Well, the gremlins are at it again

My instrument cluster (speedo, tach, etc.) is not lighting up, but if I jiggle the light switch while turning on the lights it sometimes illuminates.

Can I clean anything or should I replace the switch?

 

You can remove the light stalk and open it and clean the crud and contacts, add dielectric grease and reassemble.

1)Remove the cow around the steering column, 3 phillips screws on the bottom recessed in the plastic. It then unsnaps on the left and right and can be removed.
2) Turn the wheel left or right 90 degrees and you will see two small phillips screws near the column on the left that you can remove.
3) Wiggle slightly and pull the stalk by the base near the column and pull out towards the drivers window.
4) A few phillips screws to remove on the base where the contacts slide back and forth inside, and you will need something like a small thin flat blade screwdriver to pry/pop the thing open once the screws are removed.
5) Observe carefully the assembly, and open slowly. You will need to reassembly the same way. There are 3 or 4 plastic pieces that align to slide, back and forth as you move the stalk and rotate the stalk to make the various connections. You will see some residue. Take clean the copper (I think or brass, cannot recall) with emery cloth, coat with dielectric grease and realign contacts and plastic pieces and pop back together. Once you have done it once, you can do the whole thing in 10-15 minutes. First time may take 30 minutes or so as you figure out the best way to pop it open, and get the 3 or 4 pieces all lined up going back together. Same basic concept on the wiper arm/stalk on the other side.

This is off the top of my head, I have some notes and pics somewhere I will try to post if I can locate them. You should be able to search the forum or do a Google search and find some notes/pics as well.

This can be the problem if you have some portion of the lights that do not work, often tail lights and dash lights go out together as one symptom. Not 100% sure this is the issue, but a good chance.

You can pick up a used one (D1 & D2 use the same stalk) for $30 or so from the used parts guys. It is nice to have. I got the used one, and then repaired my old one, and now have a spare. It was also nice to have another one to open slowly, after I pulled my original apart and was not sure how the puzzle worked exactly to get the contacts to slide correctly when I needed to reassemble. Not that complicated at all, but just have to figure the right combination to get it back together.

 

Thank you for the info!

Daytime doesn't bother me, but at night there's no lights on the dash, so I can't even see how fast or slow I am driving as the speedo, tach, etc. are all blacked out.

Will attempt this this coming week and report back

 

Check to see your back running lights are working too as they are effected by the same contact as the dash lights. You don't want a ticket..... You'll find that the offending contact has probably caused an overheated blade connection and melted the connector block and or softened the blade. It's fairly common as these vehicles are getting old.

 

ihscouts - Running lights all work, just the instrument panel

 

Well, I took the instrument switch out, disassembled it, cleaned it with electrical contact cleaner, and then reapplied some dielectric grease only to find out that my back running lights stopped working

When I turn the instrument lights on I hear a loud click from the glove box (my glove box light was damaged by the previous owner), and my cd deck also does a weird light flicker when I attempt to turn the instrument lights on.

I did see a small scorch in the connector block upon reassembly... so the switch has gone on the fritz. I can get by for the time being with the fog lights and I guess it is time to get a replacement.

 

As is common.

Remove the female blade connector from the multi-plug and crimp it just enough to be snug with the male blade. I use a dremel to remove oxidation from high resistance connections (overheated/loose). I used a dremel with a brass wire wheel to polish up the male connector. Dielectric and done. Try moving the multi-plug by rocking it up and down on the stalk connector while pushing in hard.

 

ihscouts - Thank you for your help. I will try what you mentioned and report back

 

Well I managed to swing by a wrecker and pick up:

• 1 used headlight switch / stalk for $50
• 1 replacement glove box light housing with bulb $10

Dash illumination, and rear daytime running lights all working properly now I also made sure to use electrical cleaner on all the connectors so everything is clean as well as crimp the female connectors a touch on the headlight switch.

I also lucked out and found LR OEM heavy duty front floor mats for the passenger and driver side for $5 for both!

Thank you everyone for the help and for your time!

 

Kind of expensive but less than a inop equipment ticket.....

Good job! Glad to hear the good news.