Dash lights out

[turbopwer]

Whenever I turn on the headlights I have no dash lights, radio, and A/C. My first thought is a bad headlight switch. Could I be right? I will check the fuses the switch is what I'm thinking. Any thoughts? Can someone give me a link to the 87 gn wireing diagram?

 

[paulg]

No. Its a fuse.. 5 amp fuse labeled "Inst Lps" its right under the Cruise control fuse terminal..

 

[turbopwer]

No. Its a fuse.. 5 amp fuse labeled "Inst Lps" its right under the Cruise control fuse terminal..

Is that the same fuse that would control the door locks to? My door locks also quit at the same time.

 

[paulg]

No. That fuse is for the Dash lights. The locks have a circuit breaker i beleive as well as the windows.. its a big metal fuse looking thing. there are 2 in the fuse box on the right side of it i beleive.. Now that I read your post again it sounds like the head lights are shorting out your radio/dash light/locks.. might want to take a look under the dash for a broken/exposed wire that may be grounding out That would definately burn the Interior light fuse.. as for the radio im stumped. check your fuses with a test light..

 

[Nastynational]

Hi guys, never forget... we are The Men in Black ! ! similar problem

My '87 GN has much of the same symptoms. When I turn on the headlights, my dash lights come on, but all my aftermarket pillar guages, under dash guages, scan master and alcohol guage go dead. If I turn the dash dimmer brightness thumb roller switch next to the headlight switch to make the dash lights go out, all the aftermarket guages work, with the exception of the back lights of said guages. The radio doesn't work also, but I haven't listened to that in that vehicle for years - in this classic, the music to my ears is the big turbo, blow off valve, free flowing exhaust sound - plus after blowing it up twice over the years, I want to hear everything that's going on all the time. With all the aftermarket stuff done and idiot friends helping me wire things over the years, the problem may have started with those cheap ass wire taps, instead of actually taking the time to actually splice wires together properly.. they are a time bomb waiting to happen.

 

[turbopwer]

No. Its a fuse.. 5 amp fuse labeled "Inst Lps" its right under the Cruise control fuse terminal..

Ok I checked that fuse even though it it was a 10 AMP it was blown. I changed it with another 10amp and checked it but still no lights. I should also throw in that the rpm and boost gauges work butt when the light switch is turned on they also go out. Should I now move to the dimmer switch? Does any of the local auto parts stores still carry the roll up and down kind or are they discontinued?

Just to refresh: All outside lights work when I turn on the light switch.
Blown 10amp "inst lps" put new in and still no gauge or lights

NEXT STEP NEW DIMMER SWITCH??


Any help would be great!

 

[TurbochargedKid]

Ok I checked that fuse even though it it was a 10 AMP it was blown. I changed it with another 10amp and checked it but still no lights. I should also throw in that the rpm and boost gauges work butt when the light switch is turned on they also go out. Should I now move to the dimmer switch? Does any of the local auto parts stores still carry the roll up and down kind or are they discontinued?

Just to refresh: All outside lights work when I turn on the light switch.
Blown 10amp "inst lps" put new in and still no gauge or lights

NEXT STEP NEW DIMMER SWITCH??


Any help would be great!

Mines doing amost exactly that, my boost gauge stopped working, its an 85 though, dunno if all the wiring is different, but when i turn the headlights on, they are dim, but my tach stays on but very dimly, my dashlights wont turn on, nor the lights in my console or radio, but the radio still turns on. Anyway, the headlights and tach are both dim, but as soon as i start driving the headlights go on full brightness and the tach goes dead.

 

[GullsGN]

Make sure you check the wire for the shift indicator. It frequently breaks with the constant movement of the shifter. When this wire breaks it shorts to the metal. I have had this happen twice, so far, with my GN. Very common with all regals with a floor console. Just the symptoms that you describe.

 

[TurbochargedKid]

Make sure you check the wire for the shift indicator. It frequently breaks with the constant movement of the shifter. When this wire breaks it shorts to the metal. I have had this happen twice, so far, with my GN. Very common with all regals with a floor console. Just the symptoms that you describe.

How do i get at this wire? im scared to break anything because its getting hard to find stuff, im just really worried because i got a ticket for speeding because i couldnt see my gauges.

 

[GullsGN]

How do i get at this wire? im scared to break anything because its getting hard to find stuff, im just really worried because i got a ticket for speeding because i couldnt see my gauges.

You have to remove the floor console. A couple of screws in the bottom of the armrest storage area, a screw under the ashtray, I think, that gets you to remove the top plate around the shifter (remove the shifter handle) which gets you to the last bolt holding the console to the floor. The indicator light is clipped to the side of the shifter.

 

[turbobooster]

i really hope u find a solution if u do make sure it gets posted ive had this exact same problem for a while now ive checked that ground wire under console, fuse, and even switched out the headlight switch and still no luck i havent done the dimmer if u do let us know how that turns out

 

[VMineo]

Make sure you check the wire for the shift indicator. It frequently breaks with the constant movement of the shifter. When this wire breaks it shorts to the metal. I have had this happen twice, so far, with my GN. Very common with all regals with a floor console. Just the symptoms that you describe.

X2 when that wire touches ground,it grounds out the radio,ac and everything on the line of the dimmer.Ive seen the dimmer wires on the radio cause the same problems

 

[Taylor04]

Okay I encountered this problem the other night. Started up to leave and all dash lights went out except stock RPM and PSI. I turn on the headlights which work fine, but no gas/speedo light or ac controls light. Then I was pulled over by the law and told my license plate bulb was out. Think there is any connection? When I turn the dimmer switch full on, my map/center light still work. I checked the Inst Lps fuse and it is not blown.

Still sound like the shifter light shorting out?

EDIT: Okay just took the console out and checked the gear indicator light for any loose/bad wires and found nothing. The bulb, housing, and wires look fine. Now what do you guys think? Bad dimmer switch?

 

[2toneNV]

My rpm and boost lights and radio come on when I crank the car, but when I turn the headlights on the rpm and boost guage lights go off and only the radio works. I have switched out the headlight switch with the one out of my WE4 car and it IS NOT the headlight switch. I have been told it is a loose ground....but which one???? Oh...it is also a column shifted Limited.

 

[Taylor04]

Okay I encountered this problem the other night. Started up to leave and all dash lights went out except stock RPM and PSI. I turn on the headlights which work fine, but no gas/speedo light or ac controls light. Then I was pulled over by the law and told my license plate bulb was out. Think there is any connection? When I turn the dimmer switch full on, my map/center light still work. I checked the Inst Lps fuse and it is not blown.

Still sound like the shifter light shorting out?

EDIT: Okay just took the console out and checked the gear indicator light for any loose/bad wires and found nothing. The bulb, housing, and wires look fine. Now what do you guys think? Bad dimmer switch?

Well I found a blown fuse I must have missed. TAIL LP fuse was replaced and then instantly popped when I flipped the headlight switch again. Poop. Did some more searching around the emergency brake pedal assembly and door sill plate area to find a frayed wire from an old alarm system that I never fully removed. Cleaned up the connections (still need to remove this old pos alarm) and put a new fuse in, flipped the switch and all the lights came back! Must have been shorting through ****ty aftermarket alarm wiring. Please don't use wire nuts permanently, that is for newbs.:biggrin:

 

[1fast6]

Dash lights and tail lights were on same circuit on an 81 I had.

 

[turbobooster]

got all lights to work properly with headlights on and off i cant pinpoint what actually did it im still surprised and clueless but this is what i did before it all worked replaced "cruise" inst lp, tail lp fuses even though they werent blown appeared good snugged up the fuse box checked that all wire connectors were secure and wala lol my dash lights along with shifter light worked i dont know exactly what did it but thats wat i did wen replacing fuse and checking them with test light and under the dash hth good luck guys im sure ill b back

 

[One987trbt]

RADIO DIMMER WIRE

I recently installed an aftermarket radio as my stock unit crapped out. While rewiring the new radio there wasn't a corresponding dimmer wire for the new radio. After speaking with the radio manufacturer customer service who were no help "as expected" I decided not to connect the factory dimmer wire to the new radio. Now the dash does not illuminate. Is this because I didn't connect the dimmer wire?