Topic: Gauge lights
in Forum: C3 Electrical

Ken....
I really do not understand whay you mean make sure the parking lights are on also...
I lost the dash lights on my 72 in April or May...and added it to the list
of things to "fix" this winter... All I have done this summer is to check the fuses...parking lights, Headights,directionals etc work fine as do the other interior lights... Purchased a laminated wiring diagram at Carlisle
and a dash switch under the asumption that was my problem..
Bob G.
Bob
64,72 & 98 Corvette Ragtops
76 & 79 & qa 88 ANC Corvette Coupes
Click on any image for larger view!

Moderator
Are the lights for the speedo/tach still working?
Just looking at a fuse doesn't always give a good indication of its integrity. Use an ohm-meter to check fuses, with the fuse out of the car.
If the fuse is good on both ends, and you have no panel lights, check to make sure they're all plugged in really well, and the panel has a good ground, still.
I'm going to check some stuff on the wiring diag., and I'll get back with some other info. 'Till then, use a flashlight!





I'm Baaaaaack!


Here's what the wiring diag. shows, as far as instrument panel lighting.
All of the panel lights are powered on the grey wires. The grey wires come from the fuse box, off of a 4amp fuse labled "Inst. Lmps". That fuse is fed from the headlight switch on a dark green wire from the switch, to the "Inst. Lmps" fuse, and then on to the lamps themselves. This is why the lights(parking lamps) need to be on for the inst. lamps to work. The fuse will not be "hot" if the parking lights are not on.
The grey wire you left off of the old radio is the radio light wire. It should not be a problem to leave it disconnected, as long as it is insulated.
It appears that there are two "splices" for all of the inst. lmps. One of them feeds the gauge panel, and the other goes to the speedo/tach panel. If it was a fuse/switch related problem, NONE of the lamps would work. If the speedo/tach lights work, then you have a loose connection at the gauge panel, somewhere.
I hope this helps narrow down the search!


Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"



Brian - NCM Lifetime Member
73 coupe L48, Flat-top pistons, Performer RPM Heads, Crane Cam and roller rockers, Holley 650 vac sec. Performer intake,
3.55 gear BTO 200-4R trans,
Leather seats, Seatbelt Plus 3point seatbelts, Pioneer CD player
Magnaflow Exhuast System


Moderator
.......
The "circuit breaker" is actually part of the headlight switch. This is not going to be your problem, tho.

The fuse box is held in by a bolt thru it from the engine side of the firewall. Also not going to be your problem

"Park lights" is what some people call 'running lights'. If you pull the headlight switch out to the first position, you have only the "park/running" lights on. The second position(all the way out) turns on the headlights, also.

You have a ground problem with your center gauge cluster, and that is why the lights for the gauges are not working, but the tach/speedo lights are. With the tach/speedo lights working, it means the light switch is good, as well as the fuse(s) for the inst. lights.
If you have the wiring diagram for your car, you should be able to find where the ground is for the cluster, and trace it from there. I'll look at my diagrams and see if I can give any more help with that. ("I'll be bach!"


Brian(redwingvette) is correct!! The ground for the cluster IS the same as the one for the radio. If you still have the connector for the orig. radio, it will have 3 wires. Grey, black, and yellow. The grey wire is for the light in the radio: the yellow is for power: the black is ground. It goes to a "console ground". You should have a connector on the back of the cluster with two black wires comming from it. These wires splice into the black wire from the radio, and then it goes to ground. I think you can just do what Brain said, and run a separate wire from a good grounded spot to the black wires, and be in business, if you can't locate the original ground spot. It will be under the center console, and the diagram shows two black wires connected at that spot. It is this terminal that is causing you to be "in the dark"!
Hope this makes some kind of sense!


btw....this same ground is used for the cluster ground, which explains why Brian's gauges didn't work correctly until he grounded the cluster.

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"



