I have a '65 convertible. Last month I installed an electric fan and inadvertently created a closed circuit between the (I)gnition terminal and the starter terminal on the starter solenoid. When I started the car the starter remained engaged and all the lights were flashing like crazy. I quickly pulled the negative battery cable and everything seems OK except for the backlights on the instrument cluster and the light on the automatic transmission shifter. The lights are not blown (I took them out and checked them) but they do not light up. I also checked the fuses – they are OK. All of the other electrical circuits are OK, including the other instrument cluster lights and gauges. If I read the wiring diagram correctly, the backlights and the shifter light are on the same circuit. Anyone have any ideas as to what I may have done and how to fix it?

John
Honolulu

 

Those lights go through a fuse on the fuse block but it originates on the headlight switch. Check to see the if the dimmer is turned down. If that doesn't work you may have burned out the variable resistor on the headlight switch.

 

The headlight switch does not seem to be working either. The headlights come on when I pull but when I rotate it there is no effect on the instrument lights.

So you think replacing the switch may solve the problem? I just found this YouTube video for replacing the switch:

http://www.youtube.com/user/cutupman.../0/iDyxciegjtI

 

If the fuse is blown or the wire has burned up then it will act the same way. Check to see if you have power at either end of the fuse.

 

There should be a fuse on the switch, too. Look for the glass tube on the headlight switch. It may be hard to find without removing the switch from the dash.

 

Thanks 67t5 & SB. There was no visible fuse on the light switch, but we replaced the unit and everything works fine now. We also put new LED lights in the instrument panel.