Dash Lights Quit
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 4,063
Likes: 2
From: Southeastern IL
Dash Lights Quit
Hey guys. I can’t seem to get my instrument cluster illumination lights to work. My turn signals and high beam, etc all work. I have swapped out dimmer switches and gauge clusters and they still don’t work. Tested all pins in the dimmer switch and all have 12v. I’m at a loss here
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
First thing to check is parking lights / taillights (NOT the stop lights). There's an upstream fuse that energizes them all. There's also a fuse downstream of that that's specific to the dash lights. FInally, consider the dimmer in the headlight switch.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 4,063
Likes: 2
From: Southeastern IL
Alright fellas, I’m making some progress (hopefully). Tail lights work, brake lights work, the plunger on the pedal works, fuse 13 is good, BUT I don’t have a 3rd brake light (which is surprising as this usually causes the torque converter to not lock up). I’m not getting power to the socket, but I am at the cargo lights. I tore my truck apart following that wire and found out it runs along the floor board to the B pillar then starts heading towards the middle of the truck (WTF?) and gave up following it.
At this point, I’m STILL at a loss. Why would every other light on the truck work correctly, but not the 3rd brake light?
At this point, I’m STILL at a loss. Why would every other light on the truck work correctly, but not the 3rd brake light?
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 368
Likes: 112
From: South Tx
Did you pull the 3rd brake light apart and check in the light itself? That’s what it was for me..
I thought you were being a wise @$$ with your torque converter thing lol Ive never heard of that, but I have a stick.
I thought you were being a wise @$$ with your torque converter thing lol Ive never heard of that, but I have a stick.
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 4,063
Likes: 2
From: Southeastern IL
Nah it’s a common thing lol. If your third brake light bulb goes out, it affects the trans. I was pulling a trailer once and the trailer LEDs shorted out and wouldn’t let the TC lock up. The computer thinks your tapping the brakes and unlocks the converter.
I checked the socket and it looks fine. Put a volt meter on it and it’s not getting much voltage. Like .05 volts (could have been I didn’t have a good ground with my volt meter though). I swapped the bulb from the cargo lights just to be sure and it still didn’t work. It appears someone rewired a socket on at some point and did an ok job soldering it but they just wrapped it in black tape… I cut the soldered parts out, used an uninsulated butt connector and heat shrink to rule it out
I got called into work mid-diagnosis and it’s gonna be crummy weather the next few days. I’m going to triple check the socket itself when the weather breaks to make sure it’s not the culprit
I checked the socket and it looks fine. Put a volt meter on it and it’s not getting much voltage. Like .05 volts (could have been I didn’t have a good ground with my volt meter though). I swapped the bulb from the cargo lights just to be sure and it still didn’t work. It appears someone rewired a socket on at some point and did an ok job soldering it but they just wrapped it in black tape… I cut the soldered parts out, used an uninsulated butt connector and heat shrink to rule it out
I got called into work mid-diagnosis and it’s gonna be crummy weather the next few days. I’m going to triple check the socket itself when the weather breaks to make sure it’s not the culprit
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Tuned
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 368
Likes: 112
From: South Tx
Good luck to you, that’s all the info I’ve ever found on it! Sure like to know how you get it done!
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