dash light dimmer, switch.

If you dont know you should ask. Thats how I was taught to think. That being said i have a question about the dash light dimmer. While I was delivering pizzas a couple weeks ago, I was fooling with my dash dimmer switch. I was trying to dim the lights a bit so I could see house numbers better. Well I guess I put to much pressure on it and it broke. Well Its all still there but the thumbwheel part clicked and now they wont come on at all. Anyone know Id you can replace the switch by itself. It should be a simple potentiometer (sp?)right? Or do I have to replace the whole switch panel? I havent had the time to look into it yet, so I thought I would ask where someone will know. Thanks a bunch! Its getting to the time of the year, where its dark on my drive to work (my regular 9-5 as a laser printer service tech), and soon enough be dark on my drive home too. I really feel uncomfortable with no dash lights! THANKS AGAIN!

The dimmer part of the light switch is a pot, just like you suspect. But it is a high current, low resistance one. The reistance wire of the pot looks almost like a small version of the coil holding a spiral notebook together, or the coil in a hot plate. AFAIK, a "typical" pot wont work very well, and will likely really overheat.

Remove the small trim panel (2 screws at bottom, just pops out on top). Light sw is attached to a metal frame with 2 screws. You may have to remove the left most screw that holds the cluster trim piece on and bend it out a little to get the switch out. Once out, you will see the pot exposed on the side of the light switch. Maybe you will be able to see what is screwed up and repair it.



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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 23 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 04 Taurus Duratec (wifes car) // 91 Topaz (daughters first car)

a wire wound "pot" is actually called a rheostat. They are a lot higher power and low current. they can range from 5 to 100 watts or more.
you can replace it with a pot but not directly. you'll need to drive a couple high power mosfets.
i'd say just find someone who is parting their car and buy a new one.

thanks guys for the responses, I have an electronics professor, that owes me a favor. In the lab where I went to school there are millions of parts, pots, stats, caps, resistors. Everything you need to teach an electronics program. I thought if it was a simple pot Id stop buy and see my old teacher and get one. Thanks again!