Instrument lights completely blanked out (1988)

[servotron]

Besides the obvious question of "what's wrong?" the initial question is: What lights ARE there for the interior instrument clusters? I don't get any lights for the speed/tack, clock (but the clock works), oil pressure/temp/batt gagues, or HVAC controls. The stereo does work (aftermarket).

Any ideas? I don't think there are any blown fuses (replaced the 30A rear defrost fuse), and everything else seems to be working perfectly. A loose wire?

Thanks for any ideas (besides using a flashlight to see my speed at night, which I already am doing!)

[gull]

Could be the dimmer knob on the headlight switch. Sometimes they get intermittent or fail entirely.

[gull]

To answer your other question, you should have lights above the speedo and tach, a light behind the clock, a light in each of the three console gauges, one in the heater control panel, one in the ashtray, and one in the shift console if it's an automatic.

[servotron]

Interesting... I've got it going in to the shop, let's see if what they say matches (I assume it would) and even better, let's see if their fix is cheap enough!

Thanks for the input!

[Black93CAB]

So any word on this matter because I have the same issue on my 93 Cabby? Any help would be appreciared!!

[Calimus]

There are 4 things it could be.

1. The lights are burnt out - It's common and you can get replacements. The cluster is fairly easy to remove and the lights just twist out & back in. There are 3 of them if memory serves.

2. The light dimmer - It's a resistive slider part that wears out it's contact points over time. Sometimes they can be cleaned up and work, but sometimes you just have to replace the whole light switch.

3. The flexible circuit on the back of the cluster. These are well known to crack (more so from pulling the cluster out a lot then from age). These aren't so easy to come by.

4. Wiring - could be faulty, cut, or BBQ'd from some moron playing with after market radio's and just misc screwing around.

[Black93CAB]

4. Wiring - could be faulty, cut, or BBQ'd from some moron playing with after market radio's and just misc screwing around.

Well i promise it was not due to me messing around with any of the wiring, but it is really weird because the turn, coolant temp, hi beams, lights still work when i turn on the car and use the blinker during regular driving and at night. The Brake light and check engine light still both come on too when i start the car. but at night when i turn the head lights on the instrument cluster is completely dark, as well as the lights that light up the gauges down by the shifter like voltage, oil pressure and temp. the exception is the head light switch, that is on but very very dim now, like about 10% as bright as it used to be. Please help, i have no idea what it could be. and as a recent update now my tach doesn't register either. speedo is working fine, it is off a little bit but i can live with that. so i am thinking that i may need to pull that whole cluster out and start all over. if anyone can link me to a few good walk through's on how to remove, fix, and even update my lights with LED's I would be very grateful Thanks!

[Briano1234]

see:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2542

and

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2486

The bulbs in the Dash are probably toast.

What is neat is that you can go to a Junkyard and get the sockets out of a Isuzo Rodeo, Saturn Sl, in th instrument panel, and take a few. Get the ones for the Warning lights, as in oil, airbag....
They are higher wattage, and will twist right in to the cabby. They are also replaceable as you can go into a store and look up a Iszu Rodeo, Instrument light, warning... and buy them separately.

The Dim lights in the center console would mean to me that you have a bad ground, or a bad light switch. They aren't bright but they ain't dim either.

[Black93CAB]

Thanks i wanna pull it out and just take a look at what is going on back there any step by step diagrams(with pictures) on how to pull that whole cluster out ot the dash?

[Briano1234]

http://cabby-info.com/Files/DashRemoval.pdf

[Exton_Dubs]

My lights burnt out and I switched over to LED's. Real easy to change out, just make sure you get the polarity correct before reinstalling them. I also removed the green film that sits in front of the lights to make it nice and clear. superbrightleds.com carries them cheap and will tell you what you need for your year cabby.