Dash lights, y u no work?

Dash lights don't work. I bypassed the dimmer by cutting off the plug and twisting and taping the wires. It worked. Now it doesn't. Fuses are good. All the plugs I can see are connected. What do you think is the problem? [before I rip out the dash]


ps, My napa tail lights are also terribly dim, even after cleaning and scraping grounds to bare metal..

You have a bad combination switch (the headlight/parking light switch on the column. You can take it off and pull the switch off and clean the contact points inside. You can read all about it here

It's a little easier to read without the highlighted words.

Thanks very much. Just to clarify because I mentioned two problems, you think this will fix the dash bulbs? And you're sure? [It looked a little intimidating to a noob] Or will this fix the dim tail lights too? I don't think it's safe or legal to drive with this dim of tail lights, but I have to =/

Gonna check the voltage of the tail light wires before and after my tail light converter. I bet that's the problem with that.


Edit: Maybe I need an upgraded flasher for my dim tail lights? Look what I found

"Q: When my trailer is connected to my vehicle the turn signals are dim and flashing rapidly. What causes this?
A: When you add trailer lights to a vehicle system, the turn signal amp load basically doubles. Most vehicles have a flasher that controls the blink of a turn signal. The standard flasher provided in many vehicles will not handle this extra load. You should replace your flasher with a heavy duty flasher (8 to 10 amp) and make sure the vehicle engine is running. The flasher will slow down your turn signals and a running engine will increase the brightness of the lamps."

On the dimmer side of the equation - dimmers do go bad. But since you said you bypassed it, said it worked, and then stopped working, then it almost certainly is a problem with the combination switch since that's where the dimmer gets it power from. (Is your "twisting and taping" job still secure?) There are other possible explanations (you blew all the bulbs at the same time, they all have bad grounds) but they are extremely unlikely.

"Tail Lights"
As for the tail light / turn signals - you said in your first post "Napa Tail Lights." You made no mention of fast blinking turn signals or trailer lights being hooked up. I just assumed you had replaced the bulbs or housings with units from NAPA.

When you turn on the parking and/or tail lights (not the blinkers), are the tail lights dim?
If so, then that would probably lead back to the combination switch as I mentioned above.

"Turn Signals"
If your turn signals are dim (with or without trailer lights connected), then that is another problem. It could be in the turn signal portion of the combination switch.

I don't remember having the blinkers blink fast with a trailer connected. Not saying it can't happen, it's just never happened to me. However, if a regular turn signal bulb (on the truck) is burned out, it will blink fast because the load is too low - i.e. with the left blinker turned on, your truck is only powering the front turn signal because the rear turn signal bulb is burned out.

One simple test you can run is to see how they perform using the "hazard" positions. When you do that, you are using different contacts inside the combination switch than when you use the turn signal. If you turn on the hazard lights and all four (or 6 if you have a trailer connected) operated normally, then that would point back to the turn signal portion of the combination switch. Also, does it behave the same using left or right turn signal?

One last thought on turn signal is that if you have replaced your turn signal bulbs with LED bulbs, that can cause the flasher to blink to fast if you haven't wired in special load resistors. Some LED may have a high enough load (low enough resistance) that the load resistors aren't required. Some on these forums used LEDs without them - but other have had to use them. It most likely depends on the type and brand of LED you use.

So is your problem the tail lights, or the turn signals? With or without the trailer connected?

If taillights and turn signals are dim, I'd check the grounds connections.

Agree, his post is difficult to read and follow, why I skipped it.

Thank you all so much for the help! Forgive me, that was my best attempt at simply explaining this. I trust the dash light issue is the combo switch so that is taken care of for now, then I mentioned the other problem, thinking they might be related.

I have:
- Tail light/trailer light converter
- Two double filament, [non led] bulbs, in total
- Tail/turn/reverse/stop/running are all totally dim and blinking fast.

I got the grounds nice and shiny, and it is now grounded before and after the tail light converter. When the engine is running, it seems to be a little brighter, but still terrible. All three auto stores couldn't figure out a flasher that would work, because it has 4 prongs. But I just realized the plug only uses 3 prongs. Gonna try a universal 3 prong towing flasher and report back with voltage test.

I wonder if anyone else has installed a tail light converter and needed a heavy duty towing flasher.. I'll have to do a write up when I figure it out. Thanks for the help so much guys. I need this truck to move out asap but I also can't get the thing impounded or catch a ticket.


Edit:

So I've got a theory: the whole thing is just badly grounded.
And a plan: carefully use one prong of a 20 amp extension cord to connect the negative terminal of the battery to the end of the tail light converter ground wire. I suppose if it completes the circuit with not so much resistance it will be brighter?
Maybe check for voltage drop to ground with a multimeter?

It's a 30 year old truck that has also been through a terrible spree of the battery touching the hood, by the way, which burned the crap out of a certain wire more than a few times, and my vent air works if i'm lucky, now.
I'm gonna ground the shit out of this thing. Oh and I'm getting a 3 prong universal heavy duty towing flasher tomorrow, which might help too.