No dash lights

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Feb 17, 2008 | 06:32 PM

#16

Ford79

Thread Starter

Lead Driver

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 9,359

Likes: 1

From: Hampstead, NC

Here's an update: I still have no dash lights. I have checked every fuse with an ohm meter, even the fuses under the hood. I removed the aftermarket radio and re installed the factory one. Nothing, nada, zip did anything to restore the dash lights.

It's looking like I'm going to have to take it in to a $$$dealer$$$ and have them check it out.

Feb 17, 2008 | 06:45 PM

#17

zx250

Of the next Riffraff East

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 8,679

Likes: 2

From: Concord NC

Could be a bad dimmer switch or the wire coming off the light switch to the dash lights. Sorry, I don't know which wire it is, but maybe you could trace it out. Maybe something got unplugged while doing the radio install.

Feb 17, 2008 | 07:10 PM

#18

Ford79

Thread Starter

Lead Driver

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 9,359

Likes: 1

From: Hampstead, NC

It very well could be a bad dimmer. I had the headlight/dimmer switch out as well and couldn't see anything wrong there either. I had the radio out again too and checked everything I could see through the radio opening and didn't see anything amiss.

I did find one thing wrong, and it relates to the new radio install. I hooked up the wrong wire for the radio illumination. The wiring adapter between the stock wiring and the aftermarket radio harness has two wires on it that are for illumination and dimmer controls. I had the wire for the dimmer(out of the stock harness) hooked up to the illumination wire on the aftermarket harness. Maybe it caused the dimmer to fry?

Feb 17, 2008 | 07:19 PM

#19

cartmanea

Lead Driver

Joined: Jun 2007

Posts: 6,757

Likes: 5

From: Corvallis, OR

Is the illumination wire the main power wire? If that was hooked to the dimmer wire from your truck then it could have pulled too much current and fried something, most likely in the dimmer or headlight switch.

Feb 17, 2008 | 07:43 PM

#20

zx250

Of the next Riffraff East

Joined: Oct 2004

Posts: 8,679

Likes: 2

From: Concord NC

Sounds like you may have narrowed you search down. Good luck and let us kow what your find.

Feb 17, 2008 | 07:45 PM

#21

Ford79

Thread Starter

Lead Driver

Joined: Mar 2000

Posts: 9,359

Likes: 1

From: Hampstead, NC

I'd have to go look again and I just put it back together. The illumination wire(stock harness) is the lower left corner of the plug(when looking at it from the front) This is the light blue with red tracer that controls all the dash lights. The wire next to it, which the dimmer wire from the aftermarket harness coresponds to is just black, no tracer color. The Power(constant 12V+) is green with purple tracer and 12V+ switched is black with a pink tracer. These wires are separate from the dimmer/ilumination wires and nothing was crossed there.

Thanks for the help so far guys, it is really appreciated. Anything to save a trip to the $tealer.

Feb 23, 2008 | 11:21 PM

#22

getnbz

Senior User

Joined: Aug 2003

Posts: 379

Likes: 0

From: maryland

i did the same thing stereo had two wires that said dimmer on them so i wired both together to the stock harness and everything was ok for awhile then i started to smell electrical getting hot and my dash lights when out but i could still turn on my dome light. so i jumped out the dimmer switch with a toggle and that was the problem i burnt the dimmer out of the light switch. so i just replaced light switch and was go to go.