New dash lights stole my energy.

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scarlette1969

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Hey guys, I'm really new to wiring but i decided to pull my instrument cluster to replace my lights and put in a new voltage regulator to try and problem solve my gas and temp gauge from not working. I got all the new lights in and cleaned everything up. I put everything back in and got it all buttoned up but now my car wont start. My ignition turns and i get power to lights inside but not even a clicking on the starter. The worst part is that not all the lights are working after all this. Any ideas of where to go next i have no ideas of what to do with any of this. Its a standard dash on a 69 Dart. Thanks for all your help!
 
Pull the plug off the back of the dash and reinstall it,sometimes those little prongsget loose.
 
Failures like this are often connections at connectors

What year/ model? If you have a seat belt interlock, that can complicate things

It's helpful to know how the dash lamp circuit works. The headlight switch receives power from TWO separate sources

Headlights ONLY power comes directly to the switch from the splice in the harness, in the black ammeter wire. There's a breaker in the light switch for the headlights

Tail/ park and dash get power from the tail fuse. So make sure the tail lights work.

Then, dash light power goes through the dash dimmer switch (wiggle the heck out of it!!!) and FROM the dash dimmer, lamp power goes TO the small instrument fuse, and one end of your fuse panel.

So, with lights in either head or park, and the dimmer control all the way to "bright" see if you have the same voltage on both ends of the instrument fuse.

If the radio, heater bezel, or shift selector lamps light, but none in the cluster, then you have a problem most likely either a ground at the cluster, or at the cluster harness connector.

If one or two cluster lamps work, then check the sockets and connections between the two boards (on many years) which jumpers dash lamp power between the two boards.
 
Awesome thanks for the suggestions I'll try all this in the morning. I like the idea that i might just have to do a bit of wiggling on the connections. Would any of this stop power from going from my ignition to the starter?
 
i know with my 72,i had drop steering columb to get the cluster out,loose conection at ignition switch?,linkage for shifter out of adjustment ?
 
Nothing in the instrument cluster itself will prevent starting.
I suspect you have column shift and you allowed the column to drop while that shifter was still in the park position. This stretches the shift linkage so the neutral safety switch looses adjustment.
Why some of the bulbs aren't working is in the panel and/or it connectors.
 
67Dart273 said:
ammeter connections
Click to expand...

That kills the entire cabin. Not igintion alone.
OP stated he had power in the cabin.
This is as close to argueing as I'll get.
Just bend the little thingy LOL
 
RedFish said:
That kills the entire cabin. Not igintion alone.
OP stated he had power in the cabin.
This is as close to argueing as I'll get.
Just bend the little thingy LOL
Click to expand...

It didn't kill everything in mine it did exactly what he is describing
 
Not arguing just stating what happened and I fixed it but connecting them together as my new ammeter didn't use them
 
RedFish said:
That kills the entire cabin. Not igintion alone.
OP stated he had power in the cabin.
This is as close to argueing as I'll get.
Just bend the little thingy LOL
Click to expand...

Not tryin' to argue with ya, Red, but sometimes things are "intermittent." I've seen all kinds of unpredictable crap in my life with bad connections-----if the ammeter connections are bad/ rusty/ corroded / loose, it might be that some/ all the time the headlights might work, but there might not be enough load to arc across a bad connection and cause current to flow for a lightweight load such the starter relay.

The main thing is the ...........................


wiggle test


jeans.gif
 
67Dart273 said:
Not tryin' to argue with ya, Red, but sometimes things are "intermittent." I've seen all kinds of unpredictable crap in my life with bad connections-----if the ammeter connections are bad/ rusty/ corroded / loose, it might be that some/ all the time the headlights might work, but there might not be enough load to arc across a bad connection and cause current to flow for a lightweight load such the starter relay.

The main thing is the ...........................


wiggle test i'm with 67dart with this one .a bad connection may give you voltage to power up small loads but crank and start wil not happen.:prayer:


jeans.gif
[/Qohms law UOTE]
Click to expand...
 
Thank you everyone. i have performed the wiggle test and and getting some progress. I'm going to continue fiddle around with everything until i get everything working.
 
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