no dash lights

-
H

hustlinA

Guest
On the Valiant I just bought. Checked all dash bulbs and replaced, still nothing.
Headlight switch works park lights and headlights, could that still be a problem with dash lights? Maybe how you switch from dim to bright? nothing happens on mine of course.
Any thoughts?
 
Since all instrument lights are not working you need to check:
1)instrument panel fuse
2)connector at circuit board
3)circuit board for crack near connector
4)headlight switch connection

My 65 Dart Instrument Panel Wiring Diagram labels the wire connected to the headlight switch as E1 tan.

The same wire connects to the instrument panel fuse.

Wire E2 connects the fuse to the circuit board & it is orange.

Using an electrical testor you can check for voltage at each connector on each end of the wires & fuse......I would start at the fuse which is frequently effected by corrosion caused by a leaky windshield gasket just overhead.

Since you just got your car it's best to have the correct year Valiant technical service manual as you will need it to troubleshoot many items.....usually the manuals are between $25 & $50 on Ebay. I've added to my manual by soaking up any info found here & at the Slant Six Forum making it a greater resource than even the mechanics of the past had.
 
Have you tried rotating the knob back and forth "briskly?" This has worked for me on a few cars, you will find a spot in the adjustment where you get a good connection. Not a perfect solution but good enough if you just want dash lights and don't care about the dimmer adjustment working like new...
 
Dont forget to check the tailights. Ive lost dash lights in a mopar before because I had a bad tail light. Cant remember if it ever happened on the dart, but I know in my old coronet, and in the fury I had after (both 70;s cars), that was cause for missing dash lights. Funny how changing that bulb fixed dash.

I know in my dart, the headlight switch is wore enough, it takes a little finess like goldfish described, to get the dash lights to come on.
 
there is one fuse commonly labeled park or inst that has power only after the headlight switch is pulled at least one click. Check it.
 
tailights work but have a issue there also, the DS tailight works just no brake light.
Yes, I have rotated the dimmer with no change. I have also replaced all the fuses.
Maybe I just need to replace the headlight switch and rule that out first.
 
It's always been the headlight switch for all my Valiants with the same problem. Just my experience though.
 
You can solder a jumper over the rheostat if you don't mind having bright dash lights at all times.
 
All good info here.....I would add that the dimmer control in the headlight switch can be cleaned and made to work like new again. Some super fine sand paper on the contacts can do wonders.
 
put a new headlight switch in today, changed all dash bulbs and still nothing. Visually checked circut board from under dash, did not see anything. Replaced fuses.
 
Maybe headlight switch or dash or circuit board needs to be grounded.
 
Oh I just had the same thing happen to me. it was a loose connection behind the fuse block. check the wires, wiggle them to see if they go on or not
 
Go to the connector at the circuit board.

Pull the plug & clean contacts on circuit board & connector

Then check the connector for power when you turn on the instrument lights
 
I noticed the new headlight switch has a extra lug on it. Should I try that with a ground wire?
I just bought this car and have no previous history on the issue with this problem.
 
You could add a ground wire there. Even if this doesn't solve the problem, it can't hurt .
Nothing about the panel will work properly while it's dangling from the harness connectors. It needs chassis ground that is provided by the hardware mounting it to the dash.
I add a dedicated ground wire from one of the screws mounting the ciruit board to the panel. At the headlight switch is about the same.
 
Added a ground wire to the extra lug on the headlight switch and tried it, still no dash lights. IM no electrican but here is what the back of my fuse box looks like and wires off the board.
Two lugs on fuse block have no connection and two wires together with a wire nut.
 

Attachments

  • underdash 005.jpg
    77.1 KB · Views: 1,639
  • underdash 010.jpg
    66.9 KB · Views: 1,743
  • underdash 004.jpg
    84 KB · Views: 1,343
  • underdash 008.jpg
    100.1 KB · Views: 1,468
RedFish said:
there is one fuse commonly labeled park or inst that has power only after the headlight switch is pulled at least one click. Check it.
Click to expand...
Like RedFish said, first check to see that you're getting juice to both sides of the dash lights fuse. If not, the problem is between the light switch and the fuse. If you get juice to the fuse, the problem is between there and the circuit board on the back of the cluster. You may end up having to pull the cluster to check the cannon plug and circuit board connections better. What's the story on the spliced ammeter wires? Looks like smaller gauge wire has been installed. Not a good idea if true. Under a load, those wires could overheat and melt the insulation off the conductors causing a fire. If the reason for the slice is that the original wires melted together and were bypassed, that may be your dash light problem....you may have a short or open somewhere.
 
It doesn't look good :( Looks like the previous owner didn't have a clue either. a not used accessory lug on the back of the fuse box is common. Wire nuts are not. What year model Valiant ?
 
it's a 1968 Valiant 100. Like I said, I have no idea what has been done or for what reason wire nuts are being used.
 
I'd inspect the dash harness and if you find the original ammeter wires have been bypassed because the insulation melted off them, I'd look into getting another harness. If some knucklehead just dorked around with it and the main harness is sound, I would repair it properly with the correct gauge wire. This means soldier and shrink tube....not just butt connectors.
 
Might be best to just buy another wiring harness.
 
I appreciate the advice, really. May just build a panel with custom gauges. Not sure what IM going to do, kinda bummed right now just seems like one thing after another. I appreciate all the helpful response and suggestions to try to help me cure the issue.
 
The wire nuts and oddball wires are "quick and dirty" fixes and really should come out to make way for "correct" repairs. Great pictures, though, showed us what you're dealing with. Nothing that any restorer of 40 year old vehicles has not dealt with before, though.

The fuse box could really use a good cleaning on the backside, as well as the front side fuse contacts. The instrument panel needs to come out to give you room to inspect, troubleshoot and repair. You will need a separate ground wire from the circuit board ground to chassis ground, if you run the instrument panel off the factory multi-pin plug (which someone called a "cannon" plug).

I would take the panel out and place it on my workbench, clean all the contacts on the fuse box with ultra-fine wet-or-dry sandpaper, and clean all the contacts of the instrument cluster as a starting point.

ATB BC
 
Im the first to admit IM not very good with electrical issues (lucky me, I have some). 64Ragtop, I will do what you suggest and see if that helps, I have not pulled the dash yet. I agree, the fuse holder looks nasty.
I know a guy who just parted out a 70 Valiant and if its not gone he had no use for the harness. Of course that is a different gauge panel than the one I have.
I guess my main fear is when I pull it apart I will end up with other problems. At least everything from the firewall forward works and I have running lights and tailights and it starts & runs. lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top