Dimmer switch malfunction?

[dogred]

My dashlight dimmer switch I think is malfunctioning. I turn on my headlights and I get only headlights, no dash or running lights. After the vehicle warms up to the second line on the gauge (this is a rough measurement) the dash and running lights kick on.

Is anyone else having this problem?

The only thing I can find that is common is that power touches some oil sensors that power the lights also.

[PEZi]

never had that issue... and i suck at wiring stuff too so im glad

i personally don't have dash lights anymore tho

[damn]

My dashlight dimmer switch I think is malfunctioning. I turn on my headlights and I get only headlights, no dash or running lights. After the vehicle warms up to the second line on the gauge (this is a rough measurement) the dash and running lights kick on.

Is anyone else having this problem?

The only thing I can find that is common is that power touches some oil sensors that power the lights also.

I think the dimmer switch only control's how bright you want the interior lights to be..Sounds like it could be a bad relay.

[flinterman2000]

Are you talking about the high/low beam switch. According to the service manual there is no dimmer switch. What happens in my truck, the high beams come on for themselves after you turn on the lights. A little play with the low beam and it comes off. The problem is the high/low beam switch.

[Project Trucker]

for my truck it takes a minute for the lights to come on then every thing is up and ready to go

[PEZi]

Are you talking about the high/low beam switch. According to the service manual there is no dimmer switch.

there is a switch to the right of the steering wheel located on the dash that controls the brightness of the interior lights called a dimmer switch

[Aven]

I was having issues with mine. I pulled the switch apart. The problem with mine was two of the three contacts from the rheostat had broken free. To fix it I soldered three small pieces of wire to the rheostat and then inserted them into the board and soldered them. Its not a great soldering job, but for my first, it worked.

[dlarsona]

I had a similar problem but my headlights would also come on when the truck was just sitting - usually when it was raining outside. It got so bad that I had to park the truck away from the windows or disconnect the battery so it wouldn't wake me up all night: Lights on - lights off - lights on - lights off.

The switch was really easy to fix. I simply wrapped a piece of electrical tape around each contact "finger" so that it had a little more gap at the contact point. They're also easy to bend and could be adjusted that way as well I suppose...

[dogred]

Well I have just learned to use this as my guide to let the engine warm up first. It is just a small nusance right now. My truck has all the original wiring and plugs, no one has tapped, cut, sliced in to the stock harness.(which is a blessing) This problem had nothing to do with the dimmer switch, which I later found out by looking at the wiring diagrams. The switch works like it is supposed to.

[turbojunker]

If you take the headlight switch apart and clean the contacts it will stop doing that. My truck used to do the same thing. Cold weather made it even worse. When it was below freezing it would take like 2 minutes before the parking and dash lights would come on.

[dogred]

Thanks for the info.