Dash lights go off when I turn on parking/headlights

[GNDreamCar]

When I turn on the parking/headlights all my dash lights go out even the radio lights go out. I can turn the dome light like normal, dimmer switch has no effect on the situation at all. The blinker indicators work when turned on. When I turn off the headlights I get my tach/boost indicator lights back. :albert: Any suggestions :fragez:

[DCEPTCN]

When I turn on the parking/headlights all my dash lights go out even the radio lights go out. I can turn the dome light like normal, dimmer switch has no effect on the situation at all. The blinker indicators work when turned on. When I turn off the headlights I get my tach/boost indicator lights back. :albert: Any suggestions :fragez:Of course, one has to assume you gone through the whole fuse box, right? Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I've had some pretty spooky crap turn out to be a lousy fuse. Don't forget that you have to hire a midget to check way under there for you, because sitting in the driver's seat upside-down is less than amusing.

[HairDrier]

Either one of your parking/headlights has a bad wire that is grounding out, or the wires to the switch are grounding out. You should pop the dash off and take a look. Just gently pop it out one corner at a time and it will come right off. You might be able to see it from underneath also

[1badTTA]

Either one of your parking/headlights has a bad wire that is grounding out, or the wires to the switch are grounding out. You should pop the dash off and take a look. Just gently pop it out one corner at a time and it will come right off. You might be able to see it from underneath also
I think you are right, it does sound like a bad ground. Might want to check all the grounds on the car including battery to body and engine to body too. Little bit different situation, but my truck would only run with the clutch out, push it in and it would die. Turned out to be the battery to body ground strap.

My next suggestion would be another headlight switch.

When you say all hte dash lights go out when you turn on the lights, how did you get them t ocome on with the lights off :fragez: :albert:

[GNDreamCar]

I think you are right, it does sound like a bad ground. Might want to check all the grounds on the car including battery to body and engine to body too. Little bit different situation, but my truck would only run with the clutch out, push it in and it would die. Turned out to be the battery to body ground strap.

My next suggestion would be another headlight switch.

When you say all hte dash lights go out when you turn on the lights, how did you get them t ocome on with the lights off :fragez: :albert:

Good point, I should have said that the dash lights will not come on when I turn on the parking/headlights. As soon as I flip the switch the RPM/Boost lights go out and so does the radio, but the radio still works just not illuminated when I turn off the headlights everything works as advertised.. I just cant get the dashlights to work :banghead:

[aminga]

Good point, I should have said that the dash lights will not come on when I turn on the parking/headlights. As soon as I flip the switch the RPM/Boost lights go out and so does the radio, but the radio still works just not illuminated when I turn off the headlights everything works as advertised.. I just cant get the dashlights to work :banghead:
Do you get a headlight on warning chime with the engine off?

Check to see that the dash light brightness adjustment isn't turned all the way down. The roller is to the right of the headlight switch. Turning all the way down will kill the dash lights, radio lights, warning chimes and boost/tach.

Alan.

[jademonkeystang]

I've had the exact same thing happen on my car twice. Both times I've been able to fix it by changing the instrument panel fuse. It's in the very top middle of the fuse box, red I believe, and of course a pain in the ass to get to.

When I get to see the car again this summer I just need to figure out why the fuse burns out. I don't get to drive the car all that often and it's odd that I would lose 2 fuses so I'm thinking I've got a short/bad ground somewhere. I'd bet your problem is the fuse but if you fix it and it happens again you'll probalby need to go hunting to find out why the fuse is blowing. Hope this helps.

-Jade

[1badTTA]

I've had the exact same thing happen on my car twice. Both times I've been able to fix it by changing the instrument panel fuse. It's in the very top middle of the fuse box, red I believe, and of course a pain in the ass to get to.

When I get to see the car again this summer I just need to figure out why the fuse burns out. I don't get to drive the car all that often and it's odd that I would lose 2 fuses so I'm thinking I've got a short/bad ground somewhere. I'd bet your problem is the fuse but if you fix it and it happens again you'll probalby need to go hunting to find out why the fuse is blowing. Hope this helps.

-Jade
If it is only an intermittent problem (doesn't happen very often) and you don't feel like chasing it down, I have a solution for you :deal:

They sell circuit breakers that fit into the blade style fuse holders that will automatically reset after about 2-4 seconds if the temporary short or problem is gone. I have one for my parking lights since I was doing some backroad testing one night and when I would build enough boost on the brakes to activate the volt booster, it would pop the fuse every time. Replaced it with a CB and now it just resets itself in about 2 seconds. :rock:

[jademonkeystang]

If it is only an intermittent problem (doesn't happen very often) and you don't feel like chasing it down, I have a solution for you :deal:

They sell circuit breakers that fit into the blade style fuse holders that will automatically reset after about 2-4 seconds if the temporary short or problem is gone. I have one for my parking lights since I was doing some backroad testing one night and when I would build enough boost on the brakes to activate the volt booster, it would pop the fuse every time. Replaced it with a CB and now it just resets itself in about 2 seconds. :rock:

Thanks for the tip, I'll probably try that out when I get back home. Eventually I'd like to find the time to do it right, but I doubt that will be anytime soon.

-Jade

[tazinhawaii]

My car had the exact same problem when I bought it years ago. Mine was due to the light socket for the shifter indicator broke off and the + wire was grounded on a piece of metal. This caused the dimmer switch to fry itself (the idiot who owned the car before me put 30 amp fuses in the circuit). Good luck in finding your electrical gremlin though.

Derrick