No Dash Lights! Help ?

Hey guys, so last night as i switched my lights on, My speedo, rev meter, and all the other gauges did not light up, all the hazard e.g. check engine, handbrake etc.. still do work. but none of the others, also the climate control lights do not turn on or the buttons for the HU. The only thing that does is the clock and face on the HU, but they are always lit up.

I believe it is just a fuse thats gone but when i looked on the lip of the box with the map on it i couldn't work out which one it was and i didn't want to go pulling them all out. Anybody know where i could find which fuse it is? i also don't have the manual for the car

It is the Top Left Fuse of the Drivers side kick panel.

You can use a test light or multimeter to test fuses with out removing them by using the pins on the back of the fuse.

Think its call Panel from memory on the back of the cover.

thanks for your quick reply geoff

i didnt even know there was a kick panel in it, i feel a bit stupid haha.
So u mean the AM1 40A one???

No it will be a small brown blade fuse 7.5Amp from memory not the 40Amp

oh wait, i read ur post wrong sorry, il go find a 7.5 fuse n try it out :0 fingers crossed!

Its the brown 7.5 Amp which is upside down.

i just went down and got some 7.5s from autobahn, switched them and nothing :/ i also switched the one called gauge, 3rd column 2nd one down, the 10a Red one and still nothing.

Were they Blown?

Also be careful if you have the dimmer switch out of the car because you need to complete the circuit for them to work.

it didnt look like it really, what did u mean out of the car :S Damn complicated cars lol

Have you got a multi meter? I can have a quick look while your here if you decide to pick up my headunit.

this was the fuse. sorry for massvie photo

Attached Image

im not sure if we do, il ask the old man when he gets home:) teez im trying out my friends HU its the same as yours, it should work, il let u know in a few days dont want to buy something then it end up not working

If you were investigating the issue under the dash and disconnected the [u]dimmer switch[\u] it will never work so make sure its plugged in.

That photo does not show if the fuse is blown or not, you need to see the wire in the plastic.

They need to be connected like these

Keep in mind that fuses can blow and still look to have a conductor in place. This is why its necisary to use a multimeter to check the resistance of the suspect fuse.

That's why i love test lights!

Yea its alright for a car till some bugger goes and uses the same test light to check their old wire fuse in there home! lol. mmm love the smell of napalm in the morning haha

no the wire is still together but the test light didnt come up when i tried. I guess i should just take it to toyota and get them to look at it.

The napalm would give an intersting start for sure:P Although i do remember trying to use one on by battery (cant exactly remember why) and shorting it out completly. Luckily the car turned on about 2 hours later

Where in Sydney are you located? I don't mind giving a hand.

Just because the wire is together doesnt mean its not dead!!! If your parallelin the fuse and he light is coming on then replace the fuse

Winston he has already replaced the fuse with a new one and the issue is still there.

I wanted to know the condition of the old fuse to see if a new one could have fixed it, As it hasn't fixed the issue i would say the old fuse is still good.

Next step i would checking if the fuse is getting power.

If you put a globe in parallel with a fuse and it lights up you make two conclusions.

1 you are getting power

2 the fuse is dead

Yes that's true, But much harder then it needs to be, testing with a multimeter to earth will be enough.

Now the fuse could be dead even though its new because you are blowing it as soon as you are turning the lights on. I would be checking for a dead short. What you need to do is check the resistance beween the instuiment side of your fuse holder with the fuse out and your car body. If its low then your shorting it out to earth. If you dont know which one is your instrument side check the voltage between the holder and earth. The instrument side will be zero.

This is why you need a multimeter. If you dont understand any of this take it to an auto electrician and point out to him the pannel fuse.

Oh I thought he already did this???

Unfortunatly im in SA geoff Thanks though