Had the dash lights go out on me driving home one night earlier in the week :(
Now I've had the,
centre console out and disconnected everything,
the clocks out and disconnected everything and
other switches (hazzards, fogs spots, rear de-mister) as well.
all to no avail. (still blows fuse when sidelights turned on)

put a tester between the two fuse 'ports' and showing full 12v when sidelights on. I assume this to mean dead short somewhere ?
pulled and pushed all the wiring I can get my hands on under the dash and in the centre console...no change in reading, so I don't think the cabling is shorting out anywhere.

Must be something I missed,HELP

any Ideas.

Andy.

EDIT : just rang listers to book her in, no room til 22nd of the month :( so i'm looking at fixing it my self.
Any electricians in the area available ?

[Edited by Fuzz - 10/10/2002 9:01:39 AM]

Thank fook for that, I've sussed it.

God dam dodgy wiring that LISTERS did when the car was new, fitting the spotlight conversion, dozy tw@s had taped up the illumination and earth wires together and they just happened to touch the same day I was fitting my Dawes AFR. I was so sure it was something I had done :ARSE:

Andy

Damn!
Was hoping you were gonna sort my probs then!
I've got exactly the same scenario, but was like it when I got the car.
Even tested the fuse gap with test lamp and lights up, posted the same question a while ago.
Unlike you though haven't sorted it yet http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/banghead.gif

well the best advise I can give is, as you say already stick a test lamp in the two fuse pin slots,with the ign on and the light switch in the sidelight position it will read 12v for a dead short to earth. then proceed to remove the dash panel it pulls off, no screws, best to take gear stick panel off first tho as it gets in the way. unscrew gear nob just a normal thread.
thats all the wiring in the centre console you need to get at. removing the ones up behind the heater controls is the hardest part of the whole job as you can't see em. i did in the end remove the 'top box' so I could see but this was in TIGHT, thought I was gonna bust it pulling it out. I had it on good authority tho (thanks babber) that only two screws held it in, then its clips at the front, you just have to yank like fook :)have a go at removing heater assembly lights by feel first tho ;)
unplug everything and give the wires a good feel and move em around a bit if they are chaffed anywhere chances are you'll move it off the metal at some stage and the volt meter will go to zero.
next item if this fails is clocks, two screws in clock surround and three screws in clocks themselves, bit of a tight squeeze getting this out three connectors on the back of this to unplug.
same thing with the wires push pull and generally abuse them to see if volt meter has dropped to zero.
Still no joy ! unscrew dash panel under steering columb, three screws, two clips might have to temporary remove volt meter as it goes thro this panel. taking the select monitor port off this panel was a complete pain in the ass, I left it on in the end as I was butchering it too much trying to remove it.
only two switches left now, fogs and spots, disconnect em.
any joy ?
if no, suspect any taped up wires wire, this was my down fall :rolleyes:
that's basically the whole illum circuit. disconnected
you should find it easier than mine, it's "usually" (with a pinch of salt) something really simple.


hope that helps.

Andy

Don't mean to move your post off topic but, is it hard to get the centre console out? Most of my centre console is in darkness so I think the bulbs must have gone. If its easy to take out then I will try it and save myself the dealer labour charges.

TIA
Matt

peice of pish.
no screws just clips, clips are positioned on bottom and top of panel about an inch in from either side. a good pull straight back should get it out.
As mentioned above, the lower "gearstick panel" is best removed first as it gets in the way. that is also just clips, pull straight up.

Hope that helps.

Oh and if you break anything it's YOUR fault :)

Andy

Thanks for the pointers Andy :)

>>>Oh and if you break anything it's YOUR fault<<< LOL :D

Last question in my post hijack. If I manage to get the fascia off without breaking it ;) what do I expect to find? What I mean is are the bulbs something I can buy from Halfords, and are they plug in or solder?

TIA

Matt

right. just to prove how easy it is and how helpful a chap I am,

I didn't take any notice of the type of bulbs fitted. :rolleyes:

So I will take it apart...Just for you. (I must have nothing better to do )

got to go out at half five so this better work or I am going to be editing this post :D:D

back in a mo...

Andy. >>>>>note time :)

took me longer to download and upload the pics than it did to do the job :D

looks like push and twist jobies so that would mean not soldered
didn't want to yank it out tho incase I broke it ;) so I can't tell ya what type they are....maybe later...got to go now..

http://www.ashlyn.plus.com/defi/dash%20wiring.jpg

http://www.ashlyn.plus.com/defi/dash%20wiring2.jpg



Andy

Andy, you are indeed a helpful man :D

Thank you

Matt

See, I can post SOME relevant information ;) :D :p

hope you get it sorted Molds.

Andy

Molds,

YHM


Andy

another Bttt for Simon.


Hope it helps.

how many have asked me how to get the dash out now !!! :rolleyes:

Hi Andy

Happy Xmas (what's left of it) and a HNY.

Finally got around to trying to change the centre console bulbs.

Failed unfortunately :-(

I managed to undo things as you described. My problem was in getting the heater control panel out once everything else was off. Couldn't pull it forward because of the side fixings (see Image 1), couldn't push it inwards because the back hits a metal brace behind it (see Image 2 and 3).

After reading your original post again it seems you managed to pull the connectors off the back of the heater control unit in order to push it in and let it drop down? I think once you know how the connectors fit it is probably straight forward enough. Trouble is I don't, and as you will know it is really hard to try and see in there.

Had a look at taking the top tray out. Two screws inside lid but it still didnt want to budge? Are there more screws? It looks like there are two behind the blanking plate which is next to the hazard and demist switch? (see Image 1) Do you know how that blanking plate comes off as I tried but was getting close to breaking it?

Sorry to be so useless. I was close but had to put it back as the light was going.

Image 1
http://www.apteco.com/downloads/matt/front1.jpg
Image 2 and 3
http://www.apteco.com/downloads/matt/back1.jpg
http://www.apteco.com/downloads/matt/back2.jpg

Cheers

Matt

[Edited by Molds - 12/28/2002 6:27:53 PM]

I will help you out here but as I am waiting for a taxi to take me to a mates wedding do, I think it had better wait till tomorrow.

I'll draw some piccy's or something to help :D

Laters

Andy

back :D

from memory...and it's a little fuzzy after god knows how many JD and cokes, Stella and Tequilla's :D

if you remove the three screws on each side of the metal plate (shown in my late night scrawl :D) and bend up the plate, i.e away from the dash, the curved plate that is part of this assembly will come forward also, allowing you to push down and back (missed the brace on mine ?) the heater controls, then push to one side (left worked best) once clear of inside of dash, this then allows you to twist the heater controls (top toward you) so that you can see and gain access to the bulbs :D

here's my late night scribble :D
http://upload.turbosport.co.uk/getpic2.asp?File=200212290289402706.jpg

edit :typo's

[Edited by Fuzz - 12/29/2002 9:30:52 AM]

[Edited by Fuzz - 12/29/2002 9:34:41 AM]

looking back at my previous pics of months past ;)
you should be able to just make out the bent bracket in the second pic :D
you should end up with something like this :
http://upload.turbosport.co.uk/getpic2.asp?File=2002122991429317684.jpg


drop us a mail if your still stuck and I'll take it all apart step by step and take pics :rolleyes: :)


Andy

[Edited by Fuzz - 12/29/2002 9:24:59 AM]

I've just done somwthing extremely simialr except I fitted blue LED's instead of bulb, but the easiest way to change the bulbs is to unclip the picture panel from the front of the controls. There are six little clips (3 on top and 3 on bottom) gentle ease those over there seating ridges and low and behold the small 3-4mm filament bulbs

Most motor factors stock them, sorted, as easy as tripping over when pissed!!! I promise I battled for hours until I realised the above!!!

Hope this sort's it if not done already, But keep it for future reference

Ed