1985 Chevy Celebrity dash lights/tail lights not working-fu

SPITEMEIMIRISH

MEMBER
1985 CHEVROLET CELEBRITY
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
116,000 MILES

First things first-are the dash and tail lights on the same circuit? I'm assuming they are because they both went out around the same time it seems. Another thing is I noticed that my dash lights flickered on & off when I adjusted the switch that turns on the headlights(it's a rotating switch for the dashlights and controls the brightness also-but im sure u knew that-duh.) So the fuses are good, im not bad at fixing wires and stuff, but I need to pinpoint the problem and im not experienced enough to do that. Could you give me some sugestions? Here's a tip to help you. When I engage and rotate the lights dimmer switch -the dash lights would flicker? My first guess would be the switch is bad, but why do my headlights work but tail lights and dash light do not? Anyways - any insight on this problem would be most appreciated.

1 Reply

JDL

MECHANIC
16,098 POSTS

Hello, hope you got it fixed by now? I look at the headlite switch on this vehicle as a double system. The headlites usually work off circuit breaker part of the switch, usually not a fused circuit, fusible link.

The dash lites/tail lites also work off the headlite switch, but, should be a fused circuit. Usually the brown wire from the headlite switch is for the dash and tail, on this model they usually go out together. I wasn't looking at a wiring diagram, but, usually brown wire.