No dash lights

kiwi

kiwi

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2021
Messages
518
Location
Seattle
Been chasing this problem for about a year. Every couple months all my interior lights go out. No gauge lights, Hvac lights, dome light, or any of the gauges themselves work either. No speedo, no fuel gauge, etc.

The headlights still work, the indicator lights on the gauge still work, the cig lighter works, the radio works

This will happen every couple months and then fix itself within a few weeks

I’ve checked the fuses, cleaned the gauge connections, and cleaned the ground in the footwell

What’s the next ideas?
 
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max von sydow priest GIF
 
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kiwi said:
Been chasing this problem for about a year. Every couple months all my interior lights go out. No gauge lights, Hvac lights, dome light, or any of the gauges themselves work either. No speedo, no fuel gauge, etc.

The headlights still work, the indicator lights on the gauge still work, the cig lighter works, the radio works

This will happen every couple months and then fix itself within a few weeks

I’ve checked the fuses, cleaned the gauge connections, and cleaned the ground in the footwell

What’s the next ideas?
Click to expand...

Similar thing happened to me a few years ago my interior lights would go out for a split second ...my guages would spike ..headlights and radio stayed on it did it about 8 or 9 times on my way to work (20 miles)... I cleaned as many ground wires as I could find and put a new coil pack on....not sure what fixed it.. ..(probably ground wires).....but it went away
 
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There are ground wires that are bundled at each lower speaker retaining screw and beneath the dash panel in each foot well.
Check ALL of these ground wires for oxidized or lose connection.
 
CharlesHS said:
There are ground wires that are bundled at each lower speaker retaining screw and beneath the dash panel in each foot well.
Check ALL of these ground wires for oxidized or lose connection.
Click to expand...

Believe it or not the one I found to be the rustiest was the one in the middle of the firewall up high underneath the wiring harness
 
gatertamer said:
Similar thing happened to me a few years ago my interior lights would go out for a split second ...my guages would spike ..headlights and radio stayed on it did it about 8 or 9 times on my way to work (20 miles)... I cleaned as many ground wires as I could find and put a new coil pack on....not sure what fixed it.. ..(probably ground wires).....but it went away
Click to expand...

99% of the time, its a loose/corroded connection or ground
 
Took some things out to look for grounds and saw this one..

But this is the stock radio ground correct? Not anything for the dash
EC38E2E0-4B46-419F-AC24-DE727DA80B78.jpeg


Should i ground it to anything? It was just loosely in there
 
CharlesHS said:
There are ground wires that are bundled at each lower speaker retaining screw and beneath the dash panel in each foot well.
Check ALL of these ground wires for oxidized or lose connection.
Click to expand...

Cleaned all of those and still nothing. I couldn’t see any other grounds anywhere
 
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Problem solved..
I double checked all the fuses, nothing was blown, but i decided to take the 10amp accessory fuse out of the engine fuse block and swap it with a known working fuse.
That solved the issue, but it wasn’t the fuse that was blown, i think it was the connections on the fuse were dirty, so by taking it out and putting it back in, it got some fresh contact points. We’ll see how long it lasts
 
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kiwi said:
Problem solved..
I double checked all the fuses, nothing was blown, but i decided to take the 10amp accessory fuse out of the engine fuse block and swap it with a known working fuse.
That solved the issue, but it wasn’t the fuse that was blown, i think it was the connections on the fuse were dirty, so by taking it out and putting it back in, it got some fresh contact points. We’ll see how long it lasts
Click to expand...


During a trip to the Philippines in 2016 I purchased a 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser which had a lot of electrical gremlins.
Spent a lot of hours troubleshooting the problems and found many were due to oxidized electrical connector terminals and fuse blades.
I replaced the all fuses and cleaned the terminals with scotch bright and Deoxit .
 
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Well it lasted all of 5 min. Now it won’t work no matter how many times i jiggle the fuse

Took apart the whole fuse box and couldn’t see any loose wiring or anything. Not sure what to do now
 
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CharlesHS said:
During a trip to the Philippines in 2016 I purchased a 1993 Toyota Land Cruiser which had a lot of electrical gremlins.
Spent a lot of hours troubleshooting the problems and found many were due to oxidized electrical connector terminals and fuse blades.
I replaced the all fuses and cleaned the terminals with scotch bright and Deoxit .
Click to expand...

THIS
Is EXACTLY why its often easier to gut and replace the entire harness and start fresh. Tracing electrical gremlins can be EXTREMELY infuriating esp if u get left stranded a few times.

American autowire
Painless wiring

Just 2 of the better brands out there to look jnto
All ya need is a giant color schematic , laminate it, and goto town
 
Remember this vehicle is in the PI and access to items like you are referring to are not always available and IF they; you WILL be waiting a long time and WILL pay import duties.
Generally while I am stateside I order the parts I need and ship them over or include them in my luggage for the trip back to the PI.
 
CharlesHS said:
There are ground wires that are bundled at each lower speaker retaining screw and beneath the dash panel in each foot well.
Check ALL of these ground wires for oxidized or lose connection.
Click to expand...

Is there a picture of video anywhere of where these grounds are located? I am trying to trouble shoot my dash lights not working. I just changed the multifunction switch (didn't fix the light issue but fixed the light indicator staying on).
 
kiwi said:
Well it lasted all of 5 min. Now it won’t work no matter how many times i jiggle the fuse

Took apart the whole fuse box and couldn’t see any loose wiring or anything. Not sure what to do now
Click to expand...

I'm not sure how this would impact your problem, but the tail lights are on the same circuit as the dash lights. I had a bare wire on the hitch wiring that was shorting out and blowing the fuse. I thought I had just lost the interior lights until someone pulled up beside me and told me I had no tail lights. Brake lights worked as they are on a separate circuit.

I would check out the tail light and any trailer wiring for issues.
 
Smokngun said:
Is there a picture of video anywhere of where these grounds are located? I am trying to trouble shoot my dash lights not working. I just changed the multifunction switch (didn't fix the light issue but fixed the light indicator staying on).
Click to expand...

Here is the one on driver side…if you’re in the driver’s seat move your left foot over to the kick panel and look above your toe…Same on other side

IMG_0172.jpeg
 
JKP said:
I'm not sure how this would impact your problem, but the tail lights are on the same circuit as the dash lights. I had a bare wire on the hitch wiring that was shorting out and blowing the fuse. I thought I had just lost the interior lights until someone pulled up beside me and told me I had no tail lights. Brake lights worked as they are on a separate circuit.

I would check out the tail light and any trailer wiring for issues.
Click to expand...

I have working tail lights
 
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