Dash lights won't work , fades out

[prosty]

Soon parting this car out.. I'm so tired of small **** going on, I can handle an engine failure but electrical problems.............


Here's the deal:

The dash lights won't go on, when I turn on the ignition , the AC panel lights up, as soon as I turn on the main beams, the ac panel fades out , the instrument cluster never lights up.... I've tried the rheostat, I've switched instrument cluster, tested ALL the freaking bulbs without any issues, when I changed the cluster, the lights worked, unitl I floored it. The light went out, at about 5000 rpm and 100km/h

I looked at the fuse box. 2 fuses blown, I switched these fuses, still no lights. This is killing me!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean wtf

I've had the whole interior apart last winter, but wtf could cause this, I mean it works untill 5000 rpm and then it goes out?? Takes 2 fuses with it and then it doesn't work anymore...

Then when I drove it tonight (couldn't see how fast I was going.......) I tried to press the autocheck, then the KM/H light came on, and as soon as I passed 100km/h, the KM/H light came on all the time, I turned off the ignition, started the car again and no KM/H light when I tried the autocheck this time....... I've tried 2 different clusters with different rheostats and same issue, can't be rheostat, and it worked for 15 minutes until I gave the car WOT.

Could it be some relay beeing overloaded. I've read something about a relay between the 3 aux gauges?? Please help me with this. I'm so angry , soon I'm just setting the car on fire. My patience is gone.......

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Do I need to change the whole damn electrical system to get this POS sold?

I mean the engine and everything in the running gears works awesome... But this is truly making my hairs grey.. I hate this.

[topsparky]

have you checked the voltage @ the alternator
could it be spiking to high a voltage or current

[LHD_Kid]

I too had the same problem, believe it or not...
turned out the I had put a larger than necessary bulb in my boost guage, and after a while the booster thing mounted behind the 3 guages stopped and the lights dimmed and stayed dim...
easiest way of checking, if yoiu have aftermarket or extra gauges fitted, remove the bulbs only from these gauges... If the rest work fine its this, and you simply need to change where you took the positive from to power them....
HTH
Chris

[prosty]

The alternator is rebuilt and it does provide quite much of power, how can I regulate this so it doesn't give off any spikes???

My boost gauge is not connected to the dimmer, it is connected to the ignition, it lights up without any issues. And the bulb is the one that was included with the VDO group buy. I will try to remove these bulbs since I've replaced these and those in the A/C panel. But IIRC they are stock bulbs... And I've had this problem even without the boost meter plugged in.. But I will try this tomorrow, thanks for the help..

[Jas11n]

The dashlights have a often not known about booster relay. It's located behind the centre console/aux gauges. If this isn't working, allsorts of crazy stuff happens to your dashlights.

HTH's
Jas..

[prosty]

My aux panels didn't have a booster relay. I have a 95 year model. What else can be the problem?? I tried disconnecting the three gauges and the instrument cluster, but the ac panel still fades out when turning on the main beams, and the instrument cluster never lights up.. This is really killing me

[S2central.net]

I think the booster module is there on all cars beside the aux guages - I don't think it was deleted for 1995. I'll check...

My thoughts would be on that booster module, or the alternator, or the voltage regulator on the cluster or maybe just a bad earth or intermittent connection with a damaged part of the loom that is causing the short circuit ?

Tell me what fuses are blowing and I can help you much better from the schematics - do not give up - its just electrics - a bunch of wires and some volts !


Paul

[S2central.net]

I think the booster module is there on all cars beside the aux guages - I don't think it was deleted for 1995. I'll check...

My thoughts would be on that booster module, or the alternator, or the voltage regulator on the cluster or maybe just a bad earth or intermittent connection with a damaged part of the loom that is causing the short circuit ?

Tell me what fuses are blowing and I can help you much better from the schematics - do not give up - its just electrics - a bunch of wires and some volts !


Paul

Pic attached showing booster relay on 1995 Coupe or Avant...

[prosty]

Yes I've seen that picture from etka but I can't find the relay in my car. Weird as hell.
In my friends car, we found it attached to the loom, but not in my car.

[prosty]

It's the interior (15a) fuse that always blows up, I think its number 14.. not sure though.

Ordered a new light switch stick, maybe that one is broken

[prosty]

I found this... This is weird.

First this , where are these supposed to go. One is light blue with a white stripe. One is a white cable with a connector, one is brown (probably a ground cable) and then a blue / red cable



Then this , what is this black connector supposed to be hooked up to??



S2|Andreas told me that the blue / white cable could be one of the dimmer cables. But I'm not sure. I mean look at my stereo ISO cable. Someone retarded must have owned the car before me to make things look like that.............

[LHD_Kid]

I reckon, if this was mine, the first job I would do is to get out the soldering iron and heat shrink, and solder all the joints which are obviously correct and tidy it all up a bit... this would rule out a bad connection in any existing wiring.... It would also make it clearer to spot any wires not connected to anything, and also possibly where they should go...
A bit of work, but really worthwhile...
it does still sound like that booster, or as paul say maybe an earth problem..... but ay least with everything connected 'properly' you can rule out bad joints....
Keep the faith, you will find the problem...!
Chris

[S2central.net]

That is pretty gnarly looking... I've found the schematics - just need to find some time to scan/copy them for you. It does look like a previous owner has made some major bodge in there. Nasty...


PAul

[prosty]

Okay that sounds good..

[S2central.net]

One question - does your car have factory fitted alarm and immo ?

It matters cos the interior lighting circuit diagrams are different.