Interior Dash Lights not Working Different to other Threads

Hey Guys first off how the hell are you all :) this site is amaaaaazing so much cool stuff on here!! can't wait to kick back and have a good read of all the info,

My Question...

The Dreaded Dark Dash haha its giving me the shits like no other!!

I've been researching for a good week now trying to resolve the issue but to no avail,

First suggestion that i read was a dead dimmer switch, off i went and removed the switch, i tried bridging the circuit but no luck I'm still in darkness, i tried a circuit tester on all three wires with the ignition on and off lights on and also off but nothing so the problem must be further back,

Next i read that when installing an after market stereo the dimmer cable for the stereo can often be wrongly connected i checked all the wires and they seem to be fine,

next i read about peoples dash lights not working and also tail lights not working, my tail lights work fine,

next stage was to remove the steering column cover, from here i tried my circuit tester on the stalk that controls the lights, everything works as it should, next was to remove the dash cluster, from here i tried my circuit tester on the loom that controls the dash lights this also seems fine, but if anyone has a wiring diagram for the loom connecting to the dash cluster id be ever so grateful to take a look,

I'm pretty stumped to what it could be and is there anything that I've missed?

oh when turning on the lights the clock in the dash does Dim

Thanks for taking the time to read my question and ill look forward to hearing from you all

OK, when this happened on my '88 B2200 my tail lights and parking lights did go out, my issue was a bad headlight switch. Yours seems to be different.

Turn the light switch to parking lights or full headlights. Use your circuit tester at that dimmer switch to see if ANY of those wires have positive voltage; if so, check for positive voltage coming out from the dimmer switch in any position. Obviously, no positive voltage coming out would then mean a bad dimmer switch ("jump" that or replace that in that instance).

I didn't read where you actually checked out your dash bulbs, like by substitution, don't over look that.

If you're NOT getting positive voltage to your dimmer switch and the tail lights do work, test that terminal on the headlight switch that goes to the dimmer wheel.

I imagine one could tap into switched-on power and go directly to dimmer wheel in a pinch, but then the dash lights would be on whenever the truck was running (you just wouldn't notice them in daylight).

It sounds like you have power all the way to the gauge cluster connector, right?
Dumb question... Have you checked the bulbs? If they're good, you have an open ground.

Cusser

i tested all three wires going to the dimmer switch and there was no positive current i tried a different earth also and still no luck, i tried this with ignition on and off and with headlights and parking lights switched on and off with no change, i tried every combination

ill test the terminal from the headlight switch to the dimmer in a few moments,


Sincitylocal

this is correct i have changeable power to the connection point to the gauge cluster, i don't exactly know which colour wire does what but from turning the headlight stalk switch from off to park and on i get a positive connection

i haven't physically tested the bulbs as i don't have a multimeter but from visual inspection they look good, is there a way to connect a wire to the dash bulbs to test if they turn on? i didn't want to dive in with that in case i blow the bulb and myself up haha

as far as an open ground where would the nearest ground be located?

also just to add on - from the connector to the headlight stalk i think i have the following all tested from a seperate earth

Red/Black - headlight
Red/White -
Red/Blue - headlight
Green/Black - Horn
Green/White -Park/side lights

many thanks guys,

I'm not sure on the ground location, but I do have a wiring diagram. It's mostly complete, just missing wiper circuits.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uzikb1ttjl71o2y/1991%20Mazda%20Wiring.pdf?dl=0

thats amazing buddy thank you so much ill have a look at it now