TheSamba.com :: View topic - Dash lights don't come on..........Anyone?

Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:37 pm

Hey folks, I got into my van the other evening and noticed that when I put the lights on that the dash(instrument) lights didn't come on. Along with that the ciggy light didn't come on either. I figure they are on the same line. The lighter did work and I did check the dimmer position/adjustment. The fuses check to be good by eye. The lights worked fine and I did not notice anything else wrong.

Before I start pulling out the dash..........I was just wondering if there is somewhere I should look first. Like , this may be one of those known v-dub electrical problems ?

Thanks, John

Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:52 pm

When I first got sucked in to buying a westie, <g>
my dash lights didnt work, I picked up a switch at a wrecking yard that was the cure.

Fri Jul 18, 2008 1:56 pm

sounds like it's a fuse.

Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:10 pm

Don't forget to make sure the dimmer switch is turned all the up.

Fri Jul 18, 2008 2:17 pm

Check to make sure the fuses are in the correct slots. I mistakenly put one in an empty slot then wondered why my sh*t didn't work. The fuses were all good but one was in the wrong place.

Fri Jul 18, 2008 11:11 pm

I've had two bad dimmer switches. The first was simply bypassed, so the dash was always on. The second only works when all the way up.(pretty much same as bypassed) Look into it if no fuses are blown.

Sat Jul 19, 2008 5:28 am

If those simple fixes don't work, it may be that a connector has come loose in the cluster. I wouldn't think you would have to remove the whole dash, just the cluster shroud.

Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:30 am

You may want to check the blue foil. the jackass PO of my van did some shoddy electrical work on my van and burned out the part of the foil that goes to the dash lights. I'm going to fix this when I take the dash out to fix the front heater motor. It was a long cold winter in my vanagon, since the aforementioned jackassPO also bypassed the rear heater

Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:05 pm

I just checked the fuses. It's funny, I had a BLADE fuse blown. Put a new one in and moved the dimmer dial around and POP ! It blew again ! I swapped in a spare switch(presumably good) and proceeded to blow another fuse after moving the dimmer. I figure I'm now looking for a chaffed wire now. But which one??? Beautiful !

Sat Jul 19, 2008 11:33 pm

I would start with the blue ribbon. Then move to the light switch. Sounds like your in for some fun...

My dash lights fried tonight when I put in junk aftermarket LED bulbs...