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Dash Light problem

Cottontail

Three-De Off-Road
NAXJA Member
Location
Nashville, TN
I recently went to turn on my headlights and pulled the light knob clean out of the dash.

This afternoon, I put in a brand spankin' new headlight module. I got it plugged in and tested the lights and everything works fine.

When I plugged the dash back in, I had no dash illumination or overhead lights. I checked all the bulbs and they are all fine.

What could be the problem? Can the plugs that go into the back of the dashboard possibly go in 2 different ways...I mean can I put it in upside down. It doesn't seem so as I tried to turn it upside down and just didn't seem to want to fit.

Last thing I can tell you, when I plug both connectors into the dash and turn on the truck, I get the seatbelt light, the turn signals, the e-brake light, the battery light...

...just no dang dash illumination lights.

Who can shed some much needed LIGHT on this problem?

By the way...I also checked all the fuses...everything is fine.
 
I want to say the dash light wire is the orange with black stripe? if that helps. That's the one that I spliced into for my overlays......
Is it possible when you pulled it out, you damaged this wire?
 
I'm a little confused. Were you not able to put that old knob back in? Or did it break off? Are we talking about the knob that 1) pulls out for headlights and 2) turns clockwise/counterclock for dimming the instrument panel? Are you sure the knob's not dimmed too low?
 
We are talking about the same knob. Something cracked off in the old headlight module and wouldn't allow the know to re-seat.

I reused the old knob and it plugged into the new module like it was meant to.
I guess 19 years of turning on the lights just plum wore it out.

Now, I am the one confused. What do you mean by "dimmed to low?"
 
I know how to dim the lights and turn on the lights. I've had the jeep awhile. I though maybe XJade was referring to a setting in the module that I didn't know about.

Rest assured that I would turn the knob back and forth before asking for help. That is how I knew that I didn't have a dome light after all. I even turned the Jeep on to see if it wasould work when it was running.

Is there any possiblility that I may need to have the speedo cable hooked up. I can't imagine that would be the case.

Anyway, I played around with it more last night. I found that I had a faulty piece in the new module, so I disected the old one and swapped parts. Now I have a dome light, but still no dash lights.

More suggestions will be helpful. I may just pull the module out and go back and get another one tonight to see if that makes a difference.
 
Lucky you. Having not been familiar with this style of headlight knob, one day a couple of years ago I accidently discovered this same knob dimmed the dash. It was a "doh!" moment.

Anyways. I think immahonky is on to something about the orange/black striped wire. Two days ago I tapped into that wire for my new stereo's illumination. I tapped into it at the bulb pigtail that goes to the heat/AC control unit.
 
Thanks...I've noticed that wire coming out of the headlight module, but not out of the pigtail that goes into the dash.

I will follow it tonight and see if possibly I damaged it or pulled it loose in any way.
 
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