Dash lights - Any common faults?

[jester1467]

Hi guys

Been having a look at my dash lights as they are no longer working.
Checked usual things like fuses, bulbs, 12 volt readings at various points for continuity etc.
Although I have a 2.1i caravelle GL, the dash I have been told is a diesel dash!
The floppy printed circuit board seemed to give strange readings on the multimeter but not quite sure what readings I should be getting?
Is there anything I should be looking for in particular?

[hotpod]

are you talking about all the lights ( like oil water etc) or just the ones so you can see it in the dark?

[jester1467]

Just the ones to see in the dark.
I think the others are working hadn't checked that to be honest.

[andisnewsyncro]

Not just a silly thing like the "variable brightness wheel thingy" under the headlamp switch ( if yours has one?)
Having a very un-technical day, sorry

[Mudlark]

The edge connector of the PCB is a favourite source of dashboard shennanigans; worth looking at all the tracks (think they are all labeled from memory) and make sure they are not breaking up. If you can find the track that should have the supply to the lights on it and see if you have 12v at the connector then you will know you are looking for an issue on the PCB; also worth checking if it is a common ground track or not ie one ground does all. Long time since I looked at it. Next item would be the lights switch; I had one burn out on me and it was the dimmer part that burnt out.

[hotpod]

the others have both suggested what i was going to. i.e. if you have newer knowingly fiddled with the little wheel on the headlamp switch, you may never know that it adjusts the brightness of the dash lights...or turns them off.
a bit like the vw indicator switch makes only one side of the side lights work. genious if you know its a proper function. puzzling if you dont.
by the way, that doesnt work on my trucks. does anyone know if it should? they are both swedish spec.

[Syncro G]

There is a fuse for the dash lights, its one of the ones ABOVE the relays in the aux fuse/relays posions (Once when I was being perticularly dopey I took it out to use as a spare for one I blew, took me a few minutes of head scratching before the penny dropped to why ALL the dash lights had packed up won't be the fuse/switch/dimmer if the lights that aren't on the pod still work). The fuse next to it is the rear foglamp (thats right, the one in the row labled foglamp is not the rear fog, its for the front fogs so does nothing if you don't have them).

I recently replaced my dash lamps as one blew and another became tempremental. Though the new ones (thanks Brickwerks) were the same wattage as the old ones they are significantly brighter than 18 year old ones which is really noticeable on the dials - I'd replace old ones even if they havn't blown - should be good for 15 years then!

Scandanavian spec vans don't have the indicator switch parking lamp function, which is more of a german option thats legal across europe (though only usally found on german brands). The resion they didn't fit it on scandanavian vans is because they have daytime running headlamps instead so rather than having just the numberplate lamps on terminal 58 (back of light switch), and then 58L and 58R for the respective sidelights, it uses 58 for all those lights (still split into seperate fuses), and one of the 58L/R termials to disable the running lights relay when you put the sidelights/headlights switch on (thus the light switch still works as normal, its just when the switch is off the running lights kick in via the relay). The remaining terminal 58L/R terminal is then unused. Thats how I decided it must work when dicecting a loom I got off a scrap scandanavian van anyway. A simular, but not identical wireing diagram is in the Bentley manual for Canadian spec (which also has running lights). Its a rare relay in that system - its unusual as it controls 2 seperate cuicuits (not in its self unusual) but is closed when unpowered instead of open - not found another like it and I have quite a good relay colection from scrap cars.