No interior/instrument lights "title edited to show new problem"

[Barracudadan]

I have checked the turn signal switch and don`t have any power going to it does anybody have any suggestions. I have checked for power at the switch itself and at the base of the column.Where should I look next to trace back untill I find power?  I have a schematic but trying to trace wires with it is challenging at least for me it is anyway.

I have a couple posts going right now trying to solve my electrical woes which are my interior lights and turn signals sorry if they seem a bit redundant. I`m hoping a new title with this post might get some fresh sets of eyes reading my problem.

[72rtchallenger]

you say this all started when you checked the fuel and temp gauge an determined the voltage limiter was bad ? how did you check it ?if you over loaded it,,the fuse block  may still be the problem,may have to pull the fuse block loose and look at the connections behind it,, fuse #5 wipers  an #8 which is radio ,,,and the radio wire ties into the wire that goes to the flasher and instrument lights,find out were they tie in should be behind the dash,I know part of it goes to the orange plug,,trace the wire off the flasher to find out were they tie in at, and also check the plug connectors in the column to make sure of connection and of  burnt wires also check the bulk head plugs at the fire wall that plug into the back side of the fuse block for the same connections an burnt wires,,

[Barracudadan]

you say this all started when you checked the fuel and temp gauge an determined the voltage limiter was bad ? how did you check it ?if you over loaded it,,the fuse block  may still be the problem,may have to pull the fuse block loose and look at the connections behind it,, fuse #5 wipers  an #8 which is radio ,,,and the radio wire ties into the wire that goes to the flasher and instrument lights,find out were they tie in should be behind the dash,I know part of it goes to the orange plug,,trace the wire off the flasher to find out were they tie in at, and also check the plug connectors in the column to make sure of connection and of  burnt wires also check the bulk head plugs at the fire wall that plug into the back side of the fuse block for the same connections an burnt wires,,

No nothing got burnt I did pull the block loose and looked behind it nothing looks bad. I went by RTE Dashworks site on how to test my gauges. I just used a regular 9 volt battery and touched the terminals for less than a second just to see needle movement I did see movement and that was it. My antenna on my radio isn`t in and I don`t even know if my radio works it`s the original AM radio. Everything under my dash is pretty original I don`t have a rats nest that somebody hacked up so that is a plus. I cleaned all the crud out of the bulkhead connectors a while back I will check them again maybe there loose. Do you know which connector on the bulkhead feeds power to the turn signal switch?

[72rtchallenger]

i will have try and check when i get in from work to see if i can find were they get power,,have you looked behind the dash were you had it loose before and seen if everything is connected ? and are your dash lights still out?

[Bullitt-]

Hopefully someone who knows for sure will speak up but just looking at the diagrams it appears the power comes through the flasher on it's way to the turn signal switch so I would check if there's power to & through the flasher.

[Barracudadan]

Well I have made some progress. My turn signals are working but no sidemarker lights. Some of the contacts on the fuse block were corroded so I poped them out and cleaned them up best I could with a wirewheel on a dremel tool. I have noticed when my turn signals flash the hi beam indicator lights up and flashes too. I am getting no power at all to the instrument panel fuse top right hand side on fuse block and the hazzard fuse has power to one side only. I am going to clean those contacts next. The dimmer switch did have power to it earlier today now nothing which I figure is related to no power at instrument fuse.Still no interior lights.

Is there a better way to clean the fuse contacts how about some bulb grease on them would that help?

One last thing to mention when I drove it last, I hit the Hi-beam switch and lost power to the headlights I hit the switch a few more times and they came back on my turn signals,interior lights were already not working when this happened.It sounds like a short to me but I don`t really know where to start looking.Thanks for the help so far!

[Barracudadan]

UGH I GIVE UP! "F***" THIS CAR! Blinkers work when they feel like it! No power at fuse on top right of block.  Hazzard fuse has power to one side only. I don`t know where to look I am lost!

[Bullitt-]

     IF they sometime work and with no apparent change they don't I would suspect a poor connection, study the flat connector at the column, it is easy for the barrel plugs to get pushed out of place. Be sure they are all seated, not corroded. Apply some Dielectric Grease to promote good connections.   
     I think you may have several issues that your trying to find a single solution for, concentrate on one at a time after all it's just a few simple 12V DC circuits.

[72rtchallenger]

on the fuse for hazards you say you have power on one side,,pull that fuse an ohm the fuse to make sure its good, i have seen them blow and you couldnt tell it by looking at it,,because if there is power on one side the sends power to the other,,and that fuse on top right is the instrument lights on my car

[Barracudadan]

Sorry for the last post this is just getting to me. I have checked that connection at the base of the column Bullit and it looks good nothing bent I really don`t think my problem is there.
As far as the fuse goes on the hazzards I have swapped it out with another fuse thinking just that,it might look good but be bad. Yes the fuse on top right is for my instrument lights too I did have some power at that fuse first thing today but with everything I have tried now it doesn`t have any.

This really sucks since I started all this all this the headlight switch assembly hanging out has scrached a lot of the black texture off below the speedometer and the clear plastic on the gauge assembly has gotten scratched from resting on the column and the column is getting scratched up as well.The last 3 days everything I have touched has turned to sh*t! This is definatly not how I like to do things.

I removed the drivers side kick panel and disconnected the large connector there that feeds the rear of the car hoping if the problem was back there my lights would return. It didn`t work so my problem must be before that connection does my logic sound right? Taking the connection apart at the kick panel really was just a Hail Mary attempt that failed!

[72rtchallenger]

look closely at the bulk head plugs to the back of the fuse panel,,i know you may have but sounds like your problems are there or the fuse block itself,,if you pull the fuse block off completely,,clean closely, try some contact cleaner,or Spray an oxidation solvent on the metal parts of the fuse block, particularly the fuse terminals. Rub any rust and corrosion off with steel wool. Repeat the process of spraying the cleaner on and then scrubbing off any rust and corrosion with the steel wool. Dry the fuse block with a clean, dry rag.
 ,and yea it sucks but you probably would have had these problems anyways without your first touching it,,

[Barracudadan]

look closely at the bulk head plugs to the back of the fuse panel,,i know you may have but sounds like your problems are there or the fuse block itself,,if you pull the fuse block off completely,,clean closely, try some contact cleaner,or Spray an oxidation solvent on the metal parts of the fuse block, particularly the fuse terminals. Rub any rust and corrosion off with steel wool. Repeat the process of spraying the cleaner on and then scrubbing off any rust and corrosion with the steel wool. Dry the fuse block with a clean, dry rag.
 ,and yea it sucks but you probably would have had these problems anyways without your first touching it,,

I`ll try it again. I did pop out some of the more corroded terminals and like I said in an earlier post I used a dremel tool with a wire wheel on it to clean the corroded terminals. Even tried getting some sandpaper in there to get them clean.I even pierced the wire with the test bulb before the terminal to check for power so I don`t think it`s the terminals anymore but the cleaner I can get them the better off i`ll be. I tend to think the problem is somewhere near the fuse block too. I will take apart the bulkhead connectors and clean them up too. I will load it up with some dielectric grease as well for good measure.

[Barracudadan]

Ok I`m gettin there I think. I cleaned the hell out of the hazzard fuse terminal that wasnt making contact. I have my hazzards and blinkers working I think I am out of the woods as far as those go.

The next problem for me to tackle are the interior/instrument lights. I have no power at the fuse for the instrument lights the one at the top right hand side the 5 amp fuse. I have gone so far as to probe the orange and tan wires right before they reach the fuse to make sure it wasnt dirty contacts and I get no power at all.

Can anyone tell me how to find the power that is supposed to feed this circuit? In other words where do I begin to troubleshoot this? Do I start at the dimmer switch,headlight switch,the phone book under automotive services?LOL. I have power going into the headlight switch but when the headlights are on there is no power at the dimmer switch.

Thanks everyone for the help! I wouldn`t have gotten this far on my own!

[72rtchallenger]

I think the orange wire runs up behind the cluster were there is an orange plug that has 2 or 3 wires and ties everything in,,check the orange plug to see if you have power on it,if not one orange wire off that plug goes to the ignition switch were it gets power,,at least I think thats right
,,also your dimmer switch may be bad,,try your high and low beams again,,usually it will work one way when the dimmer switch is bad

[Barracudadan]

SUCCESS! 

Turns out after all that the headlight switch was bad and it only took 5 days to figure out!

I ended up wrapping  some copper wire around the bottom 3 contacts of the switch to get the lights on. Even then the dome light didn`t come on so I pulled out the bulb to check it and when I was putting it back in my hand slipped and I shoved the bulb in hard and the light came on. 

All this was to get at my voltage limiter to get my fuel and temp gauges working and after putting in the new limiter from dashworks my gauges still don`t work!  I`m gonna save this problem for another day. At least I get the peace of mind knowing I wont fry my gauges

So now where can I find a new headlight switch?