Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting FIXED - Dash Lights Seem to be History

How can I test the dimmer to see if it's faulty?
Rob

testing the dimmer rotary switch:

The dimmer is actually a POT (variable resistor.

If you remove the front dash panel (the one the dimmer is on, you should be able to access it.

Removing that panel shouldn't be too hard.
Once you have access to the POT, you can see there will be three posts, most likely in a triangle shape. The Center one will be what leads to your instrument panels.. you could try jumping the voltage by shorting that post to the post that your +12V is located on..

(wow.. re-read that, it is confusing..).. use metal (insulate yourself.. lol) and short across the two posts, one that has +12V, the other that leads to your panel.. and the voltage should thereby skip the POT... if your panel comes on, then your POT is bad.. if not.. start looking elsewhere..

Word of mention: this is a rather radical troubleshooting method, when considering the dismantling of the panels, etc, especially if you haven't checked the under hood fuses yet..

HTH
As always, I stand ready to be corrected..

Ray

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the great information(I'll be printing that off for a good repeated read). Any idea what fuses should be checked under the hood first?
Rob

So, it's over - it's fixed. Interesting, no problem with the fuses, what could it be?

So I take the dash panel off that houses the dimmer switch. As I was doing this I turned the lights and and moved the dial. Whatya know, the dash lights flicker. I unscrewed the dimmer module from the dash panel and upon close inspection I realized that there is a solder point that is connected to the middle plug-in prong on the module. This solder is attached to what looks like a porcelin plate that has a very thin copper dial or spectrum across the surface of the plate. As you adjust the dimmer dial there is a contact point that rubbs accross the surface of this spectrum and adjusts the brightness of the dash lights. The solder had lifted on the plate side and was no longer attached.

You can actually take the module apart, clean up the solder point, flux and then ever so carefully re-solder the piece in place. FIXED and I might add, the cost of a new module is $86.00Canadian.

I was very pleased. This happened at the same time as I replaced my battery and I was sure that I had blown a fuse or something but I was barking up the wrong tree.

I hope this helps someone in the future.
Rob

hey ray, how did you make your custom brake circuit?

Huh?