Today I turn on my headlights and I hear a click and the cluster lights up for a second and then goes out. Do I just need to replace the bulb? I have a '96 SE with stock gauges and 150k+ miles.

If I just need to replace the bulb can I just pick one up at autozone? If so, how do I go about putting it in?

Thanks!

 

The gauge cluster is luminated by multiple bulbs. If nothing is working you probably blew a fuse - which you can buy at Autozone.

 

Thanks. Is it possible that I blew the fuse just by turning the switch on? Also, how can I find out which fuse(s) I need to replace.

 

Sometimes they just blow. I believe there is a diagram telling which fuse controls what in the fuse panel. If you can't find it there check the owners manual. If you replace it and you continue to blow fuses then you have a bigger problem.

 

I checked out most of the fuses and I replaced a few, and the cluster still won't light up. Does anyone know what fuse is for the guage cluster?

 

It says int.illum. or something along those lines... anyhoo, if u blew a fuse, there's reason for it, it doesnt blow just because. You have a short or something somewhere.

Check the fuse, and if that doesnt work, make sure you check your dimmer switch... make sure the impedence is to spec.

 

I checked the INT ILL fuse and its OK. Maybe its the dimmer switch...how can I check it out?

 

All the lighting fuses are OK but my tail lights and corner lights don't come on either. Could it just be that one of the lights burnt out and since they are in relay, nothing else works?( I'm not sure if this is true..it's a guess)

 

You def. blew a fuse... check tail.l

 

I checked the tail light fuse and its OK...please check your PM

 

Are you sure your checking the fused correctly, when my rear and corner lights went out it WAS my fuse that blew.

 

I pulled out the tail L fuse and it looked fine. Did your gauges go out too?

Edit: Just replaced the tailight fuse under the hood and now the tails and corners are working. Now the only the dash lights and gauges don't work. I think the problem is related because they all stopped working this afternoon when I tried to turn on my lights.

Could it be possible that there was some sort of a surge that blew the fuse for the tailights/corner lights (the one I replaced) and also burnt out the dimmer switch (which is why the interior dash/instrument cluster lights still won't work)?

 

check all the fuses under the hood. Either its your fuse(s), or you fried a circuit somewhere...which is bad.

but most likely its your fuse. Problem is locating it. I had the SAME problem as you and it was a fuse.

 

OK. Just went out to mess with the fuses and this is what happened.

I check the INT ILL fuse (7.5A) and it was blown.
Taillights and corner lights still worked.
Replaced the INT ILL fuse with another 7.5A fuse and it also burnt out.
Replaced the INT ILL fuse with a 20A fuse, and the 20A fuse didn't blow but the 15A TAIL fuse (under the hood) and the tail lights and corner lights stopped working.
Replaced the 15A TAIL fuse with a 20A fuse.
Tail lights and corner lights worked again.

What I think is up. The cluster/dash light circuit has some sort of short keeps on blowing the fuse, but there is some relation to the tailights, because when the fuse is larger than the tail light fuse, the tail light fuse blows. I am going to leave the tail light fuse as it is and leave the fuse for the INT ILL out until I can find out what is causing the fuse to continuosly blow. Any suggestions are welcome.

THANKS for your help so far!
-tsaulz

 

Fixed the crap. When I hit a pothole, it caused a worn illumination wire behind the dash (where the radio and AC controls are) to ground itself and short out.

 

So you got it all working?

 

yeah, its all fixed.

 

I'm glad you solved this issue, but for searching purposes, let me say that fuses do not "just blow". Fuses blow because they short out. The catalyst of that short varies from problem to problem. You can have a short from too much current (when you put wires together you create a bigger load) or you can have a short from grounding out (as in this case). Merely replacing the fuse is a band aid only.

tsaulz ... good job checking all that stuff ... I'm sure it wasn't fun or easy to find.