dash lights not working

[staflo500]

so i hook up my boost guage to the dimmer switch like i thaught i was saposed to. Then i trun the lights on and my guage cluster lights dont work but my boost guage still lights up. So i tear it apart and notice that my dimmer switch is melting, so i pull it out and take one of my other car plug it in and it starts geting hot again and the guage lights still dont work. Then i read sombody just "wired it up" so it wouldnt dim it would just stay on the brightest setting. So i do that and the guage lights turn on and i think im home free then i touch the wires and they burn my fingers. So im running out of ideas. Ive searched thru the forums and i cant figure anything out. I figure its gota be a short but how would that happen and what do i need to look for if it is a short?

 

[luv2rallye]

Well you almost certainly fried your dimmer switch. If you don't say EXACTLY everything you did to the wiring, we can't help you. Check out http://www.vfaq.com/index-main.html under "gauges" for instructions.

 

[Randomrage]

Do you have a volt/ohm meter? You need to get one out and test that switch, see if it still opens and closes. If not, thats the prob. Sounds like you got a lemon switch.

 

[luv2rallye]

The dimmer switch is a rheostat not a switch that opens/closes. One of the terminals should vary resistance in relation to the other 2 when the knob is turned. The 2 others should be fixed resistence. All this is with the dimmer disconnected.

 

[Randomrage]

The dimmer switch is a rheostat not a switch that opens/closes. One of the terminals should vary resistance in relation to the other 2 when the knob is turned. The 2 others should be fixed resistence. All this is with the dimmer disconnected.

D'oh, dumb mistake. I mean, check to see if the resistance goes up as you turn the switch.

 

[staflo500]

i spliced into the green wire on the dimmer switch and then it melted the switch that was on there and then i tryed a diff one and it tryed to melt that one to so i put it all back to stock and its still doing it

 

[91eagle_tsi_awd]

does the boost gauge light up????theres also a fuse for it too.i remember one of my wires hit somthing and blew it and nothing was lighting up.the fuse on my 1g is in the hood,might wanna check that out if not then its def the dimmer switch

 

[staflo500]

the boost guage dose light up its an auto meter on the a piller it works fine but everything else is dead and i checked all the fuses and they are all good and the correct amp and last night when i was screwing with it i got them to turn on for a second but the wirs got REALLY hot so i disconnected it and now every time i try to get them to light up i blow the tail light fuse

edit: i dont hink it can be the switch because i took the one off my eclipse and put it on the broken car and it still dosnt work but it works fine on my eclipse

 

[91eagle_tsi_awd]

i had the same problem.it kept blowin the dash fuse and which also powered tail lights and everything,it was an open short where i spliced the wire to hook up the boost gauge,i diconnected and everything worked fine again

 

[staflo500]

i had the same problem.it kept blowin the dash fuse and which also powered tail lights and everything,it was an open short where i spliced the wire to hook up the boost gauge,i diconnected and everything worked fine again

ya thats what i did only my stuff still dosnt work and im runing out of ideas

 

[luv2rallye]

You do know that the dimmer switch is in the return to ground path right? So +12v (ignition switched) should go to your gauge light and the other gauge light wire should go to the dimmer black/yellow (control) wire - not the green/white (taillight power) wire - and not the black (ground) wire. Of course I'm looking at a 99 Eclipse manual but they should be similiar. If you touch the black/yellow wire to ground (with lights on), the dash lights should come on full - that's the correct wire to be on. (if you touch the green/white to ground that's a direct short and will blow a fuse).

 

[staflo500]

thanks im kinda an idiot when it comes to this so ill tell ya if it works

 

[staflo500]

You do know that the dimmer switch is in the return to ground path right? So +12v (ignition switched) should go to your gauge light and the other gauge light wire should go to the dimmer black/yellow (control) wire - not the green/white (taillight power) wire - and not the black (ground) wire. Of course I'm looking at a 99 Eclipse manual but they should be similiar. If you touch the black/yellow wire to ground (with lights on), the dash lights should come on full - that's the correct wire to be on. (if you touch the green/white to ground that's a direct short and will blow a fuse).

I tryed what you said and I blew the fuse so idk what the deal is. I would try the others but i dont have any fuses left.

 

[AiR]

sounds to me like you dont have a good ground. put a new wire in there for the ground and make sure you got it somewhere thats nice and has no paint on it. also you could just tap into your headlight switch for the boost gauge. who cares if it dims or not.

 

[staflo500]

anyone else got any idea

 

[luv2rallye]

You're going to have to be more specific as to exactly what wire from what you connected to where (and anything else you did like cutting wires, etc.)

 

[luv2rallye]

I just checked out my dimmer switch (99 Eclipse) and I found that it's actually a circuit board in a rectangular black box that sinks current on the black/yellow wire (pin 2). This is in series with the return to ground path from the cluster lights and it varies the voltage between 12 and 3.7 volts there (to dim the cluster lights). If you have the same dimmer switch box, maybe your boost gauge light draws too much current for it to handle (sink) so it melted.

Anyway with all your problems, you may be better off to just hook your boost gauge positive to the taillight relay & fuse (which is where the cluster gauge lights connect) and the negative to ground (and forget the dimming). Also you may want to make sure your boost gauge light isn't drawing exceesive (or enough) current which may blow a fuse that now puts it over the fuse's limit. If it's not excessive but puts it over the taillight fuses limit, connect your positive right to the taillight relay with your own fuse so it has it's own circuit and fuse (ie. don't go thru the taillight fuse).