Instrument Panel Lights

[hasikm]

Instrument panel lights began acting up a couple of weeks ago...sometimes would work, sometimes cut in and out...This week they no longer work. I reviewed forum and archives for "dash lights", etc. and found an old thread in '02 about a similar problem...checked Fuse 31, ok. 32, 34 ok. That thread indicated potential for a bad POT in dimmer rotary switch. Removed dash panel, accessed rotary switch...checked and there is voltage to the multi-plug...interior lights in car work, radio works, clock works, head lamps work....just no dash lights. Not sure how to determine if dimmer is bad, other than process of elimination.

Sound like a bad dimmer? If so, can i avoid replacement and simply connect wires to give highest or lowest illumination, without dimmer connected? How to do this? I tried jumping across the multi-plug to see if dash lights would come on, and blew fuse 31 twice...probably not doing this right.

Thanks.......

 

[Tony2005]

Did you remove the Instrument Panel and check the multiplugs at the back to see if they were seated properly at the back?
http://www.contour.org/ceg-vb/showthread.php?t=202

 

[hasikm]

Fix

Fix

It was the Dimmer Switch...checked the resistance across combinations of the posts, and there was none between two of them...plus no change in resistance as I ajdusted the thumb wheel....figured that was justification enough...got the part, put it in, and voila.....lights.