I now have a lightbulb hanging down under my dashboard. It is located about in the middle of my dashboard, and I can't figure out where it goes! It just starting dangling there one day. I looked under the dashboard and didn't see any sort of mounting location for it. The bulb has a plastic cover on it. Everything on the dashboard is lit up, including the clock, radio, and heater controls. I have the coutresy lights on both sides of the dashboard, so it isn't those.

Any ideas on where this goes?

 

I am not sure if these trucks had these features, but I would investigate the glove box for a possible light, and maybe the ash tray. If you have a aftermarket radio, the light might have come out of the factory radio.

 

4X4 or emission light. They aren't in the main harness. Also perhaps the bulb that illuminates the light and wiper switches.

 

Agreed - my guess was also the bulb that illuminates the headlight and wiper switches. But it sounds like this bulb is hanging too far away, near the center behind the radio/heater controls. Too far away to be headlight switch, emmissions, or 4x4 bulb I would think.

 

Ashtray light bulb? I think mine has one of these.

 

You're right, Galendor. The hanging light is way too short to reach the glove box, so that isn't it. It's way too short to reach the instrument cluster, so that isn't it either. And all of my gauges light up, including the headlight and wiper switches, and the clock, radio, and climate controls.

Ashtray bulb? I didn't know there was an ashtray bulb because I don't smoke. That may very well be it, because that is the location of where it is hanging.

I just went outside and checked, and I do not have a bulb in the ashtray. But I do have all of the other optional lights. Would the ashtray bulb have a plastic cover on it?

 

Yes, it has a blue lens covering it.

I've seen two different types of housings in 80-86; one is all metal, the other is plastic.

Here is a pic of my blue 1981 ashtray bulb next to the replacement I installed with a red bulb:

 

Does it happen to be green? My ashtray is lit up by a faint green, and from what I remember it came on when the access door was pulled? Does that power yours up?



Looks like ctubutis was a bit sharper on his game. Blue/green, same thing hahah.

 

There is no mercury switch on either of those two styles, the light comes on with the rest of the dash lights when the parking lights are on.

 

If it's got a light blue/red stripe wire attached, it's the ash tray bulb and housing.

Connects to the top of the ash tray. Optional light came with the courtesy lamp option group, or with the factory cigar lighter option. Standard by itself on Ranger and XL and higher trim, depending on year.

 

YES, it does have a light blue/red stripe wire attached to it, and I have every other interior light available on my 1985 Lariat except the ashtray light, so that must be it.

Although I just looked inside my ashtray and I don't see where it would attach. The light and mounting tabs look just like the light on right of ctubutis' picture.

 

It attaches to the top side of the ashtray bracket, so the light shines down into the ashtray thru a hole/slot in the bracket.

 

One more thing. I just noticed that all of my dash lights are green, except for the headlight and wiper **** indicator lights. They are not green at all; more of a clear color. Is that right?

 

I believe that on my truck there was a blue filter over the bulb for the wiper/headlight **** area. In search of better lighting in that area, I removed it, which may be what happened to yours. I have seen them crumble to dust as well, which may have also happened.

 

No, there is supposed to be a light filter over the housing, exactly like the one for the ash tray light. The filters do have a tendency to fall off. Super glue works well etc...