Dash Lights still won't work, HELP PLEASE!

Hey guys, I just bought a 03 Taco TRD O/R! When I picked it up I didn't realize the dash lights didn't work until it got dark out. Operated dimmer switch and nothing changed. When I say the dash lights don't work I mean that the background lighting for the heater, radio and instrument panel are not working. Check engine lights, speedo(gauges), and radio all still work they just don't have any back lighting. I figured it was just a fuse. Got home and checked all the fuses it could be, actually I checked them all just to make sure. None of the fuses were popped in neither inside the cab or in the engine bay. Then I did some reading on here and decided to change the dimmer switch, went to the junk yard and found 2 switches, just in case that all of them were bad. Swapped them in and still none of the dimmer switches made any difference. I'm sort of thinking I might have a bad ground or something. Does anyone have any idea where the grounds for this would be or have any idea of what could possibly cause this? FYI it still has the original radio and it does not have a trailer brake, all exterior lights still work. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

Is the truck an automatic?

 

Not sure about the radio lights but could it be just some of your bulbs are burnt out in the instrument panel and hvac? If I am understanding your question correctly.

 

Truck is a 5 speed manual, 4x4. I forgot to add, I also changed all the lights for the hvac and instrument panel.

 

Let me rephrase that, I replaced all the bulbs in the instrument panel and hvac thinking they might be burnt out, but still no lights.

 

Maybe a bad relay switch?

 

simple question, so forgive me...

did you turn the headlights on on the stick? the headlights will come on no matter what...but your instrument lights and tail lights don't come on until you spin the end of the blinker stalk.

 

Had this happen to me also. My truck did not have brake lights either when it happened. 2004 TRD . It turned out to be the trailer light control box. Not the electric brake controller, the small box that plugs into each tail light harness. This was an aftermarket piece. Disconnected that and all the lights worked. Is your truck equipped for trailer lights?

 

Whenever I turn the headlights on, on the stick the headlights and tailights turn on but the instrument lights never do, even moving the dimmer switch.

 

Do you have any idea where I could find the bad relay switch if there is one?

 

Trucks brake lights still work as far as I know and truck doesn't have a trailer brake and isn't equipped for trailer lights. Maybe the previous owner had one and took it off before sale, i'll take a look in the morning.

 

you have either lost ground or the rheostat--dimmer is bad you can test it by taking a length of wire and on the back side use the white wire with green stripe. Ground it out to the frame or something and if it's the ground you will have lights instantly. Then you need to find out where the wiring short is after that. But you can run the truck like that permanently but you will have zero dimming and crazy full power dash lights!! I would also look for any signs of trailer hitch power wiring. It can short out and give that whole circuit full power without you even in the truck. Mine got bad enough that my tail lights brake lights turn signals and dash light all blinked at the same time!! Wild stuff that electricity and circuits. The dome and map lights are a perfect example of what i mean. put in a dome led and 2 map leds and your lights wont work very well at all inside.

 

Also the lights you replaced may or may not work. Some bulbs only work when installed correctly and since you have no power to test them im betting $100 you'll have to go back in do it again.

 

Yeah, I figured i'll have to go back into the dash. Luckily i'll have some time off next week to actually look into it.

 

I love blue dash lights in my truck and green on my bike!

 

On my way to work tonight I swung underneath the rear of my truck and noticed I have a stray wire just dangling underneath the truck near the tail lights. So I'm guessing the previous owner had a trailer brake installed and just never removed it properly. In the morning I'll take a better look at it but I think that would be the culprit. I'll let you guys know what I find in the morning.

 

Well, I finally had time to check out that wire dangling from the back of the truck and reconnected it. Still no luck. Anybody have any other ideas of what it could be?

 

Sounds like you need to get a DMM and start tracing the wire that powers the cluster bulbs. Start at the fuse and work you way toward the cluster and towards the battery. Also, check to see if the previous owner installed LED bulbs in place of the incandescent. Some LED are incompatible with the stock wiring.

 

FINALLY found why the dash lights weren't working! Had some time today and ripped apart the dash and found a green and red striped wire going to some box in the dash had been cut! So, I looked at the dimmer switch and what do you know, a green and red wire. Connected the wire back together and LIGHT! After the dash lights started working I noticed that the HVAC lights still weren't working. I remember when I had this problem earlier I replaced all the lights with LEDs. Luckily I kept the old lights and put them back in the HVAC lights and BAM! Everything works now! I'm a happy camper now.

 

Don't forget to pay it forward and cut some random wires under the dash when you sell the truck at some point.

give the new owner something to do with his/her weekends...