I am having issues with my dash lights and dimmer switch. I was wondering how I can bypass the dimmer? I don't dim the lights anyway I just want working dash lights. If I plug the #8 fuse in the dash lights come on and stay on.
Panel dimmer switch bypass
- Thread starter bluovalforever
- Start date
Fuse 13 should be the dimmer fuse.It's a 5 amp'er.
Another way to circumvent the dimmer would be to connect the output of the dimmer switch connection to an inline 5 amp fuse (use enough wire to route this new fuse to the fusebox location so you can find the fuse if you need it. Better that than having it stuck up under the dash somewhere) and then connect it to the parking light circuit.
You can grab the parking-light wire at the back of the headlight switch or in the driver kick panel (brown wire on early aero foxes. Test with a light to be sure you've got the correct brown wire).
Another way to circumvent the dimmer would be to connect the output of the dimmer switch connection to an inline 5 amp fuse (use enough wire to route this new fuse to the fusebox location so you can find the fuse if you need it. Better that than having it stuck up under the dash somewhere) and then connect it to the parking light circuit.
You can grab the parking-light wire at the back of the headlight switch or in the driver kick panel (brown wire on early aero foxes. Test with a light to be sure you've got the correct brown wire).
91TwighlightGT
20+ Year Stangneter 
Won't this turn on all your interior lights as well?
It might be a PITA, but I would fix it the right way.
It might be a PITA, but I would fix it the right way.
It would go without saying to not connect the parking light circuit to the interior light circuit. The question at hand (as I read the initial post) is the dimmer circuit.
Can't help with wiring colors due to a lack of provided info.
Can't help with wiring colors due to a lack of provided info.
The car is an 88. After messing with it tonight as soon as I plug the #8 fuse in that powers the green wire for radio and courtesy lights it powers the blue/red feed fire for the instrument cluster and turns it in solid. I finally tracked it down to a black plug behind the driver kick panel is a rectangle black plug that goes to the body harness. If I unplug it, I get the glove box light to work when I plug that fuse and the cluster lights but the dome lights do not turn on. Still confused. I will pull seat and carpet up and follow wires to make sure nothing is pitched or spliced. Any other ideas?
I'm kinda confused about what is going on and what you desire to accomplish. If both the dimmer and the dome light are acting funny, that points to the dimmer switch assembly or the wires right behind it.
If you want to fix each without replacing the assembly, the functions have to be treated separately. The cluster lights are one portion (tied into the parking light wire if circumventing the dimmer feature) and the dome light is another issue (being tied into a constant power source).
If you want to fix each without replacing the assembly, the functions have to be treated separately. The cluster lights are one portion (tied into the parking light wire if circumventing the dimmer feature) and the dome light is another issue (being tied into a constant power source).
pearlnotchback
5 Year Member
Boydster
5 Year Member
There's a few used dimmer switches on ebay right now for like 20 or 25 bux. I see new ones can cost as much as $80.
For the "Hive Mind"
The dimmer function is easily bypassed, and I never used it anyway. For the last few years, I've had to turn the brightness all the way up, just short of the dome light coming on, to get the tach/speedo/gauge lights to work.
1) Remove the dimmer switch.
2) On the back of the plug, find the Light Blue/Red wire (on one end of the plug), and the two brown wires that go into one of the oher terminals. Use a piece of your own wire about 4" long and the same or larger size, and a couple "tap" connectors to jump from either brown wire to the single Blue/Red wire. This bypasses the unreliable rheostat dimmer so the instrument lights come on full whenever you turn on the headlights.
The dimmer function is easily bypassed, and I never used it anyway. For the last few years, I've had to turn the brightness all the way up, just short of the dome light coming on, to get the tach/speedo/gauge lights to work.
1) Remove the dimmer switch.
2) On the back of the plug, find the Light Blue/Red wire (on one end of the plug), and the two brown wires that go into one of the oher terminals. Use a piece of your own wire about 4" long and the same or larger size, and a couple "tap" connectors to jump from either brown wire to the single Blue/Red wire. This bypasses the unreliable rheostat dimmer so the instrument lights come on full whenever you turn on the headlights.
wallyinc
Member
I think the only issue with bypassing it is that you can't manually turn on the interior light.
With that said, i haven't driven my car at night in 20+ years so i'm not sure it matters and even when i did, why in the world would i dim it?
I was having an issue last year where i felt the dimmer was blowing the fuse on that circuit, i replaced it with the LMR version which is absolutely not the same internally. In hindsight, i probably should have just bypassed it too for troubleshooting purposes.
With that said, i haven't driven my car at night in 20+ years so i'm not sure it matters and even when i did, why in the world would i dim it?
I was having an issue last year where i felt the dimmer was blowing the fuse on that circuit, i replaced it with the LMR version which is absolutely not the same internally. In hindsight, i probably should have just bypassed it too for troubleshooting purposes.
wallyinc
Member
I tossed mine on the ground in which my kids quickly picked it up and asked if they could play with it. I..... 1: didn't know I would need it again and 2: didn't realize they were worth something on ebay . When I wired up my gauges the lights wouldn't come on. Two problems. My light switch was broken and also the lights wont turn on without the dimmer switch. That's how I found this mustang forum! My wires didn't match the colors mentioned here (at least I don't think they did) but I did have those two brown wires mentioned in an earlier thread. I was able to figure it out from there!