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sic86
10th October 2005, 07:32 PM
It's happened ever since i got the car, but all of a sudden in stopped, now 8 months later it is back again. I'll be driving along and all the lights in the interior turns off. I have to bump the dash for it to work for a little while again. Does anyone know how to fix this problem? As when you are flying around cornors at night time it is kind of a distraction.

Cheers

Jusdrifn 86
10th October 2005, 09:32 PM
that is the same thing that happens to me hey...
tap on the switch and they come back on, i dont get it

i pulled the switching unit out and cant find fault... but seeing that the lights behind the air-controls and headlights dont go off, it must be in the wiring to the dash, i will pull that out next week when my immobiliser goes in

[MET]
10th October 2005, 09:56 PM
ive had 3 sprinters, all had this problem in way shape or form, be it the dash only the headlights only or everything all together.

All 3 times i found the only problem was the actually switch, it is commonly known to be faulty. It doesnt look like it but it is the connection between the actual place where the plug joins the back of the switch. Not the actual plastic plug join but the part with makes contact with the metal of the switch itself

Solution? new switch $$$$ or try and pull it to bits and improve the connection by solidering it etc. I just used afew rubber bands to push the connection together better it seemed to work fine lol

sic86
10th October 2005, 09:58 PM
Was this type of switch set-up only on the ae86's?

Cheers

Jusdrifn 86
10th October 2005, 10:02 PM
i put an extra washer into the shaft to push the metal contacts hard up against each other to stop my headlights loosing contact...

but the dash lights just dont work sometimes

[MET]
10th October 2005, 10:18 PM
washer on the front yeah? your problem may lie in the rear connection, one of those wires is the dash one, otherwise like you said may be deep in the dash! http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/sad.gif

Sprinter_Seth
10th October 2005, 10:45 PM
just do what i do, give the dash cluster a bit of a punch http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/tongue.gif works for me http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/biggrin.gif

warning though it will crack your dash as i just did the other day :S can u just get the replacement clear plastic cover?

blackers
10th October 2005, 10:53 PM
From my experience (yes I've had it too) it's not actually the plug into the light switch, it's the switch itself. Carefully prise the rear section of the switch apart, you will find a small circut board with wires coming out of it that join to the rear section bit that you just prised out. The solder around these wires cracks and causes the problem. Re-solder the wires, board and anything else that you can see with a soldered joint, snap the switch back together again and you will have no further dramas. The reason why most people find that the lights work again after removing and reconnecting the plug is that it slightly disturbs these broken soldered joints causing them to reconnect and work again. Hope this solves the problem. http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/cool.gif
Cheers
Mark

rthy
10th October 2005, 11:31 PM
hey guys try this: take the plastic suround off around the gauges, behind the headlight switch is a single black wire. Tap into that black wire and ground it to an aditional source and let me know if that fixes it.

blackers
11th October 2005, 10:27 AM
Put that black wire to earth and it will set the dash lights at full illumination and the dimmer will not work. You will also find that the lights at the heater controls will not work.
Cheers
Mark

ToySprinta
11th October 2005, 06:27 PM
Originally posted by Blackers@Oct 10 2005, 09:53 PM
From my experience (yes I've had it too) it's not actually the plug into the light switch, it's the switch itself. Carefully prise the rear section of the switch apart, you will find a small circut board with wires coming out of it that join to the rear section bit that you just prised out. The solder around these wires cracks and causes the problem. Re-solder the wires, board and anything else that you can see with a soldered joint, snap the switch back together again and you will have no further dramas. The reason why most people find that the lights work again after removing and reconnecting the plug is that it slightly disturbs these broken soldered joints causing them to reconnect and work again. Hope this solves the problem. http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/cool.gif
Cheers
Mark
Listen to this man, he is Right

Had this problem in 4 different Sprinters and this fixed them all

matt2fat
20th November 2005, 09:30 PM
and if ur not to confident with the old soldering iron take the switch out and take it to a auto elec or someone thats specilizes in dash clusters and components and get it fixed! mine cost $40 bucks! its just like new!!

Wally
20th November 2005, 10:25 PM
this happened to me... now my relay is busted!! http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/sad.gif

taitran
22nd November 2005, 09:31 PM
So how do i actually remove this switch, just the other day i lost my dash lights and my parkers (front and rear) is this related? or is it something else eg: Fuse?.

ae86
22nd November 2005, 09:35 PM
that happenes to both our sprinters too..
daves dash lights nver ever come on and mine come on when they feel like it..
if its an easy fix id do it, otherwise i really dont care about it.. and i dont have to rely on my dash to drive, you have to do it by listening to the car !

and pacing other cars thru speed cameras http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forums/emoticons/laugh.gif

ToySprinta
22nd November 2005, 09:36 PM
if the parkers are gone as well, it sounds like a fuse

taitran
22nd November 2005, 09:41 PM
Are these the fuses in the Drivers kick panel?. Ive checked them and they seem to be fine, could it be a wiring problem?.
Indicators and headlights work fine, so i think everything that has to do with dash lights, parkers doesnt work.

ToySprinta
22nd November 2005, 09:43 PM
Originally posted by taitran@Nov 22 2005, 08:31 PM
So how do i actually remove this switch,
You have to remove the instrument surround (the black plastic around the instruments and whathe the switches and vents are set into.
Pull off the lights and wiper knobs and undo the plastic nut holding them in place, then find all the bastard screws holding the surround in place. You don't have to pull it completly out (its a bitch to get over the steering wheel if you don't pull it offf) just enough to get in and unplug it, then pull it out.