Where is dashboard dimmer switch?

buy it used like this or just failed now 30 years later? called out of the blue failed?
name all lamps in the dash that fail there are many
we can not guess them all.
the dash has piles of cluster lamps. (errors) and has background lamps that are DIMMER controlled.
dashboards have many lamps even the shift lever does.

1. car starts and riuns good
2. HL work key on and off, headlamps
3. park ing lamps work
4. dome lamp work (door opens domes glow)
5. cluster error lamps work or not.
6. cluster back ground dimmers work or not.
7. AC panel dead. lamps yes.
8. the car has 2 or more fuse boxs, you do know that riight
9. all facts matter above to fast accurate diagnosis. (I give up)
10. this car had option AUTO lamps , got that?

F13 ,IP box is fuse that can blow. is park feed (HL) to dash
and via the DIMMER. and also glows Illumination on AC panel
THE AC active lamp is a whole other matter.
if the DIMMER works on high but not below that is a BAD dimmer control, for sure)

IP fuse F6 is for AutO Lamps OPTED CARS.


THIS MAKES NO SENSE
I the dimmer switch turn the interior light on still so I'm assuming it's still good
IF DIMMER FAILS FAILS ALL MODES THE FUSE IS BLOWN
IF DIMMER FAILS ONLY OFF HIGH THE DIMMER ITSELF IS BAD.
IT HAS ONLY 2 PINS ON IT.
HOT WITH PARK OR HL ON.
THIS PATH IS DASH AND CLUSTER ILLUMINATION FEED
OR BACKGROUND LAMPS, ONLY, FOR NIGHT DRIVING.

Do you have a 'dimmer switch' on your dashboard?

A dimmer switch allows you to reduce the power /light to the instrument gauges for night driving. A faulty dimmer switch can cause those problems you describe (I'm in the UK and drive a 1998 Jeep which has an identical problem...)

If you don't have a dimmer switch the fault is likely to be a loose bulb in the instrument cluster- the gauges, or a wiring problem in the dashboard.

Piggybacked 99 XJ from 2014 DEC. ok. no biggie.
but what car, same? XJ up to 2001?
op my guess he blew fuse 9 or 16
i bet the self test failed with the OP's car.
but lets talk your car, is it a 99 XJ?
the FSM covers this.
here is the full answer here. see instrument pages, read.

http://www.fixkick.com/Jeeps/cluster-hack.html

the used head will not work it has the wrong VIN stored inside it


other tricks are here, including ASD stalls. and free books.

http://www.fixkick.com/Jeeps/jeeps.html

1999 XJ? facts on head,
pdc fuse 16 blown?
cab fuse 9 blown?
self test fails.?
now the hard wired warn LAMPS just this one year 99
seat belts
and low washer fluid
ABS fail.
brake warn. or hand brake engaged
chime inputs. hard wired.
tURNS (L/r) active and high beam.
illumination (back ground glows) works, hard wired TOO.
DEAD LIST.
all else will be dead if COMMs are lost or fuses out. depends on which fuse is dead, if both blown all warns dead and gauges.
meters all dead. with loss of comm and some warns below.
cel dead.
upshift dead
low fuel dead or stuck (stuck on or off is still dead)

the photo below shows why meters die
when comm LINK dies. or 12v power to head.

check the dimmer switch, I had the same problem. this dimmer switch didn`t dim on low beem but went out on high beams, turned the dimmer switch up and down/on and off and it came back on.

Hi Remarie,here's a link to where your dimmer switch is. Duralast Dimmer Switch SW2837 1994 Nissan Datsun Pathfinder 2WD 6...

By looking at the headlight switch arm photo it looks like the dimmer is the ring in the middle of the stick.

There are two "dimmers".. The first is used to switch between high and low beam healamps. This switch is integrated into the "smartswitch" which contains the turn signals as well. The other dimmer switch is for the dashboard lamps and allows you to adjust the brightness of the dashlights. This is part of the the headlamp switch assembly.This is a common failure item in impalas and when it fails it usually results in loss of dashboard lamps when driving at night. Replacement of the headlamp switch is necessary.

All lights do not burn out. Either it is the dimmer switch itself is faulty or the dimmer switch is too low for the lamps to register on the dashboard.

operate your instrument panel dimmer switch. If this does not rectify the problem replace dimmer switch

replace the headlight switch