I put in a head unit and everything was going fine until I was putting the dash back together and the connector for the optional clock, which I do not have, sparked. One of the four wires broke off and touched another wire. I had no radio power. One fuse blew under the hood. Then I thought everything was fine till it got dark out. Now the headlights work but no gauge lights. I am not good with electrical issues. I have checked all of the fuses and can't find a problem. There is not power to the guage light bulbs but there is power to the dimmer switch. Maybee it is burned out. Also all the dash lights and shifter light is out. I'm in the dark on this one and need some help.

 

I realize this post is old, but it may help someone who comes across it in the future. It sounds as though your electrical problem is your dimmer switch. The dimmer switch actually consists of a switch, resistors, transistor, and capacitors. This type of electronics can be damaged pretty easily. You can bypass the switch temporarily until you get a replacement by jumping the white w/black stripe wire to the red w/ blue stripe wire. The green w/red stripe wire is not necessary for the dash lights to illuminate. Hope this helps someone!

 

Hi thanks. I will try this. Awhile ago I found a switch in the junk yard from a geo prism that look exactly the same and it did not work but I will still try this. If it does not work I am looking into those reverse glow gauges.

 

There is also two relays right above the brake pedal for lighting.

 

In what year vehicles are we talking about? I'm having the same issue but from a different cause.

 

presume it to be your generation Runner/truck-look for these relays mentioned. bypass your dimmer switch and let's give that a try...

 

It sounds like you have shorted out your cluster....a new one will fix it.

 

this is why you should always unhook your batteries when you do anything with electric! but sounds like a fuse or relay to me

 

Then your ears are blocked...

You should also notice your A/C indicator light, your CIG lighter illumination light should also be out. All these including the clock (where your problem started) are on the same circuit with the illumination lights on the dash. They receive power from the tail light relay.

Check your TAIL fuse and tail light relay for interest sakes, but It doesn't take much to destroy the fine circuit board on the instrument cluster.

 

You are a genius. I've been having the same problem but didn't realize that the dimmer switch did so much. Needless to say, I didn't have the thing plugged in so my lights wouldn't come on. Imagine that.

Thank you so much for this post.

 

airkewld4life-you mean the circuit board was just fine and you have gauge lights again?

maybe I am mixing threads/posts.

 

No, the circuit board was ruined on the old one but when I got the new one and plugged it in it didn't work either until I figured out that I had to have the dimmer switch plugged in. After I realized that I tried the old cluster just to see and it still wouldn't work. All is well now.

 

thanks for the clear up airkewld4life.

I've learned a few things along the way and hope some others have too.

 

I've learned a lot of things. Most the time its the hard way, such as this case

 

Hi, been off for awhile. I have given up on the lights. The a/c light still works but the guage lights and the lights around the heater controls are all out. I will check the relays. Right now I am doing the head gasket.