Recently my dash gauge lights, shifter and hvac control lights all went out. I suspected a blown fuse, replaced a couple bad fuses, turned on the lights, they went on, started driving, and they went out. I did this 2 or 3 times and it keeps happening. When I try dimming the lights it goes out, if it comes on in the first place. When they do work, the dimmer has to be in just the right spot. So I'm thinking it's the dimmer. Would I be correct or is there something else I have to check for? I also noticed that now whenever I plug something in to the cigarette lighter, it pops a 25 amp fuse. Are both my dimmer and cig. lighter bad? I recently put in a new alternator and battery because my alternator was bad and overcharged my old battery. Both are new and running good, could this have done something to these small components? Any grounds I should look for or could my stereo cause a hard draw on my power? Did I put the wrong fuse in somewhere? I'm not really totally sure if they are all correct, it has been worked on by people other than me and the letters on the box are all scratched off. If there's a diagram somewhere, that would help a lot. Just trying to narrow it down with some back info if anyone cares to touch on this. Thanks!

 

I was blowing ACC fuses plugging phone charger into cig lighter. I was actually getting sparks shooting out of the socket when inserting charger plug.

Replaced lighter socket. Plus, I yanked the K-Tel multiaccessory gadget the a PO had goobed into the yellow wire.

No more sparks or blown ACC fuses.

Consider disconnecting cig lighter to see if problem disappears. Look for goobed yellow wire too. It seems to be a popular target for ill-conceived DIY wiring attempts.

 

Hmm. I pulled the cig lighter out and it seemed fine, wires were alright and nothing corroded. It was a **** to get back in since there's no slack in those two wires, but I reconnected it for now. I have a feeling something else is just shorting it out as soon as something is connected to it. Dimmer? I haven't pulled that out yet but something tells me that's screwy.

 

Do your parking lights still come on? Check and see if your tail lights are gathering moisture, I think the gauge lights and park lights are all on the same circuit. If you have a short in the park light system it could be causing your dash lights to pop a fuse.

 

You didn't happen to instaLL a new stereo did you?

 

Yeah I put a new stereo in, but I did it exactly as it was instructed. It came with everything, but I'll take another look at my wiring to rule it out. Also all my exterior lights work fine, as well as the interior lights, except for the dash, hvac, and shifter. Fuses are all good, car drives great. It just has little things like this here and there and I really need to take care of them. While I'm at it I wanted to swap out the dash lights for red LED's I'm just not sure how many I need yet. I ordered a new headlight switch, so when it arrives I'll put that in and give it a try.

 

If yu swap out your 194 dash bulbs and throw in 194 LED's, your LED's won't dim with the dimmer. They will just turn off. Just letting you know before you experience a guy wrenching surprise.

 

Ahhhh.................A new stereo!
Thats when the dash lights went out right?

I can guarantee you wired it WRONG !!!!!!!!!

I bet you used the GREY Illumination wire to use as the 12v power for the radio !

The orange constant 12v wire or the yellow switched 12v wire should be used
for the radio power.

The PINK wire is for the power antenna BTW.

IF you used the gray wire then your using too much power and frying the
5 amp dash light/#13 fuse. Thats your problem.

I have seen this issue several times. Check it out...............

 

Interesting. I'm sure these cars run into trouble after installing new accessories, so it wouldn't come as a shock to me. Tomorrow if I get a chance I'll pull it out and have another look. I had a buddy of mine lend a hand wiring it, he's pretty good with those things, and it was all color coordinated and came with a new wire harness and instructions, I figured it was pretty straight forward.
You're saying the dash lights run on a 5 amp fuse? I recall seeing one in there, but now I have no 5's in there. I might have a higher amp fuse in the wrong spot. I really wish I had a reference for the fuse box so I know I have the right fuses. Besides that, I've read up on the LED swap. I'm aware they won't dim but that's less of a problem to me than no lights at all right now. One thing at a time I suppose.

 

I got something for you. I have a fuse block legend. Let me look around in my GM service manual and I'll put it up as soon as possible.

 

Alright, I found a picture of a diagram someone had posted online. Turns out I had 2 wrong fuses and one of them was the int. light 5 amp. Go figure. I pulled my light switch, and they still didn't come on, except when I turn the **** all the way left. Turning it back the other way any amount shuts the lights right back off. We'll see what happens when I drive down the road. Despite my confidence in my stereo wiring, I will still take a look tomorrow after work. Other than that, I'm guessing a half-cooked dimmer switch. That's what I'm leaning towards, anyway.

 

The fuse your looking for is #13

But after re-reading your confusing and rambling posts again I ask:

Do you have ANY dash lights when you rotate the headlight switch ****?
Do they go on and off when you rotate the headlight ****?
Do you still have the stock bulbs NOT the LEDs in the dash lights?

 

I'm speaking plain English dude. Sorry I type as I think. My dash lights do not work. I found out that I had a couple wrong fuses, put the correct ones in and tried the lights. They still did not work, ONLY when I turned the dimmer all the way left did they go on. I turned my car on and let it idle for about 10 minutes and then the fuse blew.
Before I put the stereo in, the dimmer half worked. The dash lights would only go on when I turned the dimmer to just the right spot. If I tried to dim them either way, they would flicker and go out. Now they don't work at all and blow fuses.
They are stock bulbs, not LEDs.
My new light switch came in today and just need to figure out how the hell to pull the old one out and replace it with the new one. I'll check my stereo wiring first though and post what I find.
Again, sorry about the confusion.

 

Your rambling again..................

OK so they worked on and off sporadically when you turned the headlights and
turned the **** trying to dim them and then blew the fuse......................

That leads me to believe that the reostat in the headlight control/switch is bad.
You should just unhook the power plug from the old headlight switch and plug
in the new one and see if that cures the problem.

To remove the old headlight switch Look here post #17 (thanks to member Birshking)
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/elec...ight-****.html

Removal & Installation

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable at the battery.
2. Remove the four screws from inside the defroster duct (instrument panel pad securing screws).
3. Remove the screws which are under the lip of the instrument panel pad.
4. Remove the instrument panel pad.
5. On models equipped with air conditioning, remove the instrument panel cluster bezel and the cluster.
6. Remove the radio speaker bracket.
7. Pull the headlamp switch **** to the ON position, depress the locking button for the **** and shaft (located on the switch), and remove the **** and shaft.
8. Remove the switch bezel (retainer).
9. Disconnect the wiring from the switch and remove the switch.
10. To install, position the switch into place and connect the wiring to the switch.
11. Install the switch bezel (retainer).
12. Push the headlamp switch **** into the switch. (It may be necessary to depress the **** release button.
13. Install the radio speaker bracket.
14. On models equipped with air conditioning, install the instrument panel cluster bezel and the cluster.
15. Install the instrument panel pad.
16. Install the screws which are under the lip of the instrument panel pad.
17. Install the four screws from inside the defroster duct (instrument panel pad securing screws).
18. Connect the negative battery cable at the battery.

 

Where would you hook the grey wire up to get your HVAC, Dash, Shifter Lights working again properly with a aftermarket headunit?

 

The grey wire is for the radio illumination ONLY !
It is powered off fuse #13 from a 5 amp fuse.

I just leave it unhooked on a aftermarket stereo.............

Some folks use it for main radio power instead of the orange or yellow
wires to power up their aftermarket units and then fry the hvac/dash/shifter light circuit.
Its only 5 amps............

 

Alright, I'm a rambler I guess. Oh well, sorry. Thanks though, that definitely helps. I'm going to start pulling things apart shortly and I'll see what I can do.

 

Okay so, my stereo is wired just fine. I taped off some loose wires. I put the new lightswitch in also. And it was a pain in the ***. I took half of my dash apart to figure out that there was no way to get the switches in or out from the top, and I wasn't about to pull my cluster out. Instead I pulled the bottom of the dash out and moved the fuse box out of the way and reached up to remove the old switch and replace it with the new one. The only problem I have now is getting a new retaining nut to hold the switch better because the old one was stripped and won't snug up.
Anyways, the switch was indeed the problem. The dash lights work and dim beautifully now. I appreciate all of your help.

 

Congrats!

Glad its fixed......................

 

Thanks. It was a long procedure for a little thing, but it's worth it. Now I can actually see how fast I'm driving without using a little flashlight haha. This weekend I'm going to order all new LED's for my interior.

 

the wiring diagram for my head unit says to use the grey wire for the positive of the front right speaker. Should i replace this with the orange wire? I'm having the same problem no dash,dome,HVAC, or console lights but gauges,turn signal indicator,and high beam indicator work. Also i am blowing the 5 amp fuse that is marked INST LPS.

 

YES........Use either the orange or yellow wire for head power.

Your unit instructions are incorrect.

The Camaro/bird radio plug(s) wiring colors are as follows:
Const 12v orange
switched 12v yellow
ground black
Ill light grey
dim brown
antenna pink
lf+ tan
lf - grey
rf+ light green
rf- dark green
lr+ brown
lr- yellow
rr+ dark blue
rr- light blue

 

What exactly is the difference between this "Ill" and "dim" you have listed?

 

No idea..............
The list is from another camaro/bird forum that had no further
explanation of the difference of the two.

 

why did you list the right front twice? i'm just curious is this variation or some thing? or am I reading this wrong? i really know nothing about wirring to be honest with you lol.

 

No you didn't read it wrong........................

I didn't proof read it correctly.
(Old age sucks!)

It is now corrected.

 

While working on mine, I found that I had abad voltage regulator that ran the LED strips in the dash. It is independent of the other light systems. Looking for a replacement now. May have to buyafew illuminated pedal kits to get them. (Unless someone elseknows where to find them.)