dash lights out when headlights on!! Help!!

[erick64]

My 64 c10 dash lights turn off when I turn my headlights on. Anyone had this problem before?

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by erick64

My 64 c10 dash lights turn off when I turn my headlights on. Anyone had this problem before?

Here's the headlight switch diagram. The green wire from the switch goes to the fuse panel and from there to the dash lights.

[erick64]

this is what my cables look like. any idea witch one should i ground to have dash lights and headlights work at the same time?

[VetteVet]

Well after some head scratching and looking at the diagrams, it would seem that the brown (rear lights) and the green ( dash light ) wires would give you what you want.
The orange wire is hot all the time as is the larger red wire.
When the light switch is out half way, the orange wire is powering the green wire and the brown wire but when the headlight switch is all the way out the orange wire only powers the brown rear lights wire and not the green dash lights wire. So it would seem that if you jumped the brown wire and green wire you would have power to the green wire in both positions.
Looking at the third picture of your headlight switch I', m wondering if the bottom two wires are the green dash light and the brown rear taillight wires and if they might not be switched around in the sockets. A continuity check on the two terminals would show how they were connected to the orange wire in relation to the switch position. This would have to be done with the battery unplugged to avoid damage to the meter.

[erick64]

i jumped the green to the brown cable and it didn't work.then i jumped it to the orange to red and it worked. its that ok? everything is off when the switch is off

[VetteVet]

It would appear that the orange wire was not hoy at the light switch. It is supposed to get a hot feed from the red wire at the fuse panel according the wiring diagram. Then the orange wire feeds the brake switch, the dome light, and the headlight switch with power.

It also feeds the brown wire at he headlight switch when the lights are on. It also feeds the green wire at the headlight switch, which runs through the dimmer on the HL switch for the dash lights. That's why I thought jumping the brown and green wires at the HL switch would power the dash lights in both positions.
It seems that you have solved the problem and as long as you aren't draining the battery when the truck is off and the switches are off I think you'll be fine.

[erick64]

thanks for all your help VetteVet!! i got it to work jumping the brown wire and green wire as you mentioned it before. i guess i wasn't making a good contact on the wires. you rock !!!

[VetteVet]

Originally Posted by erick64

thanks for all your help VetteVet!! i got it to work jumping the brown wire and green wire as you mentioned it before. i guess i wasn't making a good contact on the wires. you rock !!!

Hey I'm not just another pretty face you know.