First See my Cave, Dash Dimmer Could be transistor is bad, not dimmer wheel.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Thanks for the info. I traced it back to the dimmer controller, when i took it apart the board that the contacts slide on was all burned up so i guess the next question is, is it ok to just bypass this until i can get one or is that a bad idea? -PaulJK- PM returned
Dimmer wheel burned? likely transistor is bad too.
Both are available new... Wells, BWD, ACDelco
Both sold separately I assume.
BTW Not to hijack the thread. My dimmer switch, which should adjust the dash lights, doesn't. Does that sound like a bad resistor, to you guys? Not a big priority, because the dash light are bright enough at this point but still I would like to get them going sometime
Originally posted by 92wastheyear: Both sold separately I assume.
BTW Not to hijack the thread. My dimmer switch, which should adjust the dash lights, doesn't. Does that sound like a bad resistor, to you guys? Not a big priority, because the dash light are bright enough at this point but still I would like to get them going sometime
yes.
sounds like someone bypassed the transistor because wheel or transistor has problems
Originally posted by 92wastheyear: For what it is worth, the wheel still works to turn on the dome lights...is that still consistent with the transistor being bypassed?
Yes. That is normal. Dome light is a different circuit and uses B & C terminals on the wheel.
[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 07-03-2013).]
Every place ive contacted about the dimmer wheel has said its discontinued thats y I was thinking of just bypassing it by soldering in a resister at the brightness I like
Every place ive contacted about the dimmer wheel has said its discontinued thats y I was thinking of just bypassing it by soldering in a resister at the brightness I like
You can use any "normal" resistor with a transistor... W/o a transistor, the resistor must pass more power and need watts.
Technically, the SM, Haynes, etc, cave included, miss a "small" detail...
The dial has two resistors and only one of them is used to dim the lights. The second resistor, the black area in the middle of the printed circuit, goes to the ground on B terminal. The ground means the dial is using a "voltage divider" set up and the circuit is a bit more complicated than we all think.
Can you use normal fix or variable resistors to control the transistor without the OE part? Yes most definitely but how you do it does take more time. First just Google or Wiki: Voltage divider
I didn't know until last year when I made this picture. I'll update the cave article very soon with the more accurate schematic.
I see the Summit Racing link won't work right now on my computer, but that one actually looks right. The autozone one at the link above doesn't look right, but if you look at autozone you will probably find one that does. It was an "also viewed." I knew I had come across them a number of times. I'm sure they are out there. I think JC Whitney has them, but I often have trouble with their site and especially links to it.
[This message has been edited by 85 SE VIN 9 (edited 07-04-2013).]