D1 Dash Lighting Gremlins!
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 11:23 am
Hello everyone. Maybe there's someone here who can help me out with a quick fix, or at least steer me in the right direction before I start pulling the wrong part of the dash apart...
My '98 D1 has no dashboard/button lights with the exception of the instrument binnacle and window controls (see attachment). These two groups of bulbs are on separate circuits according to RAVE. The dimmer wheel works fine, but none of those other buttons or controls are illuminated. I've checked for burned out bulbs and found a couple, but there's no way that every single button is burned out. (is there?) To confirm that, I checked voltage at the bulb socket of the climate controls (bulb was burned out) and got a fluttering 0.3-0.7v when the lights were switched to full on, so basically nothing.
I've checked fuses and grounding point (E201 in the footwell below the steering wheel is what RAVE says these lights ground to) but is there anything else I should check? Will it be worth pulling apart the binnacle to access the dimmer wheel (I also have one burned out speedo bulb, so it has to be done at some point)? It seems to be working fine to control the lights that DO work; is it common that the connections there get loose? RAVE says the dash lights are wired up to the dimmer wheel.
It may be worth mentioning that the ARB locker and Compressor switches have been wired in to the dash lights circuit and are also working fine like the binnacle gauges. Also, the glove box light doesn't work but that branches off the lighting circuit before the dimmer wheel, and it isn't blowing any fuses like it can do sometimes.
Any help is appreciated!
Edit: I've read in several places that the headlight/turn signal stalk can be the cause of dash lights shorting out. However, I'm a bit apprehensive to take it apart and possibly damage something because it feels like it works fine, and I am not having any issues with tail lights or a fussy switch. As noted above, the lights in the binnacle come on just fine as well as the aux switch lights for the ARB.
My '98 D1 has no dashboard/button lights with the exception of the instrument binnacle and window controls (see attachment). These two groups of bulbs are on separate circuits according to RAVE. The dimmer wheel works fine, but none of those other buttons or controls are illuminated. I've checked for burned out bulbs and found a couple, but there's no way that every single button is burned out. (is there?) To confirm that, I checked voltage at the bulb socket of the climate controls (bulb was burned out) and got a fluttering 0.3-0.7v when the lights were switched to full on, so basically nothing.
I've checked fuses and grounding point (E201 in the footwell below the steering wheel is what RAVE says these lights ground to) but is there anything else I should check? Will it be worth pulling apart the binnacle to access the dimmer wheel (I also have one burned out speedo bulb, so it has to be done at some point)? It seems to be working fine to control the lights that DO work; is it common that the connections there get loose? RAVE says the dash lights are wired up to the dimmer wheel.
It may be worth mentioning that the ARB locker and Compressor switches have been wired in to the dash lights circuit and are also working fine like the binnacle gauges. Also, the glove box light doesn't work but that branches off the lighting circuit before the dimmer wheel, and it isn't blowing any fuses like it can do sometimes.
Any help is appreciated!
Edit: I've read in several places that the headlight/turn signal stalk can be the cause of dash lights shorting out. However, I'm a bit apprehensive to take it apart and possibly damage something because it feels like it works fine, and I am not having any issues with tail lights or a fussy switch. As noted above, the lights in the binnacle come on just fine as well as the aux switch lights for the ARB.