No instruments lights

[IB-Cuda]

Hi guys puttin a 70 cuda back together.
headlights, heater, turn sig, brake lights and interior dome light work.

But i dont have instruments lights.
There, is no power at either side of the fuse for the Inst lights,
My headlight dimmer plug looks pretty bad but currently I do have low beams and high beams

Question: does the dimmer switch feed the fuse box for this circuit or does the power come from the bus bar in the center of the fuse block?

[Chryco Psycho]

I would have to dig out my manual  but if I recall the power comes from the light switch through the fuse & back to the dash lights

[HP_Cuda]

There is a single push in connector for the dash lights and then it gets the ground by securing it to the dash frame if I remember correctly.

Maybe there is a bad ground, or the connector got pulled out, or the lights are all bad.

B

[TelisSE440]

There is a single push in connector for the dash lights and then it gets the ground by securing it to the dash frame if I remember correctly.

Maybe there is a bad ground, or the connector got pulled out, or the lights are all bad.

B

  The instrument lights get the ground by the light bar which is screwed to the dash frame, check you grounds ( I have encountered 7 electrical problems in my Challenger, 6 of them were bad grounds!!!), the lights have an orange wire which is connected to a branch (sorry for my English) which has three sockets (bar lights, auto trans shifter light and the other was left vacant- in my car at least). Do you marker lights work when you turn the switch one click upwards? 

[TelisSE440]

Hi guys puttin a 70 cuda back together.
headlights, heater, turn sig, brake lights and interior dome light work.

But i dont have instruments lights.
There, is no power at either side of the fuse for the Inst lights,
My headlight dimmer plug looks pretty bad but currently I do have low beams and high beams

Question: does the dimmer switch feed the fuse box for this circuit or does the power come from the bus bar in the center of the fuse block?

Yes, the dimmer feeds the fuse box, which in turn feeds the instruments, check if the panel dimmer switch gets power, here's the diagram, hope it helps...

[Chryco Psycho]

To be clear there are 2 dimmers , the panel dimmer is on the dash & feeds the instrument lights , the floor dimmer is for headlights only & has nothing to do with the instrument lighting

[YellowThumper]

The instrument lights get the ground by the light bar which is screwed to the dash frame, check you grounds ( I have encountered 7 electrical problems in my Challenger, 6 of them were bad grounds!!!), the lights have an orange wire which is connected to a branch (sorry for my English) which has three sockets (bar lights, auto trans shifter light and the other was left vacant- in my car at least). Do you marker lights work when you turn the switch one click upwards?

/\/\/\this is correct.
I was also having similar issues with mine. When reassembled no dash lights. Traced the power in and out and all would be ok. Turned out to be a dead spot in the dimmer switch when turned to full high before the dome light comes on. Just off that position everything works.

Good luck sorting it out
Mike

[IB-Cuda]

Thx guys,
I still need to check if my dash dimmer switch is getting power.
Been playing with my brakes and exhaust.

But. check this out... was messin around and flipped my road lamp switch on (I do not have the road lamps installed yet) and my light bar lit up as well as my shifter light on the center console. 

I rotated my dimmer switch and as expected no change to the brightness.
I have played around with a temp grd wire to the metal bracket that houses the light/wiper switch and no change.

I know my dash frame is grounded good to the car.  But I'm not sure about my light bar being grounded as there was a lot of excess foam from my new dash pad.
I'll string up a temp grd and see.

All exterior lights work properly.... 

I tried to get a hold of shorts (? a member here) for a rebuilt dimmer switch cost but he hasent replied yet...

[TelisSE440]

Unless it's an intermittent problem, the light bar is grounded fine if the lights are on. Check the road lamp switch, it has (normally) two wires, a dark green and a light green. The light green connects to the accessory feed, which uses the current and the dark green goes from a grommet outside the firewall to the engine compartment and lastly to your road lamps. Check if the dark green wire connects to the orange branch which your orange wire for shifter light and the light bar connects also. It seems to me that you feed your light bar with the current directed for your road lamps. The branch that I'm referring to, is inside the dash somewhere under the central speaker, just follow the orange wire from the light bar and you'll find it. Good Luck!!

[Chryco Psycho]

Slotts / JSRestoration is the guy you are looking for.

[Giveitawack]

The panel dimmer has a thin wire inside that makes the dimming possible. This wire can be burnt off. I was able to repair it by removing the the burnt end. The wire is coiled like a spring. I pulled it out enough to attach it to the connecting point.
You need to have the switch out of the car to see this.