instrument Cluster Lights

1991RWHP · Oct 21, 2008

I am having a problem that is kicking my @$$, my instrument cluster lights wont go on when i turn on my lights. Ive tried moving the dimmer around and get nothing. When the doors are on i can move the switch to turn the interior top lamp on but i still get nothing out of the instrument cluster. If anyone knows a possible/common problem PLEASE let me know.

Thanks!!

stykthyn · Oct 21, 2008

bad switch maybe?
have you checked to see if you are getting voltage before and after the switch?

aar0s · Oct 21, 2008

+1 on the bad switch. is there a fuse that powers only the lights?

Fox Chic · Oct 21, 2008

Do you have an aftermarket stereo? A problem I ran into with mine is there was a wire for the radio that was bare, not connected to anything, can't remember what it was for, the dimmer I think. It kept blowing the fuse to the dash lights whenever I turned the lights on. Finally traced it to that by pure luck. Just an idea.

1991RWHP · Oct 21, 2008

Well what i figured what weird is that the lights were go on periodically ... totally random and then they would go off. But now they haven't been back on for awhile, so I am totally confused. Thanks for all the ideas though!

blubullett · Oct 21, 2008

If you look at the connector on the back of the headlight switch is it melted a little bit? That is where the dimmer gets its power from. Latemodel restoration supply has a replacement, I guess its a common problem. Also the dimmer might be going bad, sometimes you can clean some of the corrosion off of the contactors to get it to come on. You can use a small file like a nail file to reach inside of the dimmer and sand down the coil spring looking thing and contactor that moves when you twist the dimmer.

1991RWHP · Oct 22, 2008

I forgot to add, its not only the instrument cluster buts its all the lights, including the lights on the heat/AC switches. I'm not sure if that would matter at all, but i figured its all in the same circuit if they wont go on either.

HISSIN50 · Oct 22, 2008

You checked the dimmer fuse, right?

jaredg16 · Nov 1, 2008

1991RWHP said:
I forgot to add, its not only the instrument cluster buts its all the lights, including the lights on the heat/AC switches. I'm not sure if that would matter at all, but i figured its all in the same circuit if they wont go on either.

I am having this very same problem and would love to know how to fix it too!

jaredg16 · Nov 1, 2008

HISSIN50 said:
You checked the dimmer fuse, right?

Where is the dimmer fuse?

HISSIN50 · Nov 1, 2008

jaredg16 said:
Where is the dimmer fuse?

Fuse 13

jaredg16 · Nov 2, 2008

HISSIN50 said:
Fuse 13

Where is that fuse box? I have an '03 Mustang and neither the interior fuse box (under the steering column) nor the power distribution box (under the hood) look like the diagram from your link above.

Thanks!

Jared

jaredg16 · Nov 2, 2008

... more info

So I figured I'd give the complete run-down of the problem in my '03 Mustang. My instrument cluster lights won't come on when I turn on my lights. I can move the switch to turn the interior top lamp on but I still get nothing out of the instrument cluster. The headlights work, and when I turn on my bright beams, the little blue "bright light" indicator on the instrument panel comes on; When my blinkers are on, the blinker lights on the instrument panel function; and all of the warning lights ("check engine", "brake", "ABS", "seat belt","low fuel", etc) function properly. It also includes the lights on the heat/AC switches, which I assume are on the same circuit.

I checked all of the fuses under the steering column for the instrument clusters as well as the relay fuses in the power distribution box under the hood and all of the fuses are perfectly fine... no blown fuses at all. This leads me to think that it would be the headlight switch; however I am unsure of how to properly remove the headlight switch to test it.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Thanks!

HISSIN50 · Nov 2, 2008

jaredg16 said:
So I figured I'd give the complete run-down of the problem in my '03 Mustang. My instrument cluster lights won't come on when I turn on my lights. I can move the switch to turn the interior top lamp on but I still get nothing out of the instrument cluster. The headlights work, and when I turn on my bright beams, the little blue "bright light" indicator on the instrument panel comes on; When my blinkers are on, the blinker lights on the instrument panel function; and all of the warning lights ("check engine", "brake", "ABS", "seat belt","low fuel", etc) function properly. It also includes the lights on the heat/AC switches, which I assume are on the same circuit.

I checked all of the fuses under the steering column for the instrument clusters as well as the relay fuses in the power distribution box under the hood and all of the fuses are perfectly fine... no blown fuses at all. This leads me to think that it would be the headlight switch; however I am unsure of how to properly remove the headlight switch to test it.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Thanks!

You're posting in 5.0 Tech, which covers Mustangs which primarily ended production in 1995. Your best bet is to search or post in 4.6 Tech.

If your headlight switch and cluster are like that in a 94-95 (they are as I recall), you remove the headlight knob and a couple of screws from the underside of the top cluster trim, and then the cluster trim is about ready to pop out. Then you can remove a couple of screws to get the headlight switch out. Then check In/Out voltage at the back of the headlight switch.

Good luck.

jaredg16 · Nov 2, 2008

Okay... so I figured out what my problem was. After many many hours I noticed that I had connected the wrong wire from my new receiver. I had an "illumination" wire coming from the receiver that I connected to BOTH the illumination wire from my car AS WELL AS the illumination dimmer wire. Every time I turned power on it was blowing a fuse I overlooked that was for "adjustable illumination". So once I removed the connection for the illumination dimmer wire and taped it off solo (and of course replaced the burned fuse) my instrument panel is lit up like a christmas tree.

Problem solved! WOOHOO!

Sorry for the post in the wrong thread, but the info I learned from you guys DID help! Thank you guys!

HISSIN50 · Nov 2, 2008

jaredg16 said:
Okay... so I figured out what my problem was. After many many hours I noticed that I had connected the wrong wire from my new receiver. I had an "illumination" wire coming from the receiver that I connected to BOTH the illumination wire from my car AS WELL AS the illumination dimmer wire. Every time I turned power on it was blowing a fuse I overlooked that was for "adjustable illumination". So once I removed the connection for the illumination dimmer wire and taped it off solo (and of course replaced the burned fuse) my instrument panel is lit up like a christmas tree.

Problem solved! WOOHOO!

Sorry for the post in the wrong thread, but the info I learned from you guys DID help! Thank you guys!

Glad you got it. We don't care in which sub-forum you post - we just want you to get the issue solved as quickly as possible, and some sub-forums are better tailored for that than others.

I was curious - you said you had checked all the fuses, yet you were blowing one. Was one fuse simply overlooked?

jaredg16 · Nov 3, 2008

Unfortunately yes... It was one fuse I overlooked. There was a fuse for "adjustable illumination" that I'd overlooked.

Thanks again!

instrument Cluster Lights

1991RWHP

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stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

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