67 Mustang Wiring Problem

Just a guess, but a dead ground to the body can cause issues like that and if you used the dash as the ground for the meter, then it still would show 0 volts at the fuse.

I would be running a booster cable from the battery negative to the firewall or dash itself and see what happens.

Other than that I recommend a repair manual like Haynes which is cheap and gives you the wiring schematic.

The dash lights also go through the headlight switch. Headlight switches are cheap and fail more than just occasionally on old beasts.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Libby wrote:

Just a guess, but look for a "fusible link" near the battery. It should be near the + battery post and look like an "undersize" battery cable.

"Mike Romain" wrote

But would the headlights still work while the dashlights don't? I have the same problem on my '68 Ranchero. everything works except the dashlights. I even pulled the dash yesterday to try and figure out the problem and everything seemed solid on visual inspection.

yes, the headlight switch is really several switches in one, the driving light, headlights and it has the rehostat for the dimming of the dash lights, Matt Gunsch, A&P,IA,Private Pilot Riding member of the 2003 world champion drill team Arizona Precision Motorcycle Drill Team GWRRA,NRA,GOA

Yes, the dimmer is in the headlight switch right? If it is a separate dimmer, then sorry for pointing at the wrong thing, but the dimmer coils just plain wear out when they get old. They get hot when you dim dash lights and the heat kills them eventually. I see it lots on old beasts.

Mike

66 6F HCS wrote:

Have you checked continuity on the Black/Yellow wire from the +battery terminal on the starter relay to the fuse panel? It goes through a 3 prong connector so check for bad connection there. There is also a tap after that connector that goes to the light switch so if that connector is bad then you'll lose the constant power to the 7.5 amp fuse and the light switch. BTW clean the eyelet connectors on the terminal of the + battery cables too. often they may look clean but take them apart and get an emory cloth or bard and sand them shiny as that is where the contact is made. LMK if you need any more clarification. Good Luck! StuK

Hmm. Here's what DOES work. headlights, parking lights, interior lights when the rheostat is turned all the way or when the door is open. The only thing that doesn't work is the dashlights.

The lights are on their own wire from the headlight switch but if the guages don't work either, then that probably isn't your headache. Some of the older fords had what I think they called a voltage regulator for the dash, mounted behind the guage cluster, a little metal box that is similar in size to a circuit breaker. Look for something like that back there & if theres one there, check either side for juice. If one sides dead, you know the rest. Good luck.

snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (PA-ter) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com:

constant voltage reg does not affect the dash lights. they are on there own fuse. seperate from the lights. KB

"66 6F HCS" wrote

Let me clarify my sitch a little better. Everything above applies, however the idiot lights and the turn signal dashlights still work, it's JUST the gauge lights.

Aren't the gauge lights the only lights that run thru the dimmer rheostat? If so, your dimmer is possibly bad.

-- Jim '88 LX 5.0 (now in car heaven) '89 LX 5.0 vert '99 GT 35th Anniversery Edition - Silver Mods to date - Relocated trunk release to drivers side, shortened throttle cable, PIAA Driving lights.

My 68 cougar has the same problem. Had that problem with the original switch and also a replacement switch that looked like NOS. What i found--at least on the Cougar switches--is that the dash lights come on only for a slight turn of the switch just past the CLICK where the interior lights come on when the switch is fully rotated to the left. Click just off that position for a slight turn, and my lights will come on. Past that, they don't. So, fiddle gently with the switch as it's almost all the way to the left.

Other than that, check your fuse (probably the tiny one at the bottom of the fuse panel). Failing that, try another switch

You are describing a dead dimmer coil. Turning the dial all the way hits a separate switch for the interior lights.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

66 6F HCS wrote: