Instrument Cluster Lights

[demesauce]

So I've had this issue for a couple of years (ever since I've owned my bronco), none of the lights in my instrument cluster work. The other dash lights work fine, and dim when I twist the headlight knob. It looks like the bulbs are good and the wires all look fine too. Could it be the Voltage Regulator? If not, any other suggestions

BTW what does the Voltage Regulator do?

 

[Tedster100]

Well, sounds like you're going to pull the cluster no matter what. Take a look at the luminescent guage kits the vendor's sell. I put one on and love it, very easy to read and evenly lit and you can switch from blue to green tint. You'll still need to make sure the voltage regulator is working correctly since you still use the lights for the turn signals and high beam indicator, the rest of the bulbs go away.

 

[Blue Bastard]

I don't think the VR runs the lights. Check the fuse, I think it's the little one. Test for 12volts on both sides. Then check to see if the wire coming from the light switch has power in and out. The bulbs ground out on the gauge itself.

 

[Fireball05]

Do the turn signal indicators or high beam indicator work? Or none of those, plus none of the 3 cluster lights?

As BB said above, the bulbs ground out on the cluster itself, so need to make sure you have a good solid connection.

I do not think the IVR has anything to do with the lights, although I may be wrong. Pretty certain I have a bad IVR which is causing my other gauges to not work properly, but my lights all work fine.

 

[jpehler]

the IVR only supplys clean voltage to the guages.

X2 on the grounding of the guage cluster.

check the bulb sockets with a test light to a good ground & that will help you determine if the cluster has a good ground. the bulb sockets just pull out of the cluster.

 

[surfer-b]

none of the lights in my instrument cluster work. The other dash lights work fine, and dim when I twist the headlight knob

If the dash lights work then its not the switch or the fuse, it could be a bad connection at the junction between the dash lights and the gauge cluster lights. Remove one of the connectors to the gauge cluster lights and test it, you should have 12+ volts there, if not then trace it back to the connection and see what you have, it could have been cut sometime from a PO. Its the Bl/RD wire coming from the light switch.

 

[demesauce]

Thank you guys, I'll work on it today. The headlights work, the turn signals work. Basically just the lights that illuminate the gauge cluster.

 

[Justafordguy]

X2, check the ground. You can use a volt meter to check for power on the wire to the buld holder also.