muddmadness

Is it possible that the dash dimmer switch is connected to the dome light fuse wiring? Its the only thing that I have done recently I can think of, is pull the dome fuse out. But I haven't driven the truck at night so I wouldn't have noticed if they were out. When I took it to the state brake and light check guy they weren't working...of course. LOL I can't find any information on the wiring for the dash dimmer switch anywhere for my 1980 truck body.


This truck has the worst wiring job I have ever seen in a vehicle. Had to remove the trailer brake wiring and reconnect all the wiring in the rear of the vehicle because it was just jacked in and taped with bare wires exposed. Its no wonder I kept popping fuses. I also wonder if it didn't cause problems with the dash lights...dunno???

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Your dash lights are are not on the same circuit as the dome light but with the way your wiring is who knows.



Your dash lights should be on the same fuse as the tail lights.

If the rheostat is broke or turned all the way down the dash lights won`t work.

Does your truck Have the rheostat ?? should be on the left side of the dash

Been quite a while since I have seen one that old in person

aws720

Exactly right there in with our twilights. My taillight fuse popped when I was hooking my radio up one time a wire fell and grounded and at that movement I never realized how much ˟˟˟˟ is connected to the taillight fuse. My is a 91 so its prob different then urs but I would think by much. My taillights dash lights park lights or dome light wouldn't work off that one fuse so its very possible. Best think I could say is check all our fuses under our dash and under our hook to make sure none are bad if so just replace which ever ones but go for taillight first

muddmadness

wyoming9-That's what I thought too, I replaced the dome light fuse yesterday. It was a buger trying to find a 5 amp fuse that small but I found some in my tool box..you never know what you'll find in my toolboxes. I think my dad must have given them to me =long time ago. lol. I do have the rheostat in my dash. The other thing that happened the other day was: my alternator wires got magically wrapped around my steering armature(embarrassing in front of the brake and light guys garage). But I thought maybe it shorted some stuff out. But all of my tail lights and other stuff worked fine. I still can't find the reason for no power to my marker lights front and back. Speaking of bad wiring...I found fried wires to the front left side marker lights. not the headlight marker but the other one over the tire. I know that the markers are supposed to be wired in to the tail light fuse. (scary). when I tried to track down the ground wires to the rear marker lights I found a loose flopping ground (white with black stripe) wire and then the other was ran to my fuel gage wiring at the gas tank. Its just a nightmare wiring job. I will check and see if the dome fuse corrected the dash lights but I doubt it, if it did then we know where the wiring goes but if not I will have to keep hunting down the issue.


aws720- I have one fuse block in the cab and checked all fuses yesterday I will test the lights again today.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

The way the dash lights work is confusing .

The rheostat completes the circuit by going to ground if that is broke the dash lights will not work because the circuit is not complete.

With your luck it could be all the bulbs are burnt out.

I don`t have The EWD`s or I could tell you where the connections are.

The Bulbs could also have fallen out of the cluster.

Then from your post you don`t know if they ever worked.

muddmadness

In my determination to figure out where the wiring to my front marker lights was located I didn't test the dome light. I did find plenty other funky wiring. I found on the left side marker lights that the ground is jacked into the body ground, and other really scary looking connections. But I remember when I first brought the truck home that the left side front marker light actually did work. So I have an idea...I am going to plug the front marker light plug into the front side marker plug to see if they are crossed up. The right side marker plug that had cracked wire casing with bare wires touching the body got hot so it has power and was not plugged in so I figure maybe they had the wrong plug attached to the front markers.


I got tired before I got to the rheostat, I ran out of oomph to pull apart the dash. The dash lights did work before, they went out sometime before I got to the brake and light test, I just didn't notice because I haven't driven the truck at night recently. But you are right with my luck all my light bulbs are probably burnt out, or fallen out. Once I figured what Toyota calls the dimmer switch I found it on the wiring diagram that I have. I alsoe went online and found a simple fix for the rheostat, it permantly keeps the dash lights on bright but it might be worth a try. a short wire with two male ends placed in the female side of rheostat plug...might work right? I will check bulbs first.

aws720

Oh lord lol mine is a 91 though so it might be dofdernt then the older styles but surely to god they would be in the fue box. The truck cranks and drives right?

muddmadness

Yep My truck purrs like a kitten and cranks over every time...hasn't always been that way. My little truck was in such disrepair when I got it that it has taken me several months in Yotatech college to figure her out..lol. Sure glad I came here for help and not some where else. I had a friend come over a few minutes ago and show me where I was faulty in my diagnoses of non-working marker lights and how ground wires really work...it helps when you turn the switch on at the column...LOL Yep I felt pretty stupid for a second but totally relieved I that I don't have to rewire them too. Tomorrow I will see about fixing the Rheostat problem

Wyoming9- The plug switch was the right fix for the front markers, I will recheck the back marker lights tomorrow(using the column switch this time...so not a genius sometimes...LOL

Ruthruff123

Okay so my dashlights are out also. Tailights work and no fuses are blown...i took a testlight to the back where the lights all are and it seems to be getting power to them. none of the bulbs are burnt out. i have a feeling my dimmer switch may be bad since when i turn my lights on my clock goes dim and when i turn the knob nothing happens, but when my lights are off its bright again. Will i still be getting power to where the bulbs are even if the dimmer switch is bad? and is there a way to test it? took a test light to that also and im getting power from two of the wires that are connected and not another. also the lights around my a/c and temp control stuff wont light up either. im asuming thats connected somehow.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Just what year are you working on??

Ruthruff123

94 toyota pickup

CJM

Ground out the dimmer wiring. I stupidly grounded out a socket for a bulb once to see if I was getting power. Blew out the dimmer knob. I grounded the wiring to the metal under the dash and it worked again. DO NOT buy it from the dealer, its over 90 dollars. Find a used one.

Ruthruff123

im a dumb girl that knows nothing about cars but im trying to teach myself..i dont understand wiring to much how do i ground it?

muddmadness

you need to attach the ground wire to the metal of the body, you can solder it or get a ground connection for the end of the wire and attach with a bolt if you have a place to do that

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Your not dumb you just still have things to learn in this area .

Like all of us.

I am sure there are things you know that I have no clue about.

You will learn if you want to..

You need to get yourself a multimeter the ones with the audible continuity tester are nice but not really needed .

That way you can test voltage and resistance.

It is called a rheostat not a dimmer knob

Ruthruff123

Should I buy a new rheostat or ground it first and see if that works? I'm assuming I should ground it first?

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

Try it first nothing to lose.

Ruthruff123

Another question. How do I know which wire is the ground? I'm new to wiring.

muddmadness

One side is power and one side is ground, I use a wire tester. It is light in the handle that lights up when you have power in the wire, there is an alligator clip on a wire that comes out of the handle. Attach the clip to a solid metal surface and put the metal probe into the wire or on the metal contact point of the wire. this will tell you which side is power and which side is ground

Ruthruff123

okay so i have done the test light thing and there are two that are getting power and one that is not...so thats the ground? and when i attach that to a solid piece of metal to ground it can i just use that same wire or should i get new and completely redo it?