Dash lights are out |
|
Porsche, and the Porsche crest are registered trademarks of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.
This site is not affiliated with Porsche in any way. Its only purpose is to provide an online forum for car enthusiasts. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. |
|
Dash lights are out |
Geezer914 |
Oct 18 2024, 09:46 AM
Post
#1
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Dash lights are out, converted to LED bulbs. Fuse or restart? If the reostat is not working is the a way to wire the dash lights to bypass the reoatat. Car is 1975 with the late headlight switch.
|
VaccaRabite |
Oct 18 2024, 09:50 AM
Post
#2
|
En Garde! Group: Admin Posts: 13,571 Joined: 15-December 03 From: Dallastown, PA Member No.: 1,435 Region Association: MidAtlantic Region |
Turn the headlight knob. The LEDs (at least the ones I installed) are either on or off. There is no dimmer with them.
So try turning the knob and see if they turn on. Zach |
Spoke |
Oct 18 2024, 10:10 AM
Post
#3
|
Jerry Group: Members Posts: 7,076 Joined: 29-October 04 From: Allentown, PA Member No.: 3,031 Region Association: None |
If you've changed every bulb to LED, try changing one back and see if it lights up. Like Zach said, the dimmer doesn't work with LEDs and will only go on-off as the knob is rotated.
|
davep |
Oct 18 2024, 11:10 AM
Post
#4
|
914 Historian Group: Benefactors Posts: 5,208 Joined: 13-October 03 From: Burford, ON, N0E 1A0 Member No.: 1,244 Region Association: Canada |
LED's are diodes, so they are polarity sensitive unlike filament bulbs. Try a test with a battery to see if the bulb case is ground.
I hope you did NOT change the alternator light bulb; that is one filament bulb that you CANNOT change. |
Geezer914 |
Oct 18 2024, 11:15 AM
Post
#5
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Alternator bulb was not changed. LED lights were changed last year and worked up till now. Got in the car this morning just before dawn and no dash lights. Headlights and parking lights ok. Turned the knob and no luck. Tried it a few times. Is there a fuse I can check before I pull the switch and is there a way to bypass the rheostat? Searched and one person said he hooked up the gauge lights to the parking lights on the switch but did not say how. So when the parking lights get switched on the gauge lights work.
|
Geezer914 |
Oct 19 2024, 06:12 PM
Post
#6
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Replaced headlight switch with a spare and still no dash lights! Checked the fuses, all good. Where to go from here? Replaced all the gauge lights with LED bulbs except the alternator light last year. Got in the car yesterday morning and headlton but no gauge lights.
|
Spoke |
Oct 19 2024, 10:50 PM
Post
#7
|
Jerry Group: Members Posts: 7,076 Joined: 29-October 04 From: Allentown, PA Member No.: 3,031 Region Association: None |
Sorry can't give a single 'check this' item for you.
My troubleshooting for this is quite basic. Follow the wires from the battery to the bulbs using your schematics. Follow the voltage. Start at the battery and follow your schematic to the headlight switch then to the bulbs. The voltage starts at the battery and fails to make it to the dash bulbs. Find where the voltage stops. '74 914 Schematic |
Geezer914 |
Oct 20 2024, 10:13 AM
Post
#8
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Tested the new headlight switch. Parking lights and headlights work. Rheostat works. When I turn on the headlights, the fuse blows, so I have a short somewhere.
|
76-914 |
Oct 20 2024, 10:27 AM
Post
#9
|
Repeat Offender & Resident Subaru Antagonist Group: Members Posts: 13,618 Joined: 23-January 09 From: Temecula, CA Member No.: 9,964 Region Association: Southern California |
Tested the new headlight switch. Parking lights and headlights work. Rheostat works. When I turn on the headlights, the fuse blows, so I have a short somewhere. Maybe ID which circuit by pulling away one connection at a time from the light switch. I've read about some LED brands that fit quiet loosely and can short out if not centered in the socket. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) |
Dave_Darling |
Oct 20 2024, 07:15 PM
Post
#10
|
914 Idiot Group: Members Posts: 15,051 Joined: 9-January 03 From: Silicon Valley / Kailua-Kona Member No.: 121 Region Association: Northern California |
Has anyone messed with your rear bumper lately?
If you swap the connections on the license plate light, it will pop the fuse that lights the gauges. ... Not that it took me two weeks of hunting to figure that out or anything... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) --DD |
Geezer914 |
Oct 21 2024, 02:49 PM
Post
#11
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
How would the license plate lights effect the dash lights? The license plate lights are the grey wire on the headlight switch 56k . All the dash lights are connected to the rheostat 58a, multiple black wires with a black/ blue stripe wire.
|
barefoot |
Oct 21 2024, 03:57 PM
Post
#12
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,325 Joined: 19-March 13 From: Charleston SC Member No.: 15,673 Region Association: South East States |
If you've changed every bulb to LED, try changing one back and see if it lights up. Like Zach said, the dimmer doesn't work with LEDs and will only go on-off as the knob is rotated. My LED instrument illumination bulbs are dimmable. Think i got them on Amazon. 2 types for different bulb holders, sorry one in each image. |
87m491 |
Oct 22 2024, 06:55 AM
Post
#13
|
Member Group: Members Posts: 307 Joined: 29-July 12 From: Portland, the original! Member No.: 14,731 Region Association: North East States |
If you've changed every bulb to LED, try changing one back and see if it lights up. Like Zach said, the dimmer doesn't work with LEDs and will only go on-off as the knob is rotated. True a few years back, but there are dimmable LEDs out there now and I have some in my 914. |
Geezer914 |
Oct 22 2024, 12:05 PM
Post
#14
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
When I turn on the lights, #7 fuse blows. So it's not about dimming, there is a short somewhere. The LED's have worked fine since I installed them last year. All of a sudden,I am blowing fuses. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)
|
Superhawk996 |
Oct 22 2024, 12:22 PM
Post
#15
|
914 Guru Group: Members Posts: 6,492 Joined: 25-August 18 From: Woods of N. Idaho Member No.: 22,428 Region Association: Galt's Gulch |
How would the license plate lights effect the dash lights? The license plate lights are the grey wire on the headlight switch 56k . All the dash lights are connected to the rheostat 58a, multiple black wires with a black/ blue stripe wire. Schematic will answer that question. If you don’t know how to read the schematic, I’ll post instructions on how to read it. FWIW - I’m not a fan of the current flow diagrams so I get it if you’re not familiar with how to read them. |
Geezer914 |
Oct 22 2024, 04:54 PM
Post
#16
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
All the dash lights have a black/ blue stripe and a black wire going to the light socket. I will have to separate the multiple wires on the one side of the headlight switch rheostat. Then check continuity of each wire from the gauge lights to the switch. Should I use a test light or ohm meter?
|
Geezer914 |
Oct 23 2024, 01:28 PM
Post
#17
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
Separated the 4 wires on post 58a on the headlight switch (75 914). One wire is black/purple stripe that connects all the dash lights. There are 3 black/blue wires, where do they connect too? Since they are on a dimmer do they connect to the hazard switch, fog light switch, and ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) The wires to the dash lights checked out, so I am assuming one of the black/blue stripe wires has the short that trips the fuse.
|
Literati914 |
Oct 23 2024, 01:55 PM
Post
#18
|
Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1,695 Joined: 16-November 06 From: Dallas, TX Member No.: 7,222 Region Association: Southwest Region |
Separated the 4 wires on post 58a on the headlight switch (75 914). One wire is black/purple stripe that connects all the dash lights. There are 3 black/blue wires, where do they connect too? Since they are on a dimmer do they connect to the hazard switch, fog light switch, and ? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif) The wires to the dash lights checked out, so I am assuming one of the black/blue stripe wires has the short that trips the fuse. Not sure on the '74.. but on my '72 the Bk/Bl wire was the dash illumination circuit. Maybe the wrong wire was hooked up when you switched over to the LEDs? I think BK/Pu powers the tach |
Geezer914 |
Oct 23 2024, 03:59 PM
Post
#19
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
The black/purple stripe wire was together with the black/blue stripe wires. I never touched the wires. Anyone have pictures of their headlight switch with the wires connected?
|
Geezer914 |
Oct 23 2024, 07:58 PM
Post
#20
|
Geezer914 Group: Members Posts: 1,742 Joined: 18-March 09 From: Salem, NJ Member No.: 10,179 Region Association: North East States |
How would the license plate lights effect the dash lights? The license plate lights are the grey wire on the headlight switch 56k . All the dash lights are connected to the rheostat 58a, multiple black wires with a black/ blue stripe wire. Schematic will answer that question. If you don’t know how to read the schematic, I’ll post instructions on how to read it. FWIW - I’m not a fan of the current flow diagrams so I get it if you’re not familiar with how to read them. The schematic shows 2 black/blue stripe wires at 56a but I have 4??? |
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 28th October 2024 - 02:48 AM |
All rights reserved 914World.com © since 2002 |
914World.com is the fastest growing online 914 community! We have it all, classifieds, events, forums, vendors, parts, autocross, racing, technical articles, events calendar, newsletter, restoration, gallery, archives, history and more for your Porsche 914 ... |