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Cheaper place for dash dimmer switch ?

pearljam724

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Is there a cheaper place than EBay for a new dash dimmer switch at $145 ? Damn that’s rediculous ! I know I can refurbish mine, which I might. But, I’d prefer new of course.
 
Nope, those are pricy as hell and damn near unobtanium NOS.
By the way, a LOT more than the dash dimmer wiring passes through 'em.
Ma used them as sort of a junction box for a lot of other wiring as well.
 
Nope, those are pricy as hell and damn near unobtanium NOS.
By the way, a LOT more than the dash dimmer wiring passes through 'em.
Ma used them as sort of a junction box for a lot of other wiring as well.
Yeah, I think mine is wrecking havoc on my turn signals for some unknown reason. I’ve checked, I’ve tried and changed everything to new except it. The dimmer turns on my parking lights, lol ! And my dash lights are always on, as long as ignition is on.
 
Yeah, I think mine is wrecking havoc on my turn signals for some unknown reason. I’ve checked, I’ve tried and changed everything to new except it. The dimmer turns on my parking lights, lol ! And my dash lights are always on, as long as ignition is on.
That sounds entirely possible. You'd do well to fetch a factory service manual for the car, which has all the wiring schematics in it.
In the meantime, you can download a free schematic for your car here:
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=27
 
Is there a cheaper place than EBay for a new dash dimmer switch at $145 ? Damn that’s rediculous ! I know I can refurbish mine, which I might. But, I’d prefer new of course.
IMO, if I were you, I would have mine rebuilt. A NOS 50 year old one will more than likely be corroded and not work well. I don't recall who rebuilt mine but he told me he gets a lot of new (never installed) switches that wouldn't work because of corrosion. I sent him 2 for rebuild. I think he charged me about $80.00 each but that was 3 years ago.
 
I got mine from the long-time gentleman on eBay who redoes them better than new - for a price.
He does darn good work. Knowledgeable fella to pick his brain some, too.
 
Come on guys, it varies the light level of your dash lights and will turn on your dome light. It does nothing else and is a simple rheostat and switch.
 
That sounds entirely possible. You'd do well to fetch a factory service manual for the car, which has all the wiring schematics in it.
In the meantime, you can download a free schematic for your car here:
http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=27
Come on guys, it varies the light level of your dash lights and will turn on your dome light. It does nothing else and is a simple rheostat and switch.
Then how come it turns on my parking lights ? Lol ! You can’t hook one up incorrectly. I don’t know ?
 
upload_2019-6-14_22-32-44.png
 
You can bypass the dimmer wheel, by unplugging and using a couple of short pieces of wire, 3 male terminals and 1 female terminal. After bypassing, dash lights worked, and you can use the wheel to turn on dome/courtesy lights, but you can't adjust the brightness of the dash lights (but hey, they aren't too bright all the way up anyways).


Ernesto
 
You got it connected to your mood ring too....

Sorry, but there's only three contacts. Two, for in and out on the rheostat, for the dash lights and a ground contacting switch to turn on your dome light.

It has ZERO to do with your signal or running lights.

beerestoration2018 962.JPG
 
This is the guy you want to fetch a rebuilt one from:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rebuilt-68...m443f651925:m:mUwxRJHokC317eVq0nuwICA&vxp=mtr
Dude has been doing them for a long time now. Good people, too.


BTW, back when I first pulled the instrument cluster out of the car due to a lack of some lights working EVERYWHERE, inside and outside the car, I went through everything in the cluster and installed the digital voltage limiter and such. All new bulbs and sockets, the whole she-bang.
Buttoned it back up and although I had it all working on the bench, it still had issues in the car, so I went after the dimmer switch.
Once I bit the bullet and got the nice one from this fellow I linked to above, not only did the dash lights come to life, so did every OTHER light on the car that wasn't working before - map, dome, side markers, etc.

There's just something about how the power is distributed between the dimmer and the headlight switch next to it that was cured with the new dimmer switch - and it wasn't the pigtails or wiring between them.
The gentleman who sells the rebuilt dimmers on eBay confirmed that when I asked him, too - once you get a good dimmer switch in the car, all sorts of good things can happen with lighting all over the car.
I've witnessed it myself. Best $150 I spent that week. :thumbsup:
 
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You got it connected to your mood ring too....

Sorry, but there's only three contacts. Two, for in and out on the rheostat, for the dash lights and a ground contacting switch to turn on your dome light.

It has ZERO to do with your signal or running lights.

View attachment 783433
That was a funny response, lol ! Ok, I get it. But, explain why it turns on my parking lights ? No wiring is butchered, it’s all original connections. I’m not arguing, but if you look at the schematics there are more than just a few wires
This is the guy you want to fetch a rebuilt one from:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rebuilt-68...m443f651925:m:mUwxRJHokC317eVq0nuwICA&vxp=mtr
Dude has been doing them for a long time now. Good people, too.


BTW, back when I first pulled the instrument cluster out of the car due to a lack of some lights working EVERYWHERE, inside and outside the car, I went through everything in the cluster and installed the digital voltage limiter and such. All new bulbs and sockets, the whole she-bang.
Buttoned it back up and although I had it all working on the bench, it still had issues in the car, so I went after the dimmer switch.
Once I bit the bullet and got the nice one from this fellow I linked to above, not only did the dash lights come to life, so did every OTHER light on the car that wasn't working before - map, dome, side markers, etc.

There's just something about how the power is distributed between the dimmer and the headlight switch next to it that was cured with the new dimmer switch - and it wasn't the pigtails or wiring between them.
The gentleman who sells the rebuilt dimmers on eBay confirmed that when I asked him, too - once you get a good dimmer switch in the car, all sorts of good things can happen with lighting all over the car.
I've witnessed it myself. Best $150 I spent that week. :thumbsup:
Thank you, my friend. Yeah, it’s no bs. The dimmer thumbwheel turns on my parking lights when I turn the wheel all the way up. It also dims the parking lights when I turn the wheel down. But, doesn’t dim the dash cluster bulbs. I might just bypass it. That was a great suggestion. I don’t like the price on the refurbished ones. Considering they cost more than a new reproduction. If the refurbished ones were 15 -20 dollars cheaper than a new rebroduction. I’d be ok with that route.
 
That was a funny response, lol ! Ok, I get it. But, explain why it turns on my parking lights ? No wiring is butchered, it’s all original connections. I’m not arguing, but if you look at the schematics there are more than just a few wires

There are not... there are three wires. Ground out to the dome light through the casing and the dash lights rheostat. None go to the park lights. You've got something screwed up in the harness somewhere...
beerestoration2018 959.JPG

beerestoration2018 964.JPG
 
There are not... there are three wires. Ground out to the dome light through the casing and the dash lights rheostat. None go to the park lights. You've got something screwed up in the harness somewhere...View attachment 783446
View attachment 783445
I agree, something is screwed up somewhere. I replaced my gauge cluster a few months ago. What makes it trivial though. Is the dimmer switch is connected correctly. You can’t accidentally grab and hook up the wrong harness. There’s only one like it. And everything worked correctly shortly after new gauge cluster. I fixed and replaced so many parts it makes it difficult to pinpoint what caused the issue. I know it’s something simple, just can’t find it. I don’t blow fuses any where. No bulbs ever burn out, etc. All I know is the dimmer switch shouldn’t turn on or off parking lights and that’s what it does. That odd part, if it dims parking lights. Why doesn’t it dim cluster bulbs ? Driving me nuts.
 
I found they were difficult to locate. I was lucky enough to get mine from one of the Mods on this site that had a GTX and a spare one. All the way from NZ to CA. If I was you I would rebuild the one you have if you can rather than getting porked by eBay.
 
That was a funny response, lol ! Ok, I get it. But, explain why it turns on my parking lights ? No wiring is butchered, it’s all original connections. I’m not arguing, but if you look at the schematics there are more than just a few wires

Thank you, my friend. Yeah, it’s no bs. The dimmer thumbwheel turns on my parking lights when I turn the wheel all the way up. It also dims the parking lights when I turn the wheel down. But, doesn’t dim the dash cluster bulbs. I might just bypass it. That was a great suggestion. I don’t like the price on the refurbished ones. Considering they cost more than a new reproduction. If the refurbished ones were 15 -20 dollars cheaper than a new rebroduction. I’d be ok with that route.
Get one from the fella on eBay I linked to above. Trust me.
 
Get one from the fella on eBay I linked to above. Trust me.
Yup......Devininsm is the guy that rebuilt both of mine. I see he raised his price but he does have a $25.00 core charge included on the ebay auction. Maybe he gave me a better deal for sending two for rebuild. You can try rebuilding it yourself but without a new rheostat, you are probably not going to gain much. It costs a lot of money to keep our old iron alive and well.
 
not 100% on 68-70 but the pics above seem to support it-

that dimmer is SUPER common and was in use all the way into the 1980's

in fact for cars with a push/pull headlight switch and dimmer side by side, the whole assembly is the same
 
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