Gage Lights Not Working

[gambit]

1981 gage lights not working. My dash / gage lights went out one night when I turned the dimmer switch. I just put in a new headlight switch and still nothing, I checked the fuse, it was good. I get no lights in the speedo / tach or the center console gages. Anybody got any clues?

 

[bill81vette]

I would start checking ground connections...make sure they are all good and tight and not corroded...

 

[KANE]

I would start checking ground connections...make sure they are all good and tight and not corroded...

Could also be the rheostat on the switch itself. They'll get kinda funky and then go out.

This is for a Bel-Air... but it looks awfuly close to the Vette's switch (minus the vacuum lines and a couple other nuances). The weakest link is the contact between the main housing and the spring portion of the rheostat. The windings are notorious harborers of dirt, funk, and dust. They also corrode over time.

If you remove the switch from the dash, you can also pull the harness down too. Then, you can play with the contacts to see if that was your problem.

Good luck-

 

[gambit]

I already tried changing the rheostat, but have the same issue. Any other guesses? where are the grounds?

 

[bill81vette]

If you have an AIM??Assembly Instruction manual.
This will show you how our vettes were built and where the locations of the components are..
they are invaluable to say the least??

 

[duke94]

I already tried changing the rheostat, but have the same issue. Any other guesses? where are the grounds?

The ground is on the left hinge pillar above the courtesy light. You checked the fuse right?

You can see it in this picture, the black wire that goes under the speedo cable on the left and is screwed to the pillar.

 

[LVMYVT76]

I just put my dash back together, the guage clust had a black wire that had a slide on plug that connected to the metal fram of the guage cluster. The tack and speedometer had one also. The black wires go into the wiring harness.

 

[Mr. Chuck]

Instrument Panel Light Circuit

1981 gage lights not working. My dash / gage lights went out one night when I turned the dimmer switch. I just put in a new headlight switch and still nothing, I checked the fuse, it was good. I get no lights in the speedo / tach or the center console gages. Anybody got any clues?

If the lights were working and then went out only after turning the timmer, then it sounds very much like a dimmer failure. Still it is a good habit to check the easier things first, before diving in and start pulling the console apart. I have more than once put my size 13's up under the dash and distrubed the connection / fuses on the fuse panel. Or pulled on other wiring near the panel that may be hanging down in harms way. Also beware that if you recently had the console apart when you changed the light switch , then a wire / connection may be pinched or didn't go all the way on and the rotation of the dimmer and/or vibration of the engine or driving may have caused the connection loss. I have attached a picture of the console lighting circuit which may be of some help.
Hint: When checking voltages I prefer using a test light, instead of a meter, since the light loads the circuit and will ID a loose connection, that a meter will miss.

Good luck!!

 

[gambit]

Fixed It

It ended up being a combination bad Rheostat and fuse. I was checking the wrong fuse, it was for the gages, not the gage lights. That fuse was all the way at the top on the left, and hidden by a wire covering it up so I didnt even know it was there.

Thanks guys for the help!

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