Dash lights don't work

[majorfa05]

Hi all,  need some help here. I have a 82 F100 and the only dash lights that work is the left turn indicater and the high bean light. I replaced all the blubs and still nothing. Any suggestions on where to go now?
Thanks

[FuzzFace2]

When you had the cluster out did you remove the printed board and using really fine (1200 grit) sand paper and lightly sand all the contacts for the bulbs & gauges and dont forget the plug.

Then do the same to all the little bulb sockets were they hit the board.
You can get new bulb sockets through one of the suppliers and maybe the local parts store on a peg somewhere.

Now before you go screwing everything back in place you may want to plug the wires back in on the cluster and test the lights and if not working still it could be the head light switch.
You know you turn the head light switch knob to dim or make bright the dash lights and if you go all the way bright it turns on the inside cab light. Try turning the knob back & forth a few time as the dimmer gets funky and turning it knocks it off.

You can also use a test light to see if the printed board is getting power to the light sockets that you cleaned.
If no power and you did the turn the knob just replace the head light switch.

When you were replacing the bulbs did you see the colored bulb covers?
How did they look? if they are dull & cloudy just remove them.

Some of us use LED bulbs in different colors with out the bulb covers. Most LEDs will not fit with the covers in place. Also some LEDs do not dim, its all or nothing.
I use green LEDs for the gauges and clear bulbs for the warning lights across the top and the turn lights.
The only thing I had an issue with was the high beam light being too bright. Think my son used tape to dull it out and is good now.

BTW dose your head light / wiper light, radio (factory) light and HVAC control light work?
If they do then the issue of no dash lights is with the cluster.
Dave ----

[majorfa05]

I did clean the bulb sockets with alcohol, I did not remove the speedometer cable from the cluster, but I will try to remove it this week end. I did try the light switch to see if they would dim or brighten and got nothing.  I never throught of checking the radio and a/c heater control but will when I get home tomorrow.
I thought about LEDs but I can't seeing paying $175.00 for all the bulbs. Maybe once I get everything up and running I will.  I really appreciate the help.  Not a mechanic, but am learning.

[FuzzFace2]

I hope that $175 is not just for dash bulbs
Even if for all bulbs I am cheap and could not see paying that much for them.

If you turned the dim / bright and nothing happened, check the hvac radio and wiper lights, don't do anything I would say the head light switch is bad.
Dave  ----

[Djtorello]

Look on ebay or amazon, there are plenty of people selling entire led bulb kits in various colors for less than $20.

example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/262465775255?fits=Year%3A1982%7CModel%3AF-100&hash=item3d1c2de697:g:mVAAAOSw9GhYkpPN

[majorfa05]

I tried the light switch and I guess I was turning in the wrong direction, I was turning to the right and nothing happened but when I turned it to the left, "bingo" the lights came on. Thanks for the help, I was about to purchase a new wiring  tape strip.  Thanks for the link on the LED bulbs, the new ones I installed are not very bright. Thanks again  Mike

[FuzzFace2]

majorfa05 wrote

I tried the light switch and I guess I was turning in the wrong direction, I was turning to the right and nothing happened but when I turned it to the left, "bingo" the lights came on. Thanks for the help, I was about to purchase a new wiring  tape strip.  Thanks for the link on the LED bulbs, the new ones I installed are not very bright. Thanks again  Mike

If you left the colored covers in place and they are whiteish that could be why they are not vary bright.
Dave ----