Gear selector panel illumination (or not)

[MandM]

Hi all, I require help from a budding auto sparky. My gear selector panel light does not work, changed bulb, no luck , their's power to one side of the fitting red wire, the other side of the fitting has a black wire coming from it that is connected to a red and blue wire, which seems to go off along the transmission tunnel towards the dash. If i unplug the black wire from the red&blue and touch it on the gear lever, the bulb lights, and i can record about 8.5volts, if i re-connect it and poke the volt meter down the connector i get 3.4volts?, think this must be a bad earth, but were do i look for it?.
looking at the haynes manual, it seems to be somewhere near or to do with the cigarette lighter?. Also looking at the wiring diagram the dash light rheostat seems to effect the panel brightness but what voltage is flat out, is it 8.5volts?, as all the dash lights seem dim (but nice).
Thanks for your help in advance.

[martin]

Hi Martin, the selector light is wired much like the PDWA/oil pressure light, it's in series and will only ever glow dimly. Martin.

[MandM]

Hi Martin, the selector light is wired much like the PDWA/oil pressure light, it's in series and will only ever glow dimly. Martin.

Cheers martin, but currently no glow, so think i need to find earthing point?

[V Mad]

The earth in that circuit is at the cigar lighter. But you may have a blown cig lighter bulb which will have the same effect as a missing earth (no auto bezel lighting).

PS: The dimmer is a waste of time; to get the max volts at that circuit its best to bypass the rheostat (just remove wires and join together).

[MandM]

result

The earth in that circuit is at the cigar lighter. But you may have a blown cig lighter bulb which will have the same effect as a missing earth (no auto bezel lighting).

PS: The dimmer is a waste of time; to get the max volts at that circuit its best to bypass the rheostat (just remove wires and join together).

Found it tonight, bulb in cigar lighter ok , justed cleaned everything, had radio and heater panel out, all back now, works but dim (like the owner), but i must say you are the man, Good this forum "innit"

can you still get the ciger lighters?, will bypass rheostat later.

thanks

M&M

[KansasCityMilkman]

I'm a bit dim too - must be us Suffolk people!

[MandM]

I'm a bit dim too - must be us Suffolk people!

And they think we eat a lot of carrots out here, Right you are boy!

[Mike J]

I've put a resistor in mine as it was too bright. To be honest I woudn't be bothered if it didn't work. You know pretty much where you are from the clunking. Mike