1963 Valiant~ No Dash Lights???

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MeValiant

MeValiant

My Georgia Girl
Joined
Sep 18, 2014
Messages
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Location
Lancaster, pa.
Hi,
I have no dash lights, however when I turn the knob all the way up, the dome/courtesy light does come on. Hopefully this is a fuse?? If not, where should I start to look?
Thanks All!
Patrick
 
The dome light circuit is seprate from the intrument lights circuit, even though they are both controlled in the headlights switch.

There should be an INST fuse to check; if that is OK, then most likely it is the dimmer control (rheostat) which is part of the head light switch. (Less likely, all the bulbs are out.) Rotate the dimmer back and forth a lot of times and see if it is just corrosion on the dimmer rheostat.

To repalce the switch, you pull the knob and shaft out of the switch by pushing a small metal button on the under side of the switch; sometimes it takes a few tries.

New switches are not that expensive.
 
Thanks! I will give that a try. I do have the turnsignal green light and the red oil light. It is the "backlighting" I am missing. Hoping it is just burned out bulbs?
 
Easy to check. Check for power at the fuse labeled INST with the headlights on at both sides of the fuse if you only have power at one side the fuse is blown replace and retry if you have power at both sides of the fuse check the bulbs in the cluster and at the same time check for power at the bulbs It is possible that all the bulbs are blown. If you have power at the bulbs then the switch is good. If the oil light and the high beam lights work then the cluster has a good ground One other possibility is the circuit board on the back of the cluster is bad. Inspect it for burned spots when you remove the cluster if you make it that far. Most likely it is just a fuse.

Brian
 
On my 69 Dart I has similiar issues with dashboard. I pulled the dash and the problem was the traces on the circuit board. I got some thin copper sheet and cut and soldered new traces in. I could have just soldered in wires to bridge the burned out sections, but I am OCD. LOL!!
 
MeValiant said:
Thanks! I will give that a try. I do have the turnsignal green light and the red oil light. It is the "backlighting" I am missing. Hoping it is just burned out bulbs?
Click to expand...
Perhpas but probably not; the headlight dimmer rheostrat being corroded is a very common problem. Easy and cheap to replace.
 
Well, Here's a first! Simple Boredom fixed my No Dash Lights! I was waiting for my 17 year old son to get all the necessary "stuff" for his girlfriend for Valentines day, and I just started turning the dimmer rheostat, after about 20 seconds TA DA!!!! DASHLIGHTS!!!!
Thanks to NM9!!!!
Who woulda Thunk it????
Just thought I'd pass it along!!
Patrick
 
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