No dash lights

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73dartneedswork

73dartneedswork

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I'm putting my 73 Swinger back together after painting the car, dash and instrument cluster. All my lights previously worked before I tore the car down.

I don't have dash lights.
I'm not getting power at the orange wire on the cluster connector. I do have power on the red wire on the cluster connector.

I have power at the tan taillight wire coming off of the headlight switch when I turn on the headlights.

My glove box light, radio and map light work however my map light stays on all the time.

My ash light, and heater control don't light up.

When I use a tester on cavity seven of the fuse block I have power on the tan wire, but I don't have power on the two orange wires on the other side.

I'm not good at electrical and I'm stumped. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
So is the fuse for sure good? That is what it sounds like

Tail light circuit feeds power TO the dimmer circuit. Power goes THROUGH the dimmer and TO the tan wire, tan wire feeds power TO the inst. fuse,

THROUGH the inst. fuse, and TO the orange wire side of the fuse
 
If you have power on the Tan Wire leaving the HL switch to the fuse Box, but not the orange wires on the other side of the fuse it would seem the fuse is blown.

Do you have a map light Switch? If so flip it the other direction.

Glove box & Map normally are tapped of the Red Lighter feed. So it would make sense they are working.

The radio light normally is tapped on the oranges so I would think it should not be working.

73's maybe way different than earlier years so I could be entirely wrong.

Search threads for the wiring diagrams/manuals.

Good Luck..
 
I thought I had a good fuse but it wasn't. I put in a new fuse and it blew immediately.
I think the wiring is messed up on my map light, I'm getting constant power to the light even with the switch disconnected.

Where do I look now?

I really appreciate the help.
 
I might be wrong but I think the map light is wired to both orange illumination and yellow dome lamp circuit.
Recent faults in orange wires blowing fuse immediately, one was aftermarket radio wiring shorted. Other was aftermarket gauges wiring shorted.
Good luck
 
If you have the maplight switch what colors are on the connector?

Brown and Yellow?

Map lights were done in 3 configurations so it is important to know which one you have.

It would seem you have a constant ground on the lamp. Pink is on one side of the bulb and is always Hot (+12v). The other side of the lamp should be brown if you have the switch. I would look for a a pinched wire on the brown side.

If there is no switch the other side of the map lamp should be yellow and ties in with the door switchs.

Start looking for shorts to ground on the Orange wires. Ash tray, dash, Console, Steering wheel if Auto Column, Heat/AC, Radio.

You did mention your radio light was on and it should not be if the fuse is bad and it is wired factory original.
 
Finding a map light, glove box light or any other light that can be left on when everything else is off, in a Chrysler product is very rare.
I call those "built in battery killers" which is a Ford thing.
 
Thanks to your guys help I've made some progress. I disconnected my after market radio and I've stopped blowing the fuse (I guess I didn't wire it properly) and I now have power on the orange wire at the cluster connector.

I also had a red wire with a 90 degree female which I now believe is for the cigarette lighter plugged into a pink wire that was causing the map light to have constant power. I've disconnected them and know my map light works correctly.

I have a few more questions. How do I wire my Retro Sound radio? I had the constant wire attached to a wire coming off the back of the cavity five of the fuse block. I got the 12v plus wired to the red on the factory harness connector and the ground was tied to the orange. Know wonder I was blowing fuses.

Also what are the two pink wires below for? Is the red wire with the 90 degree female for the cigarette lighter? What else do I need to wire in a lighter?
I really appreciate the help.
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The lighter get nothing more than the red hot wire and chassis ground.
 
Red wire with 90 degree is constant hot to lighter. Pinks also connect (pigtail) to this for plus 12v to map and glove lights. Your radio connector has a switched hot (+12v) and orange for the lamp. Just connect radio gnd to ground/ dash frame and radio +v to the red/white on the factory connector.
 
Sorry ,

If the radio needs both a constant and switched hot then use the red with 90 for the constant. I think you still may have a pinched wire below or near the radio. You mentioned you unplugged the pink jumper from the red 90. That should be connected. Check to see if you pinched the brown on one side of the map lamp under the radio.
 
He's sayin that the dash light fuse blows. This almost has to be a short in the "orange wire" circuit somewhere. This is the second recent thread we've had on this. About all you can do is to go through and check all dimmer controlled dash lights. Ash receiver, radio, heater / AC bezel, cluster lamps, etc, shift quadrant, and so on. chase 'em down. If something has been added, spliced in, aftermarket gauges or stereo, etc...................

Another approach is to clip a test lamp across the fuse clips and turn up the dimmer so that you "get a light" then reach up under there and "wiggle the $tuff" outta things LOL
 
I think I figured out the dash light issue, but I'm still having a problem with the map light. When I have the red wire unplugged from the pink wire I'm still getting power to the map light with the switch on or off but it's real dull. When I plug the red wire back in it's bright and the switch doesn't control it either.
I checked for pinched/ loose wires and couldn't find any.
 
Look at this. I think it would match pretty close to your set-up.

If you unplug the pink jumper from the red then +12V should be removed from one side of the map lamp.

The other side of the lamp is the ground side. If the lamp still glows with pink jumper unplugged from the Big red then something else must be spliced into the Pink wires.

Your post started as a repaint re-assembly but you failed to mention the new radio. What else may have been done?
 
I've spent another day trying to figure out my wiring issue.
When I disconnect the red power wire from the pink wire I'm still getting power to the map light which I believe is not correct. The light is real weak and I believe it's a short.
I can follow the wires back to the timer delay and if I remove the timer delay the short goes away.
I guess I need to find another timer delay.

I'm also having issues with my taillights and break lights, could this be related?
 
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