Okay I'm going to make this as concise as possible.
as the title says I have no lights on my instrument cluster. Headlights work, retractors work, tail lights work, warning lights works, cig lights work. I've already had to jump the cables for the dimmer switch a while back which solved the problem initially. Drove the car everything was fine parked and when I jumped back in to drive again the dash lights would not come on.

​​​​​​Does anybody have an idea before I have to pull the gauge cluster out and chase grounds?

 

There is a single ground that doesn't require pulling the console to get at. You have to lay upside down under the steering column and look straight up. You will see a black ground that is attached with screw into the top of the dash. Its just behind the center of the cluster. I would start by messing with that first. Then I would pull the console out and make sure all the plugs are clean and replugged to make sure connections are good.

 

Make sure nobody connected the PRNDL wires next to the shifter, if you have a manual. There are two bullet connectors next to each other to the left of the shifter, that are for illuminating the automatic shifter's display. Automatic and manual got the same wiring harness. They are supposed to be left disconnected if you have a manual, connecting them will be a dead short on the illumination circuit. That usually is the reason why the dimmer control is broken, but it can also pop the fuse.

 

Thank you guys for the input. Update is I had to pull the gauge cluster and clean the contact points which DEAR GOD was a chore to remove. @peejay I already cut and capped those nasty wire to avoid any problems with them.

 

How did you get that harness loose? Is there a retaining clip on the connector or dues it just pull off??

 

I have this problem and I think I hooked up something to those connectors. Will look in to this it blew the dimmer switch for shire.

 

you have to disconnect the speedometer cable from the transmission to make enough slack to pull through...that will give you the ability to pull the dash out...now trying to fenangle that is the real challenge

 

Pierce Przybyla did you just remove the dimmer and solder the left over wires together? I may give that a try on my car if you did.

 

What I did was snip all the wires loop the hot and capped the ground.