Dashboard light woes

[Stimpy]

There were several electrical issues on my Stag (mkII) which were solved by a highly recommended motor electrician - which was great.

Then along came the darkness (nightfall, not the band) and I switch my lights on - and externally they're ok but internally all is black!!!

I've brought the dash cluster forward so I can see behind it and it looks like a pink and white light carries that 'signal' but how do I get to the bit that is stopping the lights?
Obviously it's not one single gauge but the cable gets lost in a black enwrapped loom that disappears.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Steve

[mallardstag]

Hi Steve,

If your left-hand tail lamp and front left side light are also not working then check fuse 7-8 and the connections at the back of the fuseholder. If they are working are you sure that you have the panel light dimmer turned up? If yes to both of the above then check for 12V at the red/black wire on the rear of the panel dimmer. If you have 12V at the panel dimmer then try connecting together the two connectors on the dimmer - if thi works then you need a new dimmer rheostat or you could just bypass the dimmer rheostat completely.

Simon

[Stimpy]

STOP!!! It's ok. It was a lowly fuse.
Still, had a look behind the dash etc - learn a bit more.

mallardstag: you got it right in the first few words!! Award yourself a iBeer. You get hold of a token called a 'five pound note' and then it can be exchanged for beer in most pubs. :-)

[mallardstag]

Steve,

Many thanks for the iBeer. SWMBO has run off with all the tokens at the moment! Looking forward to spending it this weekend.

If the fuse blows again you have a short-circuit somewhere - probably a frayed wire. Glad to be of help.

Simon

[Stimpy]

Steve,

Many thanks for the iBeer. SWMBO has run off with all the tokens at the moment! Looking forward to spending it this weekend.

If the fuse blows again you have a short-circuit somewhere - probably a frayed wire. Glad to be of help.

Simon

Hey, my wire is NOT scared! It's totally settled indeed.
(think about it!!!!!)

[Stimpy]

Spoke too soon (albeit with a terrible 'joke').

The replacement of the fuse worked for a while - then the thing blew again tonight.

Symptoms

- no dash lights
- the right hand rear red has stopped
- the front lights have stopped, on the right.


So -
nothing to do with bulbs - unless it's the worlds most bizarre coincidence!
Tried replacing the fuse an burnt my finger (although while it was burning me the RH lights *DID* come on but the lights in a dim state and the working side
Looked but going dimmer. Bad.

So now I have LHS lights issues - plus the bleedin' dash lights

Any other clues? They'll be gratefully appreciated !
Stebe

[mallardstag]

Steve,

Is your car MK1 or MK2 (I.e. do you have a 'Park' position on the master light switch)?

Simon

[Stimpy]

i have a mark-2 (and a burnt finger)

Did the MKII cars have this feature and if so where is it (never heard of i before)

cheers

[DJT]

i have a mark-2 (and a burnt finger)

Did the MKII cars have this feature and if so where is it (never heard of i before)

cheers

Mk1 cars had a master light switch with another position. This was anti-clockwise from the OFF position and switched on the offside (UK) sidelights for parking on the road after dark. Many modern cars have a similar feature in that if you leave the indicators switched on with the ignition off, the sidelights illuminate on that side.

[Ian928]

We have a Mk2 (I think?) but with the extra park position on the switch! Maybe the switch was changed?

[Stimpy]

Mine definitely does not have a park position. In fact mine is -half sidelight - half main lights !!!

[Stimpy]

To Ian928 - do 'continental' (ie European) stags have just kph on the dash or do you half to squint to see the kph round the inner circle?

[Ian928]

To Ian928 - do 'continental' (ie European) stags have just kph on the dash or do you half to squint to see the kph round the inner circle?

I do not know, I have never seen a European Stag that close... Our USA Stag has the small kph speedo.

[Marco Polo]

My sons and my Stag both have only Kmph speedos. They are both 1977 cars. I have seen some early Australian market Stags with both markings.
Cheers,
Raoul

[Stimpy]

Ah ok - yes I can imagine Australia using kph - they forced Australians to not use Imperial at all (even making 12" rulers were illegal if it had inches on it (even mixed ones). God knows how their govt got away with it (Authoritarian govt in the 20th century - I believe certain countries did the same thing about the late 1930's [ahem].

Anyhow - back on topic..

Front right side light left rear light, dashboard light - all gone.

Fuse keeps burning every time I reseated things and jiggled it about - (if you get my meaning).

I was rather stupid too the glass remained cold but the ends were red hot - two or three fuses got thrown about due to sizzling my finger + the reaction I did!

I''m trying to work the leads back but - of course - they all get clustered up into a loom with black tape.

Any ideas (especially refarding my poor finger!!)

Cheers