In my '89 260e the gauge lights, heat controlls, headlight switch, and window controlls don't light up. The only thing in my car I can see when I am driving is the radio. The dome light and curtacy lights word. Is there some fuse or something behind the dash that I need to check. I know its not the bulbs behind the gauge cluster. What should I do? Thanks
There is a group of ground wires behind the cluster unscrew clean off just in case. I would check the fuses, actually just replace them. New fuses are copper no corrosion issues and tougher little buggers they dont just pop.
Look at your instrument cluster panel (where your trip meter, fuel gauge etc). There are 2 "small knob/button" on the lower part of the panel. One of them is to reset the trip counter. Take a look on the other one (the one on your left if I am not mistaken), switch on the head light and rotate the knob to clockwise and see whether the light comes on. If it doesn't come on then rotate anti-clockwise and clockwise a couple of times. If it is still problem then perhaps it cause by fuse or wiring.
I think that yapso got it right. The potentiometer that controls insturment lighting brightness can get oxidized causing the lights to quit. Twist that knob he's talking about back and forth a bunch of times and the lights will probably start working again. If not it's time to check fuses thoroughly.
the trip meter reset button and the dimmer (potentiometer) for the inside lights are one-in-the-same. i lost all of my inside lights once when i tried to reset my trip meter. the dimmer just wore out. i could have just soldered in a jumper so that the lights were full-on all the time, but i decided to just replace the dimmer altogether. i had to pull the instrument cluster to get to it. the dimmer/reset button just screws into the back of the cluster.
Thanks guys!!! It worked. I twisted the knob a few times untill I found a spot where they stay on. If it doesn't stay on I might just have to pull out the cluster and put in a new dimmer switch. Thanks for the help!
The potentiometer that controls cluster brightness consists of a ni-chrome wire spiral wound in a ceramic insulator. The wire oxidizes with age and so does the wiper. If you try to change cluster brightness or simply change the setting accidentally when you reset the trip meter, the connection can be broken and the lights go out. The spiral wound wire almost never breaks. This is true for cars built for decades and decades. Now more recent stuff uses electronic dimming so all bets are off.
Anyway, this knob twisting (aka exercising) is a well-known trick for restoring cluster lighting operation. Everyone would benefit by twisitng that little knob back and forth a dozen or so times every time they change the oil.
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