Okay.. Gotta problem.

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Rengo

Rengo

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I was driving home at 7pm tonight and my lights went out so all I saw was darkness. I know its not the headlights seeing as they are new.
Where could I find a switch? I have a leak from somewhere that runs down the back of my dash, so I am guessing it got wet and shorted out.
 
I would believe your problem might be the dimmer switch rather than the headlight switch. However I'm not sure which one you are refering to. I would pull the carpet back and see if you are getting voltage in and out of the dimmer.
 
Well, ya need to do some troubleshooting. First off -- (and they are NOT "all the same")-- the very first question is the "year, make, and model?"

You have a voltmeter? test light?

First, dig down to the dimmer switch, and see if you have power there with the switch on. If so, you probably just found the problem---either a bad connection at the dimmer or a bad dimmer switch.

If no power there, go up to the headlight switch. You'll have to pull it out. If this is a pull type knob, you pull the SHAFT out, not the knob. Pull the switch to "on" and reach up behind and find a little metal button. Release that and pull out the knob. Then you can pull the nut off the front, and get the switch down where you can get to it.

On my old diagram, the largest black or brown wire going to the switch should be "hot." It is not fused, it comes from a splice taped up in the harness.

There is a breaker on the headlight switch that acts as a fuse, and very common for these to fail.
 
it is a 1975 plymouth duster, I can pull the switch and I have the interior lights on the steering colum. prnd12. there is nothing around the switch on the floor so I am thinking it is the "hot" wire.
 
J4R3D said:
it is a 1975 plymouth duster, I can pull the switch and I have the interior lights on the steering colum. prnd12. there is nothing around the switch on the floor so I am thinking it is the "hot" wire.
Click to expand...

Are the dash, tail and park lights coming on when you pull the switch??
 
The dash and tail stuff are on a fuse, and might as well be a separate switch, in other words, has nothing to do with the headlights, except that the switch is "in the same box."

Since you don't seem to be getting power to the dimmer, the next thing is to get the switch to "where you can get to it" and see if any of the BIG wires have power. Then turn on the switch and see if the breaker (mounted on the switch) has power on both ends.
 
okay, well I can get by tomorrow without it. I live in fort scott kansas, directly across the street from where Jason Aldean and Luke bryant will be playing a concert in a field on saturday. so Im just going to pull out a chair crack open some beer and listen to music. All after going through to see what is going on with my lights. :)
 
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