Rehostat issues

[krs09]

Damn dash lights. My rehostat worked fine before I started messing with it. Now I have no lights at all. I tried to hook it right back up and no matter what I do I cant get it to work . Is there a pic of how its supposed to be hooked up (I looked at the diagram and its a little vauge). I also heard you can just hook all the wires together to have steady dash lights but I didnt want to cut the connectors off so I tried to make my own connector (3 female connectors and spliced all together at one end with no dice). tips? concerns? Thanks guys and gals.

[ccurzio]

You really should be able to hook all the wires together and have the lights come on at full brightness and stay there. If that's not working the problem may be elsewhere. Have you checked your fuses? I know when my rheostat started dying it took the fuse with it.

Be sure to make sure your passenger-side tail light works, too. It's wired straight off the rheostat.

[Jonathan]

This is what the backside of mine looks like.

24556

[Bitsyncmaster]

You probably have a broken wire since it worked before you played with it. Check that red/white wire at the terminal on the rheostat.

[rdarlington]

This is what the backside of mine looks like.

24556

Jonathan, it appears you're missing a wire. I have a blue one on the far right (same side where you're missing a connector, position doesn't matter over there).

[krs09]

You really should be able to hook all the wires together and have the lights come on at full brightness and stay there. If that's not working the problem may be elsewhere. Have you checked your fuses? I know when my rheostat started dying it took the fuse with it.

Be sure to make sure your passenger-side tail light works, too. It's wired straight off the rheostat.

Haa. My passenger side tail light HAS mysteriously stopped working.. .. .. .. Whats going on. :huh:

[Jonathan]

Jonathan, it appears you're missing a wire. I have a blue one on the far right (same side where you're missing a connector, position doesn't matter over there).

Hey (sorry, is it Rob or Rod?), can you tell me a bit more about that blue wire? Do you know where it is coming from (or where it is going)? I don't see it on the wiring schematic.

24560

[krs09]

This is what the backside of mine looks like.

24556

Beautiful. Thanks.

[krs09]

Jonathan, it appears you're missing a wire. I have a blue one on the far right (same side where you're missing a connector, position doesn't matter over there).

Mine looks like jons too (same wires at least)

[David T]

Mine looks like jons too (same wires at least)

The blue wire is going to the lights in the lights in the ASI radio.

[ccurzio]

Haa. My passenger side tail light HAS mysteriously stopped working.. .. .. .. Whats going on. :huh:

Yup. Kinda figured you'd find that out. ;)

I found that out the hard way - got pulled over on my way home from a New Years party a year ago for having a tail light out on the same day my rheostat shit itself. After I got home and looked at the wiring diagram (after some sleep) did I confirm that they're wired together.

[rdarlington]

I spent hours trying to figure out why the shiny new LED bulb I put in my hazard light switch wouldn't light up. The one for the headlight was fine, the 4 lighting up the AC controls was fine, the one for "Lock Doors" was fine, but not the one in the damn hazard switch.

Yeah, it gets its power through the rheostat. It doesn't dim, mind you. That's just where the power comes from. WTF.

-Bob

[krs09]

Yup, after days of frustration and checking it turns out being a blown fuse. Wow, i feel like an a hole. Sorry for the false alarm :bash:- thanks for all the help... Not to change topics but now that i have most of the lights working my turn signals are flickering randomly - all lights do light. My front lights dont flicker with the turn signals or hazard but the rears work. Bad flasher??

[DMCMW Dave]

No . Bad turn signal sockets


Sent from phone

[krs09]

No . Bad turn signal sockets


Sent from phone

Dammit. I just replaced a socket. Damn. Whats weird too is there no rhythm to the blinks, like they'll blink so fast that the light doesn't have a chance to go fully out (get dim then light right back up again) or so slow that is seems like it wont light back up then bam it comes back on and sometimes normal - a very intermittent flash but the front are wonky. I think I did have the wrong bulbs in (only had one contact on the base and replaced them with the bulbs that have two contacts (much brighter and better contact overall)). And the clicking noise in the dash is all out of wack. So it might be a good idea to replace the front sockets or rear tail boards?.. . .. Damn gremlins!!!:gunfire:

[DMCMW Dave]

Before you change the front sockets, pull off the upper grille (where the DMC logo is) and find the 3-wire connectors from the parking lights. Clean them. They get wet all the time and when corroded will act like bad sockets. If you have not cleaned the sockets do that too.

[krs09]

Before you change the front sockets, pull off the upper grille (where the DMC logo is) and find the 3-wire connectors from the parking lights. Clean them. They get wet all the time and when corroded will act like bad sockets. If you have not cleaned the sockets do that too.

Thanks Dave, I will check that.

[Jonathan]

Thanks Dave, I will check that.

The connectors for the trunk light and switch are behind the grille too if you needed to check on them for issues as well.

[Oliver Holler]

I just did this yesterday, and took some photos to share since I get so much help from the great folks here.
My dimmer, or rheostat quit working. The dash lights were on, but very dim. The knob spun freely to no effect.
So I bought the 'repair' part from DMC Florida (about $14), which is a tiny little plastic piece that commonly breaks.
I pried the metal back off the rheostat housing, and immediately saw broken plastic pieces floating around in there.
This is what it looks like inside...
25722
Crazy! (You can see the black plastic piece, half on, and half off the center shaft.)
The repair was simple and fast.
I removed the parts carefully, keeping track of orientation.
Lifted up the 'circuit board', removing the broken center 'button.'
Snapped the fresh, new button in.
Here's a picture of the new button in place, and the old parts beside.
25723
Returned the parts to their proper place.
And pressed the metal cover back on. It was a snug fit anyway, so I don't think it will fall off. You can add a drop of epoxy or something if your cover feels loose.
Wired it up, and it works great!
-Oliver

[BigBenb84]

Like Oliver's, my binnacle lights (incandescent) are super dim no matter how the rheostat is spun. I pressed the orange and white wires together bypassing the rheostat and they were very bright so I knows it's the dimmer. I just opened it up and the plastic piece is intact, but the silver metal is peeling up here. I assume that's my problem. Is a new disc in the repair kit? What's my options?

26761

[Dangermouse]

Reading Oliver's post, I think the kit is just the plastic piece.

I just jumpers mine as I kept it fairly bright anyway.

You could post a wanted ad.