cluster doesnt light up. fuses are all good.

i need to take a volt meter to the dimmer switch as this is a "common problem" so how do i go about that...i have a voltmeter handy, just don't know where to pick it up / what setting to use.

 

up?

 

nothing would light up in my dash either.....changed the dimmer switch(20 bucks at the junkyard) and everythying works perfect now.....dimmer switches like to fvck up ...im almost 100% thats what u gotta do

 

yea but i'd really like to test it while i can
anyone know where to pick it up with the meter?

or even, how to bypass the switch for now?

 

hello?

 

i think u can get em at checker , auto zone, pep boys, try callin them. maybe they'll test it for free...

 

Just pop the dimmer switch out. Then turn on your lights and set the voltmeter to DC. Set it to 20 so you don't blow it's fuse. The dimmer switch just controls the power output past it. Put the + on the wire and the - on a ground (frame, etc.). Do this for bolth sides of the switch (the input and output sides). If you have power on the input and not the output then it's the dimmer switch. If you have power on bolth sides then the dimmer is not the problem.

 

there isnt much current at all going to the dimmer (0.07 @ 12v) so i dunop whats wrong?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TenLarge &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">there isnt much current at all going to the dimmer (0.07 @ 12v) so i dunop whats wrong?</TD></TR></TABLE>Did you test both sides of the dimmer? 0.07 amps at 12V right? I wish I was there in person to show you, because it's kind of hard to explain. I'll try and post some pics and make a mini how-to. There are three wires going into it right? Red, black and red/black. Test the dimmer and make sure it's turned all the way up. Post your readings on all wires and we can go from there. Do you have a test light? You should test the red/black and rd wire for power.

 

Disconnect the dimmer and short the red wire to the black wire and switch on the lights. if everything comes on full brightness the dimmer is dead.

if you want to check it with a DVM, there are three wires.
the red/blk wire has 12 volts on it with the lights on.
the red wire has a lower voltage on it as the dimmer brightness is increased. (close to 8v at minimum brightness, almost 0volts at full brightness, yes it's backwards, it controls ground not power)
black wire is ground.

shorting the red wire to the black wire sill set the lights to full brightness.

 

^^^^ That's pretty much what I was trying to say .

 

give the dimmer a good smack...

thats what i have to do

and $20 at a junker? i think you got owned