The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Crap- No lights

So I am diving home last nihgt and realize, humm no dash lights...no dome light.
I pull over to check, yep no tail lights or Brake lights.hummm...
Headlights work and front and rear turn signals are working.

Also on the not working list...winshield wipers and heater blower.

Ok hustle home...Checked all the fuses [good] , looked for any burnt/melted wires [none], checked all connections I could find...seemed good.

Any ideas? Is there a wiring diagram on line some were?

Arrgggh...

A bad ground???

Sounds like your headlight switch is bad. Dome lights operate when the headlight switch (a rotating contact) provides for ground. Dash lights work off this rotating portion of the switch too. Front and rear running lights may or may not use separate contacts inside the switch (these are sliding-type contacts).

Brake lights should be independent of the headlight switch. Brake lights work through the turn signal switch. If you are having problems with the brake lights but the turn signals work (brake/turn signals usually share the same bulb filament) then your brake light switch is bad or the power to the brake light switch isn't there. From the list of things that don't work, I'd say power isn't getting to the brake light switch. Time to invest in a testing light if you don't already have one. They have a sharp tipped probe that will allow you to puncture a wire and test if there is no junction nearby.

i would also guess the headlight switch . the brake lights usually get their juice initially from the hot lead that goes into the light switch ,or on an unswitched post at the switch that stays hot.

OK-
So I replaced the headlight switch and the brake light switch and ALL the fuses [I also cleaned all the contacts in the fuse box].
I now have Tail lights, wipers,heater fan, turn sig,headlight.
Now the only things that are not working are dash lights, brake lights and dome light. :confused:
I checked the bulbs and all look good.
I played with the dimmer knob back and forth but no luck with with the dash lights.
Any other ideas?

dash and dome should only be a problem at the switch or wires gotta be bad - brake lite problems can be in the turn signal switch or wiring

I just went thru a similar frustration - someone pointed out my back lites were out [tail brake turn] and I wound up finding a broken wire at the dimmer sw, left rear bulb burned out, turn sig cup slipped down the column just enuff that it wasn't cancelling properly [keeps 1 rear lite from working on braking], and to top it off the stop lite switch was frapped - all happened in a very short period right as I got back from a couple hundred mile highway trip [Skips fault! ]

good luck on the hunt!

Bill

Well-

Looks like I got all of it working again..what a pain.
Everything except the dash lights...Ideas?
The switch is new, i have rotated the knob slowly to see if any thing happens...nope...does the film that contacts the bulbs need to be grounded?
I have check the bulbs and they all appear good.

Mine did the same thing. Physically check the bulbs with a meter. If they pass, check for voltage at the sockets. If the bulbs and voltage are good, ground is the only thing left.

Ill be damm'd!

Today i was driving the ol 68 and as it began to get dark I went to turn on my head lights..and low and behokd my dash lights came on also!
Not sure what i may have done, but i am most happy now!