Hello all,having trouble with dash lights.Whem I hit lights switch all outside lights work but not dash lights.. Tryed a new light switch but nogo..Maybe dimmer switch is n.g.??Thanks for any clues...

GOLFGURU wrote:Hello all,having trouble with dash lights.Whem I hit lights switch all outside lights work but not dash lights.. Tryed a new light switch but nogo..Maybe dimmer switch is n.g.??Thanks for any clues...

Classic 900? if so, pull the drivers side speaker out of the top of the dash, stick your hand in the hole with the key turned on, and feel the back of the instrument cluster. On the top right and left you will feel (should fee) two round knob like projections...these are what house the dash lights bulbs...they are either burned out or their contacts are going bad...a very common issue.

see the two stand alone faded blue knobs on this unit at the top? those are the ones to check...if you wiggle them you may see them light...if so the bulbs are good and the contact is bad. They can be a bitch to turn.

Thanks ! But It's a 1973 SAAB 99LE...Thanks again!

GOLFGURU wrote:Thanks ! But It's a 1973 SAAB 99LE...Thanks again!

Ahh, my psychic abilities are not nearly as strong as they used to be.

Could still be burned out bulbs. They work in a similar manner. pull the steering wheel off, pull the plastic knobs off each of the gauges that have them...otherwise you risk breaking them...then pull the Vinyl surround off...and you can get at the back of the cluster. Should be a couple of wires that fit into round plastic tubes on the back of the housing...green wires if I remember correctly...pull these out and replace the bulbs.

One of my 99s is doing the same thing and I haven't looked into it yet. I'd start with the plug on the back of the instrument cluster. It's round and has round pins that always look dirty/corroded.

Pretty sure it's the dimmer switch. I had the same thing happen to me going over a bumb while crossing the border to the Canadian owners convention in the dead of night.

There is a fail safe on the PCB that makes up the dimmer, I belive mine burned out when one of the contacts to the hatch area light came loose and grounded.

I repaired the switch with a length of thin wire and solder.

Here are some pics to describe my post above.

Thanks Crazy S.and Gman,but I think Chouan has it..All dash and temp ect. knob lights don't work...Thanks Cman gonna check it...Let youzz know...

if the dimmer is bad you can easily test it by bypassing it. If all your lights work and are nice and bright you know its the dimmer. Most of the 99's I have come in contact with have already bypassed the dimmer...so while there is one in the dash its just a place holder and the lights are just on full bright.

ok ! tHx CMAN

Chouan wrote:Pretty sure it's the dimmer switch. I had the same thing happen to me going over a bumb while crossing the border to the Canadian owners convention in the dead of night.

There is a fail safe on the PCB that makes up the dimmer, I belive mine burned out when one of the contacts to the hatch area light came loose and grounded.

I repaired the switch with a length of thin wire and solder.

NICE! I'll have to look at mine at some point (when it warms up) and see if this was the cause of my failure.

Update; dimmer switch was bad..Thanks all..