1994 Grand Am Dimmer Switch

[gerlisky]

I did an really unreasonable thing, I replace the dash because I had a noise that I could not fix, I am thinking I should have turned up the radio . Anyway, ever since the dash swap I keep burning the dimmer switch, it really smokes and smells bad. Any ideas as to why it is burning? I would like to have my dash lights back.

[Hoags]

Welcome to the forum,

It sounds like you have shorted a wire during the dash swap, It is most likely a power line into the switch itself. Although, it may be the out put power line feeding back into the switch, Sorry this sounds so vague but it is so hard to describe electrical problems. Being that the switch is smoking then burning out it is going to be related to a power source that is not fused or highly over fused, meaning that if it is a fused line the fuse is not blowing prior to the burn out. Does it happen only when the lights come on or will it do it after you turn the key to the on position. If it is doing it when the light are turned on then look for the power out to the light as the line to check. also make sure you do not have a ground hooked up to a power source.

Hope this helps.

[gerlisky]

It only happens when I turn on the lights, no burning when I turn the key. I am so lost when it comes to electrical issues. I do not know what it is callled, but there is a electrical component that seems to be hooked to the dash lighting that is aluminum housing with a heat sink on it. 1st, what is this thing? and if I did not properly ground it when I put back the dash would it cause my issue?

[Hoags]

If you did not properly ground the switch it could cause your problem. The alumium box is most likely the switch housing itself. Are there wires going to the box from the switch or is it part of the switch?

When you say that it only happens when you turn on the lights then it is probably the wiring that feeds power to activate the lights, either the power wire is touching bare metal or the gorund may be tied into a power source.

I will try to get to my haynes manual later this evening and see if there is any information about the light switch ad the wiring and I'll post that info for you.

[gerlisky]

I thank you for your help Hoags, The box with the heatsink is not attached to the switch, it does have wires that go from the box to the switch, I will check on the bare wire grounding out. How can I tell if a ground is attached to a power wire?

[Hoags]

Gerlisky,

I grabbed my Haynes manual and tried to figure out where things may have gone wrong for you. The book has a schematic that shows the wiring for the headlight/dimmer switch. Try to track a brown wire comming from the switch box itself, it appears that it is the wire from the switch to the next module or relay. It appears that there are 2 brown wires one goes to the dimmer module and the other goes to the illumination control relay. As for your question about a ground wire hooked up to a power supply, I thought about that for a while and the only way that could happen is if you had cut and connected wires when you did the swap.

I would suggest that you track any brown wires coming from the switch box, look to see if they have been pinched between any metal brackets or under any bolts...anything that could cause the plastic insulation to be broken and allow the wires inside to touch metal.

if this doesn't help let me know and I will try to scan in the wiring diagram and send it to your e-mail address.

Good luck,
Dan

[gerlisky]

Dan you are AWESOME, I will try to narrow it down in the morning.

[Hoags]

Thanks for the EGO boost, but thats why we are here, so we can help others by our experiences, I love a good electrical problem, I like the hunt and then resolving the problem to make everything work like it should.

Any way, noe you will have an experience that you will be able to share with someone else in the future, that just how it works.

Let me know about the wiring diagram


Dan

[gerlisky]

Dan,
Can I get that diagram emailed to me? [email protected] Thanks. This thing is a bugger. I have a grey wire, black, white, and light yellow, dark yellow. No Brown wires Fun Huh?

[gerlisky]

Thanks for the Diagram Dan.