Sharkbait

My instrument light is out. When I turn on the headlights, my instruments are all dark except the gear indicator. Yes, I've tried adjusting the brightness, no difference. What is the usual culprit and does the dash have to be removed entirely to fix it? On a side note, a small piece of paper is near my speedometer and I cannot figure out how to get that thing out of there.

Also, on my air situation. It only seems to blow hot and it will not adjust up to the defrost or to the floor. It only blows out the vents. Usual culprit and do they have to remove the entire dash?

Thanks for any help.

ColinB

Sharkbait
I had the same fault you did. I posted a reply to another Rennlister just a week ago on the instrument lights question. Here it is slightly amended.

The lights have two supplies, one from the ignition switch direct, this lights up the instruments when the sidelights are off. With sidelights on power is supplied from the light switch via the dimmer and a series resistor.

I eventually found my instrument light series resistor unplugged. Reconnected it and it works fine now.

Finding the resistor was tricky as it's some distance from the instruments. Its a coil perhaps 3/4" in diameter heavy bare wire. It's covered by a metal shield perforated with1/4" holes. It has a white female connector with two blue and black wires. On my 89GT it's bolted to the brake pedal bracket but my car is right hand drive. Yours may be elsewhere. The white plug is easier to spot than the resistor itself.

As for the paper in the cluster, yes, you'd have to remove the pod and cluster to get it out.

Hope this helps

Colin

.

MBMB

I can't find the instrument light resistor on my 1989 GT. Could someone post a picture or directions, please?

Thanks.

Mrmerlin

MB read the owners manual it will give pictures of all of the buttons and what they do

MBMB

I'm not talking about the variable resistor. I'm talking about the resistor mentioned in this thread, which is wired in series after the variable resistor but before the instrument lights.

ColinB describes it:

"On my 89GT it's bolted to the brake pedal bracket but my car is right hand drive."

I couldn't find it in that area on my LHD GT.

riviera455

old topic, but ill give it a try,
mbmb , did you find that resistor?
i have the exact same issue, no instrumentlights, only the clock,shifter, ***** and ac head unit lights up and are working with dimmer.
just no lights at speedo and rmp gauge.
so i have to find the resistor to

thes cars all have the same problems , good for us

riviera455

found it,,,well i mean i didnt, i fixed it.
i didnt found the resistor on the brake pedal thing, i found in that place a white connector with just an isolated pin in that connects the two white plastic connectors to each other. it seems like for some cars they have to fit something between these two white connectors.
i think they where a little loose ,,put them back together and voila,,,instrumentlights working.
i say i think because i also have been pulling and pushing on other connectors that i could reach at the back of the instrumentpanel