digital dash

[jas85t]

my 85 has the digital dash for about the last two weeks when i turn on my headlights the dash lights go really dim. Thought maybe alt. but it is charging anybody else ever had this problem?

 

[WFO]

check dash light fuse.i bet it's blown.on my car the shifter gear indicator light wire had worn thru on the shifter mechanism and grounded out,blowing the fuse.

don't put a bigger fuse in to keep it from blowing out,it'll just burn it up.

later,sean

 

[Buick From Hell]

check the light-dimmer knob! If it's turned all the way down, the dash lights almost go out! If turning it don't help, then IT may be bad!

 

[jas85t]

when the lights are off all the gauges are bright for example, mph, shifter light indicator and trip odom. but when i turn on my lights these go very dim, but work fine except when i turn on my lights. Then they go dim and shift indicator light goes out???? I dont know if my dimmer switch is supposed to control these things because it still adj my interior lights fine. If the fuse is blown would they still be able to work with the lights off?????
thanks for your help i thought i might need to be a little more specific on what is happening...

 

[cool 84]

How dim is dim? They are supposed to get a little dimmer when you turn the lights on.

 

[6SENSE]

Finally I think someone has the same problem.
During the day with parking lights/headlights off the digital readout is bright green, no problem. If I turn on the parking lights or headlights during the day, I can barely see the read out because it is too faint. At night of course I can see the readout with the headlights on only because it is dark enough outside that the faint green readout can be seen. (It is not the backlights, like for the shifter, climate control, etc. It is the actual digits on the dash).
Is this what is going on with yours, or am I still the only lucky one .
It is kind of a drag, because sometimes you want to turn your parking lights/headlights on during the day, but not if you cant see anything on your dash!

 

[jas85t]

yes that is the exact problem that i am having have you had any luck finding the prob.

 

[1owner]

I had this same problem in my GN. It was the rotary dimmer switch. While the lights are on this unit controls how much voltage goes to the dash lighting, heater controls lighting, shifter too.

Merry Xmas,

'86 GNAT [orig. owner]
'87 Regal T w/ turbo [3rd owner, daily driver]

 

[6SENSE]

No I havent had any luck with it, Ive actually just been living with it since I couldnt consider it a priority with all the other stuff I need to do. I was going to get around to it sooner or later, but now (thanks to 1owner) I guess I will make it sooner!

 

[HotAir6 v.2.0]

Factory Service Manual says
1 - Check TAIL LP FUSE by turning on PARK LIGHTS
2 - Check INST LPS FUSE
3 - Check that the ground is clean and tight

Mine just turned out to be the fuse. The fuse has popped a few times since we added a bunch of gauges in that circuit. I've rerouted the gauges for now to an empty IGN fuse which means they are on during the day but also that they are on during the night, which is the lesser of 2 evils. I'll figure out how to get into that circuit another day.