My dash lights have been out for sometime now and I can not find the problem. I have had my dash out and can find no loose or cut wires. I have also replaced both the dimmer switch and the headlight switch. I just don't know what else to do so I am asking you guys for your advice. I know I read somewhere about a remote dimmer, could this be it and if so where is it located. Oh yeah, the car is an '87 Firebird with the 305 4 barrel, it is just analog dash not digital. Thanks, Seth

Oh yeah one more thing, it is just the dash lights, the guages, the ac/heater light, radio light, and I am sure I missed one or two small ones. but all my other lights work like dome light, fuse box light, light by passengers feet, turn signals, headlights, taillights, and brakelights they all work fine I just don't know what the problem is. Although I am reading through old post and am begining to believe it is the remote dimmer, if any one could please give me suggestions and let me know where to locate this remote dimmer it would be greatly appreciated.

Look at your convience center.Its located to the right under the steering coloum.Its a little black box,on it should be three diaodes or something, I think you blew your middle one.I replaced all of the little diaodes and my gauge lights work for about a minute.The reason why is I have a short in my tail lights when I turn the lights on.But I did have the same problem in my car before I'd turn the lights on and no gauge lights after I replaced the diaodes my gauge lights worked.

Author Topic: For those of you with no dash lights, here's the fix..
92fire-audio
Member
Posts: 305
From: St. Charles, Mo
Registered: Feb 2001
posted October 05, 2001 07:32 AM
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Don't know if this has been covered before but oh well..
Here are the symptoms..

INST Pnl fuse is fine.
Dimmer turns on dome light.
Dash lights don't come on.
Grounds are good.


Here's how I fixed it..

Go up to radioshack and buy a "power transistor".. It's made of NPN silicon. It cost me $1.99.

Take the lower panel off, underneath the Steering wheel. Below the dimmer switch, you will see a heat sink and a wire harness. Unbolt this (2 bolts) and unplug the wire harness... Unbolt the 2 bolts holding the transistor to the harness and pull it out.. Push the new one on, make sure the fuse for the inst. panel is no more than 5 amps. Bolt it back in, plug the harness in. Test the lights now. If the fuse is still good, the lights should come on. Its a pretty good fix only costing $2...

Hope this helped anyone who had the same problem as me.. What happened to me was I put a 15 amp fuse in after the 5 amp fuse blew. Then the transistor blew because of the increased amperage.. The blown transistor will show no signs that it's out, there is no way to test it either..


Hey, Thanks to everyone who helped me with this problem I followed these instructions that I found on here and now I have dash lights again and boy is it nice. This site is just great you are all very helpful thanks again. I just posted the directions in case anybody else has this problem maybe this will fix it for them too for a total cost of $2.
Thanks to everyone,
Seth Fehr

Anyone know what the actual GM part is called? Have a part number maybe? I may do the radio shack thing, but the last time I put in a radio shack part it didn't turn out well.

I used the Radio Shack transistor and I now have dash lights. Thanks a lot guys. I did have to dremel the two prongs a little to get it to fit, but it works great now. Glad to have my lights back, my car is whole again.

there is a couple silver ones, and a big blue one right, i dont seee any black ones.

there is horn relay, hazard/turn switch, and what else?

My Pontiac dealer has the transistor. It's located under the dash, to the RIGHT side of the steering column in my 86SE. I'll try to find the paperwork with the GM part number.