01mikep

I pulled my dash last night to work on the stop light switch and kick down switch on my 68. After reassembling everything, the gauge cluster and tail lights will not illuminate after the headlight switch is turned on. I'm going to pull it all back apart this evening. Of note, one wire going to the light switch was just pushed between the switch and dash pad with the insulation removed. I put it back but don't know it's function or why the previous owner did it, any ideas?

Also my wiper panel now opens when I start the car.

These issues started right after dash install. Besides connections anything I should be looking for? Fuses look good.

oldalaskaman

take it back out and do it right?

jnb5101

i had the same problem once. the wiring connector to the headlight switch was being twisted out of the socket by contact with the upper dash pad.

01mikep

I pulled the dash apart again tonight. The light switch connector seemed secure. I did find a gray wired tach light with the socket pulled out and two others close so I soldered them all. Right now all sockets (6 each) and ground (1 each) on the tach and speedo are secure.

Any idea why the previous owner would run a black ground to the light switch. It had almost two inches of insulation stripped off and the exposed wire pushed between the light switch housing and the dash pad. This wire is routed back to a gang ground. When I removed the switch initially I did not disconnect the bat until I pulled back the dash pad and this exposed ground wire loosened and slid across the switch body sparking as it slipped as the securing tension was removed.

I looked at a wire diagram and noticed a wire runs to the wiper door override switch from the light switch. Seems odd but that would link all three issues (dash illumination, tail lights, and wiper door staying open) to the switch. Is there a way to bypass the switch with a jumper wire to ops check and confirm or eliminate the switch.

Thanks

Mike

wombvette

TL and dash lights are on the same fuse.

01mikep

I believe the problem to be ground related. When checking for good ground, I ran one end of my test light directly to the bat pos post and the other on the body ground under the dash near the upper door hinge. The test light does not illuminate letting me know that ground is dead. That ground point branches to all the dash illumination at a gang ground. My diagram is unclear as to what else is provided ground from this point.

Any idea where this ground routes back to the bat negative post. Obviously there is a break between the two points.

01mikep

Ground issue fixed. Original issue remains

01mikep

After soldering all ground wire connectors and dash light wire connectors it seems all lights are operating as advertised. Only issue remaining is the wiper door remains open and will not close with the wiper switch or the vacuum pull switch below the dash.