Instrument panel & switch lights not working

[wsheldon]

A few months ago we experienced intermittent problems with the main instrument panel lights and illuminated switches failing to light up when the headlights were turned on in our 1996 Explorer XLT. Adjusting the panel dimmer switch changed the intensity of the stereo button backlighting and turned on the dome light, but no other lights came on. Some days the panel/switch lights would come on and work normally, and other days not. I checked the fusable links and swapped the relevant 7.5A fuse (slot 7) for good measure, but this didn't fix the problem. After about a week the problem inexplicably went away. Two weeks ago the problem came back and now seems permanent. Before I start tearing into the dashboard looking for loose wires, are there any known problems (e.g. with the dimmer switch) that can cause this? Thanks for any advice.

 

[Blee1099]

Welcome to the site.. Since you have a 1996, you may have some blown instrument panel light bulbs.. Tearing into the dash isn't complicated to change the bulbs out.. I've done it enough times that I'm used to it.. I've replaced my headlight switch plus some of the instrument panel lights.. Just refer to a Chilton manual or similar on how to remove the dash.

 

[wsheldon]

Ben,

Thanks, but would blowing a few bulbs in the instrument panel also knock out the switch lights on both doors and the steering wheel (cruise control)? They all went out at the same time (and came back on at the same time when it was intermittent). I would hope they would put them in parallel to avoid the Christmas tree light problem. I'm glad it isn't too hard to get into the dash, though -- I'll check out the Clinton manuals.

 

[Lee S.]

Sounds to me like your dimmer switch was going and then finally went. Are all interior lights normally controlled by the dimmer out? If so I'd look to replacing the dimmer switch.

Here's a link for replacing the headlight switch bulb (the dimmer if right next to it). It has instructions on dash removal which is pretty easy to follow:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86455

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

Lee

 

[wsheldon]

All of the lights controlled by the dimmer switch are out *except* for the stereo, which is the weird part. When the headlights are on the dimmer switch changes the stereo backlighting normally. Otherwise I'd be sure it was the dimmer switch too. Thanks for the link on the dash removal -- I may try it this weekend and look at the dimmer switch in case there is just a loose wire in there or the switch is partially fried (like one set of contacts are bad).

 

[Lee S.]

That is wierd with the dimmer switch still working the radio lights but nothing else.

I'm certainly no expert on this but I seem to remember reading a thread on the GEM which controls most of the electronic functions including I believe some lighting functions. Apparently when the GEM goes bad strange things start to happen. I don't want to send you on a wild goose chase but you may want to do a GEM search to look into this as a possible cause unless someone else chimes in.

Removing the dash parts to get to the switches is a piece of cake. Just did it myself this weekend to replace the lightswitch bulb with an LED. You won't need a manual if you follow the instructions in the link. They're as good or better than the instructions in my Haynes manual.

Lee

 

[Arnie897]

Are your parking lights working? I just had to changed fuse number 3 the other day for a similar problem...

 

[mjbach]

Try wiggling the dimmer switch side to side without rolling it. See if you notice anything different with your lights when you wiggle it side to side.

Our dimmer switches were causing the radio control lights to go blank when you turned on the head lights. We could get one of the Explorers to work normally when we wiggled the dimmer side to side. Replacing the dimmer fixed our problems but we had different symptoms than you're describing.