Dashboard Lights

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:12

Does anyone have any idea why my dashboard lights don't work, I've checked the bulbs and I've even tried a different instrument cluster... It's quite worrying driving at night not knowing how fast I'm going!!!

Thanks everyone,
Jamie

Post by **Mocki** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:16

i s'pose you have tried turning the dimmer switch on the headlight switch haven't you?

Lefty darky, righty lighty!

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:26

Yea, Tried that first lol! I'm not having a blonde day today!!!

Post by **kevtherev** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:28

just the dash lights or side lights aswell?

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:29

Side lights work fine Kev, just the dash lights...

Post by **Mocki** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:31

ok, wasnt taking the pi$$, its one of the top three things not known on these vans.......

it will be either the light switch, or the wire, or the multiplug on the dash pcb then.......or the pcb its self......

are the lights in the rest of the dash working, ie the heater panel, cig lighter ect?

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 17:35

Tried a different light switch and a different instrument cluster. Have no cig lighter but there are no lights showing behind the heater panel either???

Post by **Grun** » 23 Apr 2008, 18:12

jammcd649

A shot in the dark.... the much derided Haynes manual shows a fuse... Number S 50 rated at 10 amps which supplies the instrument lights (and the clock light) and various other lights, which take some tracing (page to page stuff

)

It is shown as "Additional fuses above the main fuse box... instrument lighting" on late models. If you have already checked this....... sorry for posting..........an'

I'll get me coat.
Mike

Post by **Mocki** » 23 Apr 2008, 18:18

ok, well, feed 12vdc up the grey/blue wire at the switch, thats the feed for the dash lights.......also look at the earthing - brown wire.

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 19:34

I'm assuming that the grey blue wire must feed into the multiplug on the back of the instrument cluster? Is it the grey blue wire that goes into pin 1?

I've checked the feed from the grey/blue wire at the back of the light switch with a multitester. Works as it should... 12v when you switch the lights on and goes up and down with the dial as you would expect. On the assumption that this wire goes to pin 1 on the multiplug there must be a break in the wire as there is not 12 volts there at the same time. ut of course this may just be another blue/grey wire lol

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 19:55

I've half answered my own question... I temporarily joined together the grey/blue wire on the back of the headlight switch to the grey/blue wire on pin1 on the multiplug... hey presto the lights worked but there was smoke!?!?! Obviously I took the wire off pretty sharpish!!!!

Also on closer inspection in the fusebox area (after reading Grun's post) I found a single 10 Amp blade fuse (all the rest are continental fuses) that had blown... I replaced this and it blew again as soon as I switched the headlights on... Is this the fuse for the dash lights then?

Any Ideas what to try next???

Post by **Grun** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:40

jammcd649,
I am trawling through the Haynes diagram, (have you got one?) and the fuse that is blowing.......should feed the following....... Numbers are track numbers on Haynes.

154 warm air blower light bulb (L50)
54 dash lights
67 Cigarette lighter light bulb (L28)
147 Fresh air controls light bulb (L16)
120 Through what looks like a resistor to the hazard light switch bulb (K6) and then to 143 the heated rear window switch bulb (L39)

Any one of which (if fitted to your variant of the van) could be causing the short you seem to have.
This may or may not be of any use, but I like to try to help

Mike

Post by **jammcd649** » 23 Apr 2008, 20:44

Thanks Grun...

hmm... well I havent got a ciggy lighter or heated rear screen so at least I know its not those two lol...

The bulb for the warm air blower has never worked, nor the fresh air control bulb... Strangely the hazard light switch was playing up before but have since changed the switch to another one and it seems ok now...

Thanks for spending the time having a look for me, much appreciated!

Don't really wanna have to take the whole dash out to try and find the problem tho!!!

Post by **Grun** » 23 Apr 2008, 21:17

jammcd649

Don't know if this would help ....but at the moment you seem to have a short that is blowing the blade fuse... so.... if you could substitute the fuse with a 12volt bulb connected to a couple of wires, get the idea?... this should light up..... while still protecting the wiring etc. .... then work away at each suspect item in turn until the bulb goes out (or dims) and .....eureka.

Multimeter could be used...... but then life gets a bit more complicated.......... Not advised.

Mike

Post by **jammcd649** » 24 Apr 2008, 16:48

Sussed it at last!!!

All radios have a feed to them from the headlight switch so that their displays dim when the lights are turned on... Which is great... When it's wired up right!

The numpty who had it before me had put a radio in and wired a live feedstraight to this wire, so of course as soon as you turn the lights on the fuse blows as there were 2 lots of live going down the same wire!!!

Very happy now! Thanks for all the help!!!

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