ok so my 85' GL has a weird problem. the dash lites u know the one that come on at nite usually dont lite up. but within the past month they have lit up twice for like a few hours then gradually dim away. the question here is why when i accelerate the lites get brighter and when i idle the engine they get dim and eventually turn off and dont come on for like days somtimes weeks at a time. its like a special effects dimmer. can any one clue me in as to whats going on? i need them on for two reasons, i need them (obviously) and 2 they have the sickest color, amber on white numbers.

 

HELP!!!!

Sounds like the alt is going on the fritz...Its almost always a tell tale sign.

Sounds like the alt is going on the fritz...Its almost always a tell tale sign.

+1. I agree its probably the alt. Replace it and your problem should go away. What is your volt gauge reading?

I give everyone with alternator issues the same lecture. Do not put off replacing it. It is not worth putting off and getting stuck on the side of the road, believe me, I've been there. It takes 5 minutes to change an alternator and is a good learning experience.

What Kyle says^ and the more you run with a bad alt..the more stress you putting on the battery and shortening the life of that..Its been proven that usually shortly after an alt change..the battery takes a crapper too.

Sorry, I am not jumping on the bad alternator band wagon.

 

If this has been happening for "weeks" the battery and

thus the starting would be an issue.

 

Guess you have tried turning the dimmer control

when they go out? First thought was bad contact in it.

 

Tried turning the lights on/off/on/off?

 

Get the wiring diagram and find where their common ground

point is.

 

I think some people are thinking "the warning lights"

these are an indicater of a bad alt.

Hit the dash with your hand. When my dashlights go out this always seems to bring them back.

yeah that "fonzie slap" trick works when my heater blower motor stops working.

I assume that this problem is only going on with the dash lights and other things like the headlights are fine. If that is the case, I agree with Skip and the trouble is just isolated to the dash light circuit. The question now is; where is it?

 

First off, I would like to know if the dimmer control is set to the high position while the trouble occurs. If it is, then the trouble is most likely with a connector for the lights and not the dimmer control but it still could be. Like Skip stated, I also suggest you start the hunt for the trouble at the dimmer control using a test light probe. The info I have is for a different year so it may not be the same for your model year. It shows that a red green wire ties to the dash lights.

 

Testing needs to be done while the trouble is occurring. By placing the probe between ground and that wire you should be able to dim the light on the probe using the dimmer control. If the probe light works and the dash lights don't then the trouble is after the control. If you have no light on the probe then check the red wire going to the control. It should be 12 volts and light the light up. If there is voltage there then the problem is with the dimmer control but be sure to check that black wire going to the dimmer control is really at ground potential by placing your probe tip on it. There should be no light there if the ground is good.

also the head lights go off and when that happens i wiggle the switch and they come back on but the nite lights on da dash stay off

i had an '86, same type of headlight switch, and same problem.

 

replace the headlight switch.

i had an '86, same type of headlight switch, and same problem.

 

replace the headlight switch.

i kinda was thinkin the headlite switch but wasn't sure bout it. nice avater btw^^^^