hey, so I have a 1995 Saturn SL1 and I the gauge cluster lights stopped working. I''ve checked all the fuses both inside the car and in the engine bay, I''ve checked the wires, they look fine to me, I''ve checked the bulbs, they seem fine...


I''ve checked everything I can think of checking, and nothing seems out of place or ripped or torn or anything, all the warning lights work(like the blinkers, the oil light, all those) just not the backlight and gauge lights, I''ve tried the dimmer control, checked to make sure it was pluggen in all the way, l read the owners manual and found the fuse for it, swapped the fuse with different fuses, brand new fuses everything, I don''t think it''s the fuse because other lights work, I was going to jump the plug to bypass the dimmer to see if it''s just a faulty dimmer, but there are 3 wires, a black one, a green one and another black one. how should I go abouts doing this?


I don''t want to go to Saturn and buy a new dimer just to test something out... so if anyone knows how to bypass a dimmer switch that has 3 wires, please let me know...


thanks a bunch

 

Well, the dark green wire is the one that goes to the dimmer fuse, then out to all the dash lights. I would disconnect the connector going to the dimmer module first, then attach a test lead to the dark green wire (terminal ''B''). Since this is the load side of the circuit, you will not short out anything.

Now, turn on your lights. The dash lights will not come on. Take the other end of the test lead, and carefully probe the wire on terminal ''A'', which should be the +12 volts for the dash lights. The dash lights should turn on and off as you test this circuit.

Assuming the lights work, replace the dimmer module

 

so I don''t use a wire to jump the plugs? what would happen if I connected just the 2 black wires? that would completely bypass the dim switch for the gauge cluster, and as long as it''s an independent series it should work at that point? keep in mind I know nothing about Saturn''s

 

ok so for anyone that is having the same problem here is the solution:


either buy a new dim switch (mine was faulty), or don''t have a dim switch at all and just jump the plug with a wire... kind of a hack job but it does work, you just wont have control how light or dark the gauge lights are

 

which 2 wires did you connect to make them work

 

Hmm, this thread was asked 0.5 scores ago (10 YEARS ago and the poster is banned for inactivity......

Anyway: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. CONFIRM IDENTIFICATION OF LEADS BY MONITORING VOLTAGES WITH SWITCH CONNECTOR ON AND OFF.

Per 11991-1993 Chilton Saturn S car Manual: (93 wiring diagrams seem good up to my 97 SC2...)

Green wire comes in from the Fuse (12V) at the fixed end of a variable resistance inside the DIM ILLUM pot.
My schematics do NOT show two black wires s the other two.
APPEARS that a BLACK wire (PRESUMABLY ground) is attached to THE OTHER END of the fixed resistance inside the DIM ILLUM pot.
This pathway forms a resistive load that, when the slider/tap on the resistance pot is adjusted all the way to include the full resistance of the fixed resistor, the resistive load is at its highest, the current flow is reduced, and the IP lights are dimmed to their min brightness.
The current flows through the tap lead which APPEARS to be BROWN, which then travels onward in the lighting circuit.

As the **** is rotated clockwise, the tap slides across the resistor and only includes PART of the resistance in the load circuit. Lower resistance, higher current, brighter IP cluster

So to bypass the DIM ILLUM Pot, you'd need to jump the green wire (12V) to the brown wire in the connector. This preserves the continuity and passes on the V/I to the next module.
VERIFY THE BLACK WIRE IS INDEED AT CHASSIS GROUND AND DO NOT PLUG THE GREEN INTO THE BLACK. That will be a dead short and will pop the fuse.

My concern in doing so is that this part of the lighting circuit will have NO LOAD (no current limiting), and if everything after it in the circuit combines to draw too much current, it will blow the fuse or overheat the wire.

One way to find out -- YOU ASSUME ALL RISK.
-----------------
Or you can just buy a new pot or get one from a junkyard.


Please report back w your results

 

Wonder if that is good on a 2001 l200

 

On a 2001 L200 it's the 2 grey wires to bypass the dimmer switch

 

Ummmmmm

No.

 

Wait, so you posted an L car question to a 10 YEAR OLD S car section?

You are the weakest link
Goodbye