Armalite

I bought my 88 yota about 2 months ago and the dash lights didnt work when i got it and neither did the dome light. This is the setup i am using now.

http://s879.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=IMG_8199.jpg

http://s879.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=IMG_8200.jpg

as you can see it isn't ideal but it works. I have checked all the fuses and they are good. I am going to try to tear it apart tomorrow and see whats up but i have a couple questions first.

Are the dash lights and the dome light connected?

I have heard that the dimmer switch can be a problem point but would it affect the dome light as well or just the dash lights?

iamsuperbleeder

ummm, maybe just the bulb's shot in the dome, and the dimmer switch is out?

I'm not sure if the dome runs off the dimmer or not, but yeah if it goes out, it'll kill the dash lights


do an other interior lights work, like the ones behind the climate controls?

Armalite

I checked the dome light with a new bulb and it still doesnt work. None of the interior lights work at all. When i got the truck the stereo didnt work but i fixed it. The PO had jumped a fuse with a bubble gum wrapper. The stereo wasnt grounded well and there were wires just sitting out waiting to touch eachother and short out. From this experience i hope that the PO has not touched anything behind the dash.
I dont know if the dimmer switch works or not i am waiting for my dad to bring home a tester from work to see if it is getting any power to it.

I was hoping for an easy fix and just replace a dimmer switch but if that only affects dash lights then it looks like this is going to be a learning experience.

CChudalla

Im not sure about the dome light mine still doesn't work but i do know that the bad ground on the stereo will burn out the dimmer switch go search junk yards for my 90 the dealership wanted $120 bucks for a new switch found one at a junk yard for 10 also check the bulbs behind the dash

GreenFlames

give the horn fuse a look, one of my buddys put a screwdriver in the smoke lighter of my s-10 and it fried the horn fuse and cut out the interior lights and the dash lights. just thought.

iamsuperbleeder

ummmm, why did he put a screwdriver in that outlet?

that's Darwin Award material right there

Jay351

horn and 4 way flashers use the same fuse...

If that guy used a bubblegum wrapper to jump a fuse than who knows what he did to the rest of the truck. Scary...

bugs1961

Power for the background lighting to the dash comes from the "tail" fuse through the tail relay (see the photo) and the power for the dome light comes from the "dome" fuse. It doesn't look like they cross paths except that they both ground on the left front pillar according to the FSM. The pictures aren't very good but the are readable, to me anyway. In the combination meter picture the rheostat has a red/ black stripe power wire and a white/black stripe ground wire. You could check for power at the rheostat and if it's there, ground the Red/black wire to have the lights on full bright or put a resister in series to dim the lights with only one intensity.

The dome light has a black/white stripe wire for power and a black wire for ground. Check for power at the b/w terminal. If you have power then the fixture is bad. If not, check for power out of the dome fuse. If there is power out of the dome fuse then take out the fuse and check for continuity from the unpowered side of the fuse to the dome light. This will tell you if the wire is burned up from bubble gum wrappers in the fuse slot.

The fuse is there to protect the wiring by blowing before enough current can damage the wiring. Unfortunately for you, by shorting the fuse(s), the PO may have damaged the wiring. By starting at the fuse you can check for power from one point to the next and determine where the bad wiring is.

Tracing electrical problems is an art so good luck and determination will win out eventually. Let me know if you need better pictures or pictures of any other circuits. These are from an '89 truck FSM but should be the same as the 88.

Bugs

vital22re

iTrader: (2)

check ALL fuses, under the hood and inside the rig. Then check the dimmer switch. dome like may not come on if the door switchs are bad. They look like little push buttons.

bugs1961

I've never had the key warning cause problems with the dome. In fact, I've cut the wire from the key warning on every Toyota I've owned (15+) because it drives me crazy and the dome has always continued to work.

The "on" position of the dome light is directly grounded and doesn't go through the integration relay or door switches. If that position isn't working, you have a problem with the bulb, the wiring or the fixture itself and troubleshooting like I talked about above will find it.

Good luck,

Bugs

Armalite

ok so i am sitting in the cab of my truck feeling overwhelmed lol. Bugs i am trying to follow the diagram but it looks french to me. I have no wireing experience unfortunately. when you say rheostat for the dash lights what is that and where is it?
I found this ziptied to my steering column what is it?
http://s879.photobucket.com/albums/a...t=IMG_8227.jpg

Armalite

Also i checked the dimmer switch and it is getting power.

Armalite

Ok so i finished pulling out the dash and the light bulbs were bad. The first time i looked it was 11 at night and my dumb tired self looked at them and thought they were good. Still dont have the dome light working but it has power to the fuse so i think its the fixture. I hope the bubble gum wrapper hasn't screwed the wires up. Thank you guys for all the help i appreciate it. any more pointers on the dome light would be great
Thanks