Instrument cluster has no lights at all

[gtgto]

My car has been a challenge to say the least. Took apart the dash and removed the gauge cluster and wiring harness thinking I was replacing the harness with one I bought used. That didn't work out to well and my harness after further inspection wasn't all cut up. It had some added wiring that was connected to nothing so I removed it. Put my new dash pad on and after finding heater controls that weren't trashed I bought those and replaced those as well. Originally the car had no dah lights, dome light brake lights and blinkers. Also the factory tach did not work. After cleaning up and installing the gauge overlay and cluster I reinstalled everything including wiring for the tach that was not in place before hand. Fast forward to tonight I hooked the battery back up to see what works and what doesn't. I turned on the lights and and checked for blinker and brake lights and still nothing. I started at the fuse box and although all the fuses look good but by moving one of the fuses in its socket the dome light came on. What is the best way to clean the contacts in the fuse box? Since my dome light came on and the door switch works to light the dome light I figured lets hit the blinkers. They do work and also my brake lights now work too. I fired the car up and even my factory tach is now functioning. It looks like re assembly is almost in order. I still have two issues. I have no instrument cluster lights at all and my emergency flashers do nothing. I'll get another chance to troubleshoot probably Friday night. I have a wiring diagram that has already paid for itself. But any tips you guys might have as to possible problem area for the dash lights and emergency flashers would help too. Thanks

 

[67Dart273]

The dash lights are a bit of a trick

The light switch has TWO power sources. One wire goes to b1 (battery 1) and is NOT fused, comes from the ammeter circuit. This powers ONLY the headlights, nothing else

The tail/ park / and instrument lamps is powered from the TAIL fuse, so that must be good and should be "hot" at all times. That fuse feeds B2 on the light switch

That power goes through the dash dimmer control.......wiggle the hell out of it and rotate it mostly to the left, which is brighter

That power leaves the dash dimmer on TAN and goes BACK to the fuse box to the small fuse at one end, marked INST. That fuse, then will ONLY be hot......

If the tail circuit works

If the light switch is on

and the dash dimmer turned to the left.

Through that fuse, all dimmer controlled dash lamps are ORANGE wiring

 

[Deemo]

The board on my car was not giving current through the whole board. I bought some LEDs, And wired them in. Ground feed was good, but had to make a constant off that orange wire that split to the other lights. Check your board for current. Then jump the break to the other side of what doesn't have power. Multimeter will useful

 

[RedFish]

you stated "looks like reassembly is almost in order". The dash lights wont work while the instrument panel isn't chassis grounded. The only indicator lamps that will work while the panel dangles from its connectors are BRAKE and OIL where applicable.