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REQUEST: Dash light help!


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hey guys, first time poster here. I have a 69 Custom S convertible cloned into a GTO. I have been working on some issues over last winter and this, but I have one last issue I cannot solve. The dash lights dont work and have never worked since I bought the car. The dimmer switch (I forget the real name) was replaced but it didn't help. Recently I took my test light and tested both sides of the fuse. Unfortunately the right side lit up and the left side was dead. Thinking it could be the physical left part of the fuse holder was bad, I hooked an alligator clamp to the left side, and another clamp to the left side of the taillight fuse. Much to my happiness, the dash lit completely up. Which leads me to think it is a wiring issue, but I dont know where. The wiring from the fuse to the dash is obviously good, but I can't find any issue otherwise. I was thinking to try to take the fuse panel off, but for one I couldnt figure out how, and I don't want to take it off which may in turn unplug other wires and cause a wiring gremlin (again). Are there any suggestions on where to look? I was thinking I might be able to piggyback it off another fuse, but I doubt that is safe, and the dash lights stay on even when the headlights are off (when I have the two fuzes clamped together as mentioned above.



Any help would be great. I am almost done this beast and want to have it all straightened out and on the road by May


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Do you have access to an actual Pontiac shop manual for your car? I think the wiring diagram would be a good resource to help you with your diagnosis. If not, let me know. I might be able to download it from my Detroit Iron electronic copy.



I will study the schematics a little and try to bone up on your problem.


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Quick question, have you check the small 4A fuse at the lower left marked INST. LPS,? It could be blown. Forgive the look of the picture, I grabbed it from the internet, but it suits my purpose. Also, do you have an electrical lead that is unplugged that needs a home? It could be for your dash. See the lead to the left of the 4A fuse marked LPS (lamps)? That is tied into the headlight switch and should be for the dash lights.



I will study some more later tonight, but this was a quick and obvious question for me.



fusebox.jpg


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  • 2 weeks later...

Darth - On any electrical troubleshooting with a meter or a test lead. If you have one lead from either the meter or probe to ground and you touch lets say one side of a fuse and you have voltage or on test lead light glows you know you have power. Now, you check the other side of the fuse like you said you didn't have power with your meter or probe. This would mean that the fuse is probably blown. Now, to double check that the fuse is actually blown. You can PULL the fuse OUT and put your volt meter on OHM scale. (Never Put Your Meter Across Voltage While in OHM Scale you will blow your meter) If you have a reading like 0.2 for instances the fuse is good. Now, if you read nothing then it is bad. Now, old school especially on glass or even new style fuses you should see a ​FILAMENT or tiny wire between both ends of the fuse. If not, it's probably blown. Which I'm sure you already knew about that.



I hope this helps!! Lets us know what ya find.


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  • 2 weeks later...

Guys, sorry I didn't reply. I didn't get an email saying my thread was replied to, so I never thought of checking. I apologize for not replying after all this. I promise I will be more vigilant in checking so I don't appear to be a thankless poster.



Anyway, back to my story. It ends up last week I was working on this, and it ends up it is working. I replaced the fuse, cleaned the fuse holder, etc, and it started to work. I am so pumped. I can't pin-point where the issue was and how it started to work, but I am guessing that it might have been due to the fact that my front exterior lighting was a tad off, and when I fixed that issue(my other project), the dash lights started to work.



Now that the exterior lighting and dash is working, I just have one more light issue to take care of (and I will keep that for another thread)



Thanks for the help guys...I am almost done this damn car and it should be on the road soon!


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