'88 Ranger XLT No Dash Lights

[rosscob]

I've only had this for a month or so and driving it home I noticed the dash lights DID work, they were just very dim, even turned all the way up. Well I've been driving it daily for the past few weeks and since it's getting light later now I noticed that they're not working. All the exterior lights work along with the dome light and light behind the heater control. The interior lights dim as they should when you turn the knob down, just no dash lights. The fuse is good but I changed it anyway but it made no difference. Is there a ground somewhere just for the dash lights that I need to check?

 

[tw205]

All the dash lights are on the same circuit so if you got climate control lighting then you got power past the fuse. Since you have dimming lights at the climate control I would suspect burnt bulbs or dash plug loose. How are your other gauges and lights on the dash. Work or no?

 

[rosscob]

The gauges work, the turn signal indicators work, just no light behind the gauges.

 

[SenorNoob]

Sounds like something is loose or corroded on or near the back of the cluster itself. Or all the bulbs burned out.

When mine went the right half of the cluster went out one night. The next day the other half went out. Only thing wrong was bulbs. It seems weird., but if they are all changed at the same time from the same package, you can expect the same number of service hours to hit all at once.

 

[RonD]

I would agree, time to change the cluster bulbs and check the wires

 

[RobbieD]

If you do pull the instrument cluster, look closely at where the two connectors plug into the back of it. The cluster uses a flexible plastic printed circuit, and it's a relatively common failure point, from corrosion or accumulated crud, for breaking (and failing) a circuit where the connector's terminals touch the contacts on the printed circuit.

To clean things up you can use a pencil eraser and alcohol on the cluster side, and emery cloth and alcohol on the connector terminals (or electrical contact cleaner if you want to get fancy). Connector terminals can also be carefully pried up with small pick tool to make better contact, if needed.


You gotta pull the cluster to check or replace the bulbs.
If the cluster is pulled, you might as well go ahead and put all new, good name-brand bulbs in it. And while you're at it, clean the contact points for the bulb sockets using the same routine as cleaning the two main connectors.

I've found that once the cluster is unscrewed from the dash, go down and pull on the speedometer cable where it comes though the floor. Usually you'll get one or a few inches of cable slack from outside, and it'll push the cluster away from dash and give you more room to get your hand behind it to uncouple the speedo cable from the cluster. Feel for the square tab on the cable end; push it in, and the cable should pop loose. Squeeze the skinny ends of the electrical connectors to unlatch the locking tabs.

It's not that bad of a job, once you do it. It can be frustrating if you haven't.

Good luck!

 

[rosscob]

OK, It sounds like I'm pulling the cluster and while I'm replacing bulbs, I think I'll go with LED's. I know LED's are particular about polarity so does anybody have a pinout diagram for an '88 2WD so I can test the cluster before I put it all back in?

 

[SenorNoob]

I'd be surprised if it's not VERY similar to one of these.
1983-1986 Gauge Cluster With Tach Swap

You should be able to see the traces and just follow the lighting circuit. It's pretty simple.

 

[rosscob]

I think the lighting circuit for the gauges is in the other plug, the large grey one.

 

[R A N G E R]

If you do pull the instrument cluster, look closely at where the two connectors plug into the back of it. The cluster uses a flexible plastic printed circuit, and it's a relatively common failure point, from corrosion or accumulated crud, for breaking (and failing) a circuit where the connector's terminals touch the contacts on the printed circuit.

To clean things up you can use a pencil eraser and alcohol on the cluster side, and emery cloth and alcohol on the connector terminals (or electrical contact cleaner if you want to get fancy). Connector terminals can also be carefully pried up with small pick tool to make better contact, if needed.


You gotta pull the cluster to check or replace the bulbs.
If the cluster is pulled, you might as well go ahead and put all new, good name-brand bulbs in it. And while you're at it, clean the contact points for the bulb sockets using the same routine as cleaning the two main connectors.

I've found that once the cluster is unscrewed from the dash, go down and pull on the speedometer cable where it comes though the floor. Usually you'll get one or a few inches of cable slack from outside, and it'll push the cluster away from dash and give you more room to get your hand behind it to uncouple the speedo cable from the cluster. Feel for the square tab on the cable end; push it in, and the cable should pop loose. Squeeze the skinny ends of the electrical connectors to unlatch the locking tabs.

It's not that bad of a job, once you do it. It can be frustrating if you haven't.

Good luck!

NO, it's the headlight switch. replace the on/off headlight switch and *poof* it will work again!

 

[R A N G E R]

I've only had this for a month or so and driving it home I noticed the dash lights DID work, they were just very dim, even turned all the way up. Well I've been driving it daily for the past few weeks and since it's getting light later now I noticed that they're not working. All the exterior lights work along with the dome light and light behind the heater control. The interior lights dim as they should when you turn the knob down, just no dash lights. The fuse is good but I changed it anyway but it made no difference. Is there a ground somewhere just for the dash lights that I need to check?

NO, it's the headlight switch. replace the on/off headlight switch and *poof* it will work again!

 

[rosscob]

Well I was able to reach up under the dash and pull one bulb (got a little dash rash) without pulling the gauges and replaced it with a known good bulb and it worked! Hard for me to believe that they all went at once but it's good to know that everything is working like it should. I've already got a full set of LED's and new sockets so it looks like that's going to be a weekend project...if it's not raining. I'll let you know the outcome and maybe post some pictures of the bright LED's. I changed the dash bulbs in my '84 El Camino this LED's and it made a huge difference. Thanks to everybody for the help.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

NO, it's the headlight switch. replace the on/off headlight switch and *poof* it will work again!

That was my thought untill he said the HVAC controls are lighted.

My headlight switch is fucked and i lose everything if i dont have it set just right

 

[rosscob]

Well it turned out it WAS the bulbs. Almost every bulb in the cluster was burned out, even the small indicator bulbs for the check engine and low oil were dead. Replaced them all and everything works....Except no high beam on my headlights, not even the indicator will light when I pull the switch, so I'm assuming it's the turn signal/dimmer switch. I think I'll pull the cover off the column and check the connections. I've read other posts that say the high beams have a separate fuse under the dash, is that true?

 

[RobbieD]

I've read other posts that say the high beams have a separate fuse under the dash, is that true?

No, not on an '88. There's only one fusible link that protects the light switch and the head lights.

Looking at the hi/lo / turn signal switch would be the next step.

I am glad to hear that you got the cluster illumination working. Do the LED bulbs work right with the dimmer? And what brand of LED bulbs did you use?