Hello all, new to the forum, not to the MOnte's...
I Have me a 1974 454 ci rockin roller, but I have a dilemma with dashlights rite now.
I have had no speedo lite or right directional blinker on the dash since I bought the car last year. now the left directional has failed. I replaced all 12 bulbs in the instrument cluster to no avail. [:@]
The imprinted plastic looked fine, the directionals outside the car operate fine,
the gas gauge has lite,

but still no directional blinkies inside and no speedo lite... makes driving by tach at nite a bit awkward[8D] but I'll keep doin it if needed! I put my faith into the turn signalling!! heh ha har!

anyone with ideas on where to look next? Being a older vehicle this unit has been messed around with by others, so wiring can be a hodgepodge to follow circuits , like through the non-operational alarm system and such, massive bundles all wrapped in black electrical tape...a rgh.. but I'll try anything once so... any ideas are appreciated!

[IMG]local://upfiles/4031/C6C310000E044C35841B05ECB68253AB.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/4031/9215944E4DB849EDB86AE772EB15E64D.jpg[/IMG]

 

nice looking monte.

But how good are you in wireing?
If it was mine i would get rid of the printed circut crap and go with straight LED's
they are cheap, you can light in any color ya wnat, they will dim some , and they are also half the load on the system, AND the best part of all. they last for damed near forever!!
you could wire all of them up in a series system and then hot glue it to the back of the cluster. and be done with it

 

Thanks for the kudos Knightfan,
Mickey, thanks for the LED advice,

I need to be sure the circuits working first though, was hoping someone had familiarity, you know, maybe someone had that happens and says to me 'ohh, replace the hazard relay'... but..[8D]- I had lefty directional indicator last year, this year...neither... argh!

anyways- if anyone's curious,
she's an original 454 car, Landau top, that was removed when painted,
a texas car, born in Arlington,
my understanding is it belonged to a cop down there, had the 454 swapped with a better version 454CID, competition cam, forged crank, balanced pistons/rods (etc.), coated pistons, edlebrock performer2.0 intake, holley 750cfm carb, 700R4 (auto with overdrive) transmission, (rebuilt that last spring), hooker headers, flowmaster 40's to smooth the sound....she's loud, fast enough for me, and got some pull for sure...my first 'big block' too!

The cop sold the car due to divorce, a young dude bought it, had it painted(Billy Miles) in Oklahoma, that's RM Extreme Ocean/Ocean paint, changes from green to blue to purple depending on yer angle, really good paint, real eyecatcher, up here in NY we have few of them but from what I've seen this car is more 'changing' than all I have seen so far...some hate it, some like it... I like it... so...

the young dude sold it for another project, an older guy bought it drove it abit then decided it was too much motor, and I bought and inducted/trailered her to NY, where I need more clearance for the pothole roads!!
So really my priority is a carb rebuild and shocks/springs right now, the dash lites is a bonus jobright now..heh har har- the signals outside work, I drive by tahc at nite...or glowstick!!

Thanks for the replies though- hopefully I see more! and thanks for the welcome, hopefully I can lend a word here and there and get some too!
my other summer ride is a 1965 Mopar -4 door coronet 440 (318 CID- gas sipper)... anyone looking for one? can't hardly bear to list it but.....
http://rochester.craigslist.org/car/603857035.html

 

after rereading this and seeign it again and actually thinking mor eon this. Change the light switch out.
those old switches were the same for most G.M. cars for years even the trucks.
and in my past exp. if the dash lights were out most of the time it was the switch.
they would get wore out and or get dusty and break connection.
they are cheap you can mostlikly get them for afew bucks.
to check to see tha tyou have power on them in the dash take the switch out and use a test light to see i fyou have a hot wire commign in on the connections. I for get witch are witch but that switch is not a complicated one so you should be abel to figure it out pretty easily.

 

Thanks again Mickey, but me thinks it's not the switch for lights.(unless I'm missing something - which happens often enough!
and I like the LED idea, could do a blue to match the interior/exterior...but first I need the circuits all functional or it won't matter...

Here's the thing:

The lites in the dashboard function when the lights are turned on, they dim and brighten normally. EXCEPT for the speedometer light. speedo light hasn't worked since I bought the car...

when I bought the car last year the right turn signal-interior directional indicator light did not lite (so when I click to signal/turn right --all I get is the "clicky clicky" sound from inside the car- Flowmaster 40's make it tough to hear that..)

The left turn signal indicator lite stopped working as of this spring... So I had assumed initially... 'ahhh bad bulbs" after all bulbs are cheap, right? ha ha ha
the fuses all appear fine and no other 'anomolies' exist, (cig lighter, interior dome, external lights all operate.. though I haven't checked my hazards .......yet...) So I removed the cluster panel assembly, replaced the bulbs, and re-installed the cluster...

the cluster has 12 bulbs. GE 168's...for 2 for 3 bucks.
I replaced all(..as a first attempt) UNFORTUNATELY after re-assembling, still no speedo light, or either directional indicator lights!![:@]... so I scratch my head and think 'hmmmmm...now what?'[X(]
In looking at some electrical diagrams I am assuming if the outer lights signal a turn normally, than the interior light (indicator light) should be operating also... looks like the circuit is shared... but maybe the 'relay' is fouled up there, dunno, that's where I gotta check my hazards and do a circuit by circuit diagnostic now...
just hoping someone here hadda quick fix, an 'oh yeah-that happened to mine/my buddies..etc.,'

but first- springs...(yippee, just picked'em up!! Heavy duty coils for Impala for the rear, regular big block monte carlo coils for the front, and all new shocks... yummy! by tomorrow they'll be in (I hope)

upstate NY roads aren't kind to lowriders....


Thanks again though Mickey!

 

this sounds kind of silly but have you checked the fit on the bulbs?
I had a old Lic. plate bulb that decided to stop working and gave me a ticket.
I tried everythign to find out one of the contacts had spread out far enough to make it stop working correctly.

But i would think if this is the case it would still work itermeitly insides the car

 

Mickey, I really appreciate the replies, and I am leaning (reluctantly[:@]) toward that 'remove and re-install' idea . Today she's headed in for springs and shocks (yippee, no more driving uphill, now she should be driving downhill slightly all the time!! a proper ride height anyhow!)
since the 'other car' passed inspection I can take the monte apart(still have something to drive on nice days!-for now)and check it out. for now it won;tbe a aticket, unless they give me one for not turning my signal off (LOL)!!
I'll ohm out the citrcuits create a diagram of the 'pinout' and then hook it back up, while I'm there I'll ensure the bulbs are all in contact as they ought to be. I may even hook the battery back up with it out and check for power at the right 'pins' where the cluster contacts the dash wiring in the 'slide in' connector...

I'm thinking of a small flashlight tied onto the column for night drives though !!!

I'll probably dig back into her this weekend. Thanks again for the inputs!!!

 

not sure if they have them in your area but our local autp parts store has a small bendabel strip of Prewired LEDS. you could stick this in the area for the time being so it shines on the dash in the area you need. at least for now and it will give you lights at will.
just wire it in to a switch or even a cig. lighter plug and plug them in etc...

 

hmmm, there's an idea for sure, more simple, quick and I believe I have a switch to connect to already! thanks, I'll look into that, advance or pepboys likely carries them too! t
hanks again Mickey! maybe I'll just sticky tape them inside the speedo dish! cool...

boy does she look good with the impala HD rear springs and new big block fronts, and shocks all way round..

lifted her up about 6 inches all around! hot! no more railroad tracks worries! HA HAAAAA!