Dash lights

[Charge68]

Before I ask my question, I just want to say how much your feed back on posts is appreciated. I am a newbie but really want to learn. Dash lights on my 72 Charger (rally dash) is blowing the 5 amp fuse. Gauges are working and I don't see any other faults, just dash lights. They were working last fall. Over the winter the dash was out to change speedo cable and replace one bulb. Any thoughts? Thanks

 

[Demonic]

The dash illumination circuit does quite a few lights in the orange wire in 72. It has the ash tray light, quadrant indicator light in the column if it's column shift, heater or AC control lamps, radio light, clock lamp, etc. There should be an orange mold accessory three way plug under the dash - at 5 amps, the only thing you can add is a few more bulbs. I'm looking at a 72 FSM. On 8-149 it shows the connection for the AC or heater control lamps, and there's a caption that says "12v feed voltage limiter brake system oil pressure", but I'm thinking that might be one of the FSM mistakes, because the same caption is at the cluster plug A, wire P2B-20DBL.

I believe you can download a 72 FSM at MyMopar.com. Or put an amp meter across the empty 5A fuse cavity and see what it actually draws, briefly.

 

[steve340]

My car is not a 72 but I had a similar problem. I put new dash illumination bulbs in and it was forcing the connector to far back in the holder causing a short.
It was tight to get in so I filed the lead connector on the bottom of the bulb down a bit and all good.
Also when you had the dash out you could have pinched a wire.

 

[Charge68]

The dash illumination circuit does quite a few lights in the orange wire in 72. It has the ash tray light, quadrant indicator light in the column if it's column shift, heater or AC control lamps, radio light, clock lamp, etc. There should be an orange mold accessory three way plug under the dash - at 5 amps, the only thing you can add is a few more bulbs. I'm looking at a 72 FSM. On 8-149 it shows the connection for the AC or heater control lamps, and there's a caption that says "12v feed voltage limiter brake system oil pressure", but I'm thinking that might be one of the FSM mistakes, because the same caption is at the cluster plug A, wire P2B-20DBL.

I believe you can download a 72 FSM at MyMopar.com. Or put an amp meter across the empty 5A fuse cavity and see what it actually draws, briefly.

Thank you.

 

[Charge68]

Thank you