hey guys, I'm trying to figure out why my dash lights dont work on my 86 trans am. I replaced the remote dimmer switch and nothing changed, I narrowed it down to the dimmer wheel or the kenwood radio the P.O installed. while looking behind the radio for the grey illumination wire (couldnt find it) I noticed this fuse holder. whats it for and what size fuse goes in it? could this possibly cause me having no dash lights?

 

That's not a fuse holder. Orange is the constant hot for the radio, brown is the radio display dimmer, controlled by the dimmer wheel. It would be on the tail fuse, 20 amp.

 

What would I need to do to it to get my gauge lights working? No fuses are blown

 

A quick glance through the '86 Body Wiring Diagram on Austin 3rd gen, the only things that have an orange and black wire are the cigarette lighter and the glove box light.

http://austinthirdgen.org/mkportal/m...ody_wiring.gif

 

Here's the actual stereo wiring on an 86.
But that's beside the point right now. I'd suspect the dimmer on the headlight switch. Check the brown wire for power with the lights on and the dimmer turned all the way up. then start checking grounds if it has power.

 

Its a radio dimmer hookup.

 

when you say dimmer on the headlight switch are you referring to the wheel?

 

Yes, separate from the headlight switch on a firebird but is connected to it.

 

So it turns out when I replaced the remote dimmer switch a couple days ago I did fix my dash lights, stupid me didn't realize that the dash lights only turn on when the headlights are on, whenever I did have my headlights on I had the wheel rolled all the way down.. Thanks everyone for the advice

 

Doh! Always the simple things that trip you up. Glad you figured it out.