No Dash Lights 69 'Cuda

[pa karp]

Ok, I have dash lights, but just barely! Turning the headlight switch halfway completely darkens the lights. Full on, you barely see them when completely dark.

Would this be a bad switch? All the gauges are illuminated.

Curt Rees

 

[RedFish]

Only 4 of the bulbs are illumination. They never were blinding bright but... Most every lamp position has a screw beside it that begins the chassis ground path. These screws may or may not have kept washers to contact the copper trace on the circuit board.
Cleaning these contacts are the first step in renewing the ground path.
I service a lot of these panels and always clean every contact point, + and -.
Beyond this I recommend replacing the OEM #158 or #194 bulbs with Sylvania #2825 which is s lightly brighter long life bulb. I always recommend new bulb sockets too.
Then I add a actual wire for chassis ground. It's attached with a ring terminal at the screw nearest center / bottom 1 of the 3 around center pod. This screw will take a ring terminal and toothed washer comfortably. All those other screws are too short and strip the threads from the pot metal housing too easily so I avoid adding under those.
The other end of this added ground wire can go about anywhere under the dash. The optimum location is to mirror image the factories ground wire behind the right kick panel, behind the left kick panel.
In my own car.. I don't wear glasses or have any other need for a dimmer rheostat so I add a jumper over that part of my headlight switch. This gives me bright as possible regardless where the knob is turn to.
Everything I've touched on here will produce as least as bright or even brighter than where the car was new.

 

[2 Darts]

Ok, I have dash lights, but just barely! Turning the headlight switch halfway completely darkens the lights. Full on, you barely see them when completely dark.

Would this be a bad switch? All the gauges are illuminated.

Curt Rees

Could be corroded connections. Solved a brightness issue by cleaning connectors and making sure grounds were clean and snug. Area that produced the most results was cleaning the bulkhead connections. Go figure.

 

[pa karp]

Looks like another project when I get back from the "Mopars in the Park" show. I do appreciate the help.

Pa karp:burnout:

 

[RedFish]

Could be corroded connections. Solved a brightness issue by cleaning connectors and making sure grounds were clean and snug. Area that produced the most results was cleaning the bulkhead connections. Go figure.

Of course other connections in the positive side of the circuit are a factor.
Evidence of low power supply would show in circuits other than the dash lighting though.
If the headlights brightness changes with engine rpm, there's your sign. This should be corrected first.

 

[pa karp]

The headlights are bright and do not change with the rpm of the engine. Neither do the dash lights, just really dim.

Grounding is more then likely the issue. As stated earlier, my windshield wiper motor would not run. Grounding was the issue there also, works fine now.

Thanks

Curt Rees:burnout: