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65 Ambo parking light/taillight/dash light circuit |
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palutz44 
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Joined: May/10/2021 Location: No. Virginia Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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 Posted: May/15/2021 at 7:57am |
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George W - just saw your post. I did try several times with the headlight switch set at full dim for the dash lights and that doesn't seem to make a difference. There has been a lot of tinkering (jury-rigging is probably a more accurate term) over the years under the dash. I do not have a ash tray light or a glove box light or even heater controls. The aftermarket stereo gets juice straight from the battery.
Thanks all!
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george w
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Joined: Jan/27/2013 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 2899 |
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Posted: May/15/2021 at 4:40pm |
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Not sure what the wiring color code for the dash light circuit is but on 67 and up models that I'm familiar with it's orange. There's not a lot of places for the dash light wiring to end up. You could pull the instrument cluster which will give you some space to see behind the dash and look for any errant "orange" wires. BTW, the glove box light, if there is one, is not part of the dash light circuit. Beyond the instrument cluster, you have a feed for the heater controls, radio and one to feed the light in the auto. trans. quadrant which I assume goes down to the steering column. Possibly as part of the turn signal switch wiring connector.
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Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.
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troutwilly
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Joined: Sep/14/2007 Location: Carriere, MS Status: Offline Points: 994 |
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Posted: May/15/2021 at 10:49pm |
I still think the "D" is for Dome or Courtesy lights. If the switch is still removed, check the connectivity between the D terminal and the ground tab on the switch. Should be normally open (no connection) until you turn the headlight knob all the way till it clicks, in which case the dome/courtesy lights would come on. That would verify the D is for dome and then your short is in the dome/courtesy light circuit. Is there an "I" terminal? That, I believe is for Instrument (dash) lighting. Another check, the terminal for the dash/instrument lights would show increasing resistance between its connector and the ground tab when the headlight knob is turned, as it brightens and dims the dash lights.
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Bill O.
70 AMX |
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troutwilly
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Joined: Sep/14/2007 Location: Carriere, MS Status: Offline Points: 994 |
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Posted: May/15/2021 at 11:05pm |
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One more idea: It seems you've narrowed it down to either the Dome or Dash lights, are you sure you haven't mixed the 2 at the switch? Because the Dome/Courtesy lights are constantly powered and all the headlight switch does is complete the circuit to ground, as the door switches do, when it is turned all the way. If you have the Dome/Courtesy lights connected to the Instrument/Dash terminal, it might just blow a fuse as soon as you pull the switch on with power coming from 2 directions. Not sure that situation is a short, but it isn't right. The check would be to ground the wire you believe is the Dome/Courtesy light. The Dome/Courtesy lights will come on as soon as its grounded. If there's a problem with that wiring, a different fuse would blow.
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Bill O.
70 AMX |
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First_Gear
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Joined: Jan/18/2010 Location: Mukilteo WA Status: Offline Points: 644 |
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Posted: May/16/2021 at 12:14am |
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As mentioned all dash lights are powered by the orange wires. Thats why I suggested pulling the orange wire from the headlight switch in my previous post. The dome lights are all black wires. Some of the dome light wires headed to the switches are cloth (asbestos) covered for durability.
One thing to note the dash sockets have a spring loaded button contact in the bottom of them if there is no bulb in the socket the wire can slowly work its way out of the socket and short against the metal dash (ask how I know).
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FSJunkie
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Joined: Jan/09/2011 Location: Flagstaff, AZ Status: Offline Points: 4742 |
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Posted: May/16/2021 at 2:55am |
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Rambler built very high quality cars...except for the light bulb sockets.
The contact pins and springs inside the bulb sockets love to bend over and short against the socket case. It usually happens when you screw in the light bulb because the bulb is pushing the pins against their springs while rotating. Pulling on the back side of the pins to compress them while you screw in the bulb helps prevent this. Those sockets can short, open, back-feed, and do all kinds of funky stuff if pins inside touch each other or the case. Poke around with an ohmeter or test light on the back side of each light socket with the power off until you find one with a dead short to ground. That is your problem socket. Those SFE-9 fuses are getting harder to find. Maybe check for a short to ground with your meter or test light before you apply power next time. It could save you another fuse. |
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1955 Packard
1966 Marlin 1972 Wagoneer 1973 Ambassador 1977 Hornet 1982 Concord D/L 1984 Eagle Limited |
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palutz44
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Joined: May/10/2021 Location: No. Virginia Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Posted: May/20/2021 at 9:50am |
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Update 2 - OK, so I mentioned that I taped off the "D" pin on the headlight switch and now I'm not blowing fuses. I added a connector on that black wire so I could troubleshoot without pulling the headlight switch.
I found 2 orange wires under the dash very close together, one had a factory connector on it. Figured it wouldn't hurt to connect those. Did so. Then reconnected the black wire from the D pin. No blown fuse, but also no dash lights. Could be that while under the dash I wiggled the right wire. I did try disconnecting the 2 orange wires with the black one reconnected. I'll admit I'm out of my league here. No dash lights is not the end of the world since I'm rarely in the car after dark, and if I am I do have taillights. Thanks all! -Phil
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troutwilly
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Joined: Sep/14/2007 Location: Carriere, MS Status: Offline Points: 994 |
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Posted: May/20/2021 at 9:35pm |
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Your dash/gauge lights are the orange wires. They are powered off the "I" terminal on the headlight switch, so there needs to be an orange wire coming off the switch. It would be a female connector. That other orange wire must go to lights somewhere (the bulbs that light the lettering for the headlight switch and wiper switch and A/C-Heat-Def controls, the radio light, if an automatic the light for gear display, and the gauge backlights). The circuit is completed to ground at the bulbs/gauges, so no black wires. Start at the bulbs and work back towards the switch. There are several connectors and daisy chains. Also, they are controlled by the rheostat (turning of the headlight switch) for intensity.
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Bill O.
70 AMX |
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palutz44 wrote: