No Dash Lights! Dimmer Switch Blown?

[Cutlass87 10+ year member]

Well after installing my head unit, i noticed that at night the instrument panel lights were'nt working so i checked the fuse and sure enough it was blown. I replaced it, it blew again but i noticed this time the dimmer switch for the instrument panel started smoking. I replaced the fuse again and it didn't blow but still the instrument panel lights dont light up.I checked every fuse and none of them are blown. I'm thinkin the dimmer switch is toast. If i went to the junkyard and got a dimmer swicth would that relieve the problem or will the new one blow too? Thanks Guys.

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[Matador 10+ year member]

u may have a short somewhere in ur wires

did u tape all the connections with electrical tape when u were puttin the hu?

 

[Cutlass87 10+ year member]

yea..i defintely used electrical tape on every connection and every connection is correct, ive checked a million and one times. What would the deck have to do with my cars dimmer switch though? im thinkin my dimmer switch got shorted somewhere.

 

[bizzybone1602 10+ year member]

ya i got a similar problem, i have a short somewhere after i put my deck in and yes its all taped up, but ya after i shut the car off the battery light stays on and doesnt shut off, i gotta take the car to like GM goodwrench or somethin. it never did that before so that pissed me off but its only expected the cars 20 yrs old (83 cutty).

 

[bizzybone1602 10+ year member]

ya i got a similar problem, i have a short somewhere after i put my deck in and yes its all taped up, but ya after i shut the car off the battery light stays on and doesnt shut off, i gotta take the car to like GM goodwrench or somethin. it never did that before so that pissed me off but its only expected the cars 20 yrs old (83 cutty). all the lights work, the car runs normal, and no blown fuses so i need to find out where the short is thats causing the battery light to stay on.

 

[Matador 10+ year member]

well not directly related. but there's prob some short somewhere n since u just changed ur deck that it started happenin after that, then that's prob where the problem is, or should be.

 

[CWT 10+ year member]

A lot of instument panels have a small voltage regulator attached somewhere in the power line to the insturment lights; if it goes bad, it can put out too much power and blow out the fuse, and/or insturment lights. It happend to my uncle a long time ago. In my old Ford escort, I gradually lost most of the insturment panel lights over the course of a year after installing a Kenwood HU. Never did get that diagnosed though.

Good luck with it---later.