Instrument lights gone out

[V8S]

Eh up!

My instrument lights (all of them) have gone out - dials still work though.

Have:

• Checked the knob under the dash that is supposed to alter the intensity as it gets knocked to 'off' sometimes. Turned to all positions, no lights.

• Checked the 10 amp fuse for instrumentation according to SH's book and it was fine, replaced with new anyway - still no lights.

I shall be checking all other fuses tonight (and relays if I can - no expert) but is there anything else I can check before starting to worry about dash wiring problems? Any points I can measure with the multimeter to rule things out or in?

I have no other problem with the wiring in the car, apart from interior light playing up recently.

ETA: this all happened last week. I think I still had the lights for headlights, handbrake, etc still working. I will check that tonight. From looking on the now-functioning search function, can't find anything V8 specific but it could possibly be a failed rotary knob that I mentioned above(?).


Thanks for any help chaps / chapesses.

PS. Have a V8S, hence the user name


Graham

Edited by V8S on Monday 10th December 17:51

[V8S]

Update: checked the fuses and found the (according to SH's book) the Right Hand Lights 7.5 amp fuse had gone. However, I replaced it with a new fuse and the right hand lights (front and rear) and the instrument lights still don't work. Checked the left hand lights fuse and that's fine.

[pies]

If you look around the steering coloum near the outrigger there are two resistors,they are about an inch by 2 inches each.I had blown fuses which was down to these as they give alternate brighness to the dash ligts.I simply removed them,yje dash lights are now on or off

[V8S]

Thanks Colin, I'll have a look.

I'm a bit of a numpty with electrical bits - can you give me an idea of what I'm looking for and where exactly, or will it just be very obvious?

[nawarne]

Graham,
The resistors are mounted on the chassis diagonal brace to outrigger - front drivers side wheel arch - as Colin says close to the first steering UJ. Don't know where they're sourced from, but you can obviously bypass them both.
Nick

[spivvy]

nawarne said:

Graham,
The resistors are mounted on the chassis diagonal brace to outrigger - front drivers side wheel arch - as Colin says close to the first steering UJ. Don't know where they're sourced from, but you can obviously bypass them both.
Nick

they are in the engine bay and not inside the car if it is the ones i am thinking of unlees there are some others i didn't know about

may be worth checking the connect in the stering wheel cowling to see it is not melted and shorting out

[V8S]

nawarne said:

Graham,
The resistors are mounted on the chassis diagonal brace to outrigger - front drivers side wheel arch - as Colin says close to the first steering UJ. Don't know where they're sourced from, but you can obviously bypass them both.
Nick

Er, anyone got a pic? I'm not the most mechanical of chaps but willing to learn!

[Barkychoc]

Look behind the front drivers side wheel, there will be a couple of white (well they were once) rectangular ceramic looking things (resistors) with wires attached to them. They will be covered in crap probably with the connectors all corroded, maybe even one connector has fallen off.
I think you get the picture of what to expect! Usual TVR electrical quality.

Chris