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dash lights out on 68 chevy pickup, fuse is good and tester lights up when probing on light sockets, can switch be bad and still work headlights and dome light ?

Welcome to the 'bolt!!

If your test light lights up when you probe the sockets, that tells me your switch is good and you've got power right to the sockets. You've either got a slew of bad bulbs or you've lost the ground to the panel.

What sockets are you probing? The dash lights have grey wires going to them. It,s true you can have the other lights & still have a bad light switch. The dash lights go through a reostat that dims them as you turn the knob.

thanks, this is a great website, i need to check all the bulbs, i had to replace two and should have checked the rest, i know some bulbs are ok, when the truck is started the generator,brake,temp lights come on when the ignition switch is turned to the start position and they go off as soon as you let go of the key and the switch is in the run position and the engine is running.can you lose power to part of the panel or do you think its just some bad bulbs ?

this is a great web site, i need to check all bulbs, i had to replace two and will check the rest, i know some bulbs are ok, when the ignition switch is turned to the start position the generator,break,temp lights come on and when you release the switch they go off and the engine is running,is it posible to lose part of the power to the panel or am i not getting a good ground to all the sockets ???

The gen and temp lights are on different circuits from the panel lights, though since they are working, I would think you had a good ground.

Edit
The gauge dash has a flex circuit. I just checked a standard dash and it has NO flex circuit.

I have a 68 as well and the instrument panel is not wired with individual wires. The flex circuit on the back, has printed copper traces on flexible plastic. There is a rectangular connector about an 1 1/4 x 2 1/2 on the wire harness that plugs into it. Since it sounds like you have the standard panel, I'd pull it out and check with your test light to see if you have power to the connector or any problem with the flex circuit. IIRC all you have to do is disconnect the speedo cable and remove the the screws holding the panel on, makes things easier. The grounds are the where the circuit is attached to the metal panel. If care is not taken in removing and replacing the panel light sockets the copper traces can be damaged, but I wouldn't think all of them. Hope that gives you a little bit more to work with.

Larry

Larry,

This touches on a similar fix I need to make on my '68 C-20. Right turn signal indicator is burned out -- I suspect it is only a bulb replacement as left turn indicator works fine and rest of panel indicators also work properly. Can you walk me through how to open up panel to get to same?

Thanks and regards,

scjefe, I just checked my spares and the standard dash does not appear to have a flex circuit. Removing either panel from the dash is about the same. Opening up the panel is should not be required. Removing the panel is about the same for both standard and gauge. The difference is on the gauge dash you also need to disconnect the oil pressure line. There a maybe 'GM' emblem that needs to be removed too. IIRC the light and wiper switches don't have to be removed.

The turn signal lights are a different from the other instrument lights as they don't go thru the light switch. If you look down around the column under the dash you should find the turn signal wire harness and connector. On the turn signal connector there are two pairs of wire one light blue and the other dark blue. These pairs are your turn signals they split and go to the panel and the front and rear turn signals. You should be able to check that you have power there with a test light.

Larry

Larry,

Thanks for the quick reply. If I'm reading you right, I don't have to open up the dash to get at the turn signal bulb -- just ease on up underneath and around the steering column to find the turn signal wire harness. Do the test for juice and if that's good to go, swap out the bulb.

Jim

Correct on getting to the turn signal lights. If your going to pull the the light socket, put a good light in it, turn the signal on and ground it to see if it works. This is if you have the standard (idiot light) dash.

Larry

Thanks much.