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70 Road Runner Instrument Cluster Lights

Lew55

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Lake Zurich, IL
Apologies in advance if this has been asked before but I recently acquired a 70 Road Runner and the car is awesome and mechanically runs well but has a few electrical hiccups that are driving me nuts. I have the service manual from '70 and I can see where the lights are that need to be replaced for the instrument/gauge cluster but the problem is that I cannot get my fat hand back up in there to get them out. If I were to loosen the screws in on the front of the dash would that give me easy access to these lights along with the turn signal indicator bulbs? Is taking the face of the instrument cluster off a bad idea or what? Thanks for your input. I am a novice so please take it easy on me.
 
You can’t take the bezel off from outside; it’s held on with screws that come in from the back. There are 5 screws that will get the cluster loose. You can wiggle it out over the steering column and lower dash pad. Might need to remove the radio bezel too. Don’t forget to also unplug all the electrical connectors on the backside including the ammeter. Those wires are hot so the battery should be unhooked. If you have a service manual, all of that should be in there too. Keep reading.
 
As the previous poster expressed, you can remove the screws showing on the face of the instrument trim and tilt the entire assembly forward to access OR remove the cluster. The radio faceplate may have to be removed AND the nuts backed-off on the steering column mount/support under the dash. (This is on a rallye dash, by the way). It's a tight fit to remove the assembly, but (kind of) easily done. This is probably the easiest to change all the bulbs, although merely tilting the assembly forward may give you enough room. (I can't remember, but you'll figure it out when you tilt it forward.) Reinstalling the bulbs/sockets into the appropriate receptacle in the cluster is a treat, since there's no a lot of extra wire length to help you, or if you have fat fingers! I'll try to upload pictures of the cluster removed in my lap in the car, and out of the car, so you know what you're dealing with ahead of time.

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Do any of the lights currently work? It’s common for the rheostat to get gummy or quit working completely on the dimmer switch.
 
Do any of the lights currently work? It’s common for the rheostat to get gummy or quit working completely on the dimmer switch.
Currently none of the cluster lights work. I am a total novice though and I'll be honest I don't know what the rheostat is. Can you help me out and educate me? Thank you.
 
The thumbwheel switch on the dash. To adjust the brightness of the dash lights. Roll that switch around a few times and see if anything happens.
 
The thumbwheel switch on the dash. To adjust the brightness of the dash lights. Roll that switch around a few times and see if anything happens.
Thanks for clarifying...Yes I have tried this switch and nothing happens. The dome light does work when I open the door but it does not come on when I use this switch...and obviously neither do the cluster lights. I have been up behind the dash as much as my fat hands will allow and to the best of my knowledge everything is plugged in. Would the dome light not come on if the cluster lights were dead?
 
It works separate from the cluster lights, but that switch also should turn it on when rolled all the way up. Try running a jumper wire between the tan wire and the yellow w/tracer wire on the back of that switch and see if the dash lights work. If they do, then the switch is defective. If still no, then there are other issues. Also did you check the fuse? Check that first. Get a test light or multimeter and see if there is power coming in and going out.
 
It works separate from the cluster lights, but that switch also should turn it on when rolled all the way up. Try running a jumper wire between the tan wire and the yellow w/tracer wire on the back of that switch and see if the dash lights work. If they do, then the switch is defective. If still no, then there are other issues. Also did you check the fuse? Check that first. Get a test light or multimeter and see if there is power coming in and going out.

The first thing I did when I got the car a few months ago was replace all the fuses in the fuse block and that did not make a difference. I will check to see if there is power coming in and out with the multimeter. However, since I am a novice, I have no idea how to run a jumper wire. I think I know what you mean (providing power in an alternative way) but I have no idea how to safely do that. If it's not too much trouble for you BLK 68 R/T can you point me in the right direction? You've been a big help already...THANK YOU
 
Take the plug off the switch and insert a short length of wire between the two terminals in the plug, turn headlights on. See if the lights come on in the dash.
 
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