tab for a ground wire. Ran a new ground wire and now most of the lights work lol! The most important one to me for right now was the speedometer light so I can drive my car to work early in the morning before the sun comes up. The lights aren't very bright, but i'm on the right track. Thanks guys for the help
 
Extra ground wires, cleaned all contact areas of bulbs and studs, cleaned all lenses and bulbs internally and external. All lights work quite well now.

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I can't really see where you ran that ground, is it just another part of the cluster? You should run it to the main dash frame. Sounds like you made a lot of progress!!!
 
I did, i have 3 grounds now! Two to the top plate and one on the lower to the frame itself. Man did that make a difference. Now i'd love to upgrade my headlights. Guess I have to do some research on that and of course as money allows. Thanks agai for all the help
 
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