I am new to the board and just bought a low mile clean 1990 SR5 4Runner 5 speed as a winter vehicle and tow rig for my car. Upon driving it home, I noticed that the lights for the tach/speedo/fuel/oil are not working. The rest of the interior lights are functioning and the guages DO work, just not lit. All fuses appear to be fine.

Does anyone know where I should look first to remedy this problem?

I will probably have to tear the whole dash apart anyway to install the new tunes, but am just curious if anyone else has run into this dark situation?

Thanks in advance.

 

hey I"m guessin by ur location ur in Detroit??

It'd be cool if you wanna meet up or somethin. I'm in Ann Arbor

Btw, it's probably just ur bulbs burnt out.

 

Or a bad rheostat (dimmer control). Make sure it's plugged in...

 

long ago when i had my volvo, i didnt know cars had dimmer switches. there was this nob thing that was (un marked) that id turn for fun and didnt know what it did. i always turned it back to the original position, but one time i didnt.

at night i turned on my headlights, and no gauge lights! ACK! i drove like that for a long time, and i took it to my mechanic once and he told me about the dimmer switch!:pat:

 

could be a loose wire. i have one on both my trucks. my speedo was real dim when i first bought the blazer, i hit a pothole, and it was fine. i went back and just electrical taped everything. the toyota, when they go out, i just smack the dash, and they come back on. look behind for any random wires, or any that are not fully connected.

 

Yeah, I have been "exploring" under the dash and what a mess. I did some prelim house cleaning removing an alarm and the GOBS of wiring needed for the 1991 old timer alarm the origional owner had installed and in the process knocked out ALL the dash lights...DOH!
So it looks like I will be buying a HELMS manual to see just how much rewiring I have to do. And all of this stemmed from a crappy stereo install be the previous owner...
WHile I have the dash apart I will check the dimmer, although I have smacked the dash several times and nothing..

Strange, since all the engine idiot lights/cruise still work, rear defogger light and switch still work and hazards still work...

 

I've done this on both my Celica I had and my Runner. If the dimmer wire isn't plugged in, the dash lights don't work. It's easy to forget when reassambling the lower part of the dash. If the dimmer is plugged in, it might be bad. Unplug it and just jump a wire from one terminal to the other on the dimmer control plug (bypassing the dimmer)

Good Luck