I just got a 85 TA and i noticed the dash wouldnt light up a whole lot and today it finally died. My check engine light, blinkers and seat bealt lights do light up but all the gauges wont.

This also happened and i dont know if it had anything to do with the issue but i left the P lights on by accident for like 30 mins and i also changed the fog light bulbs.

Anyway, i was wondering if i need to change the bulbs inside the dash or what?

thanks!

 

u may have blown a fuse, i put a radar detector in my car and i blew a fuse and lost alot of power to different parts, but i checked my fuse box and just replaced what was blown and now its fine, that maye not be it but id start there

 

i checked my fuses today and the gauge fuse was fine the only i had to replace was the "5" one at the bottom and i think thats for ignition.


What now?

 

adjust the dimmer ****

 

The wire might be fried, follow the wire from the fuse box (on mine its orange) and check if its not cracked anywhere. Thats what happend to mine. Its a biatch to rewire took my two days.

 

I'd also check the see through circuit board on the back of the guage pod, it seems to raise up sometimes, my 86 Firebird had the same problem....just a thought though...

 

As far as I know, later 3rd gen Firebirds (if not all of them, not sure) have a second dimmer switch for the interior lights, located to the RIGHT of the steering column. This may or may not have burned out, or the wiring may have...

You have to drop the column to see this, BTW...

 

i dont see a second dimmer

 

You have to somehow get under the dash to see the bugger. It's tucked well up in there behind a lot of plastic and the metal dash brace that goes across the steering column mountings.

 

Your power transistor may have passed away on you. It's located under the dash, to the left of the center console and looks a lot like the one pictured below.

The dimmer switch produces a trigger voltage to the base of the power transistor, which actually carries the current to drive the dashboard and other dimmable interior lights.

 

That would be the thing I was referring to...

 

Hallo,

my name is Danny and i am from Germany, it seems like that my Dimmer Switch is damaged. Can you tell me where to buy this part?? In Germany i can´t find something about it.

Thanks

Danny

 

 

I know this is a 20 year old thread but thanks to all as I just had same issue with my dash lights on one of my 1988 Trans Ams and this thread helped me find the second dimmer and how to jump the wires so i could get them working again.....Thanks again to all