No Dashlights or Taillights

[SuperSix]

Have you tried replacing the headlight switch?

Here's the troubleshootin g PDF from the service manual. Starts at page 7, methinks

http://www.ihadav8.com/images/sec08-6.pdf

[jkelley]

No I have not tried replacing the light switch yet.I have unplugged just about everything under the dash to rule out the problem..Im going to try and make a jumper between the orange and brown wire tonight after work I have Been checking under the dash for bare wires shorts pinched wires etc etc about to go crosseyed lol ...I called to see if any of the parts stores in OKC had a switch they would have to order the switch ...Thanks for the PDF

[WE4_Roller]

Check the dash lamps circuits gray wires including the easy to break and short shift indicator light wire in the console area.

The tail lamps fuse feeds the dimmer switch and dash lamps 5A fuse.

Usually the larger tail lamps fuse blows first for some reason when a dash lamp wire is shorted,  probably due to the dimmer rheostat.

There's nothing wrong with wire nuts if properly used especially if there's a nice lump of electrical tape on them.  :p

If it isn't the console light check for aftermarket gauge lamps shorted wires where they were added to the factory gray wiring.

[jkelley]

So after I got home tonight I grabbed several beers kissed the girlfriend told her I was headed out to the shop to work on the GN....She gave me that look  ,Even my English Bulldog (Porky) noticed the look and left with me "Smart Dog"....I went to looking over the car starting from the the front and I noticed hidden along the header panel was a wire bolted to a stud...I loosened it took my test light and touched it ot it and it was HOT..But the wire was black??...I notriced the Parking light had an wire but it was taped up and not connected to anything So I wired them together put a 20amp fuse into the fuse box hit the lights and "BAM!!"everything worked dashlights,tailights,parking lights...Guess the kid that owned it previously did some creative wiring....Rega rdless everything is working now except my driverside blinker which tommorow I can deal with and fix...I want to thank everyone that commented on my post and especially Steve Wood responding to my several several e-mails and walking me through it...Thanks again everyone Great Site!!!
JK

[Steve Wood]

Not sure what that was, but once you get your manual, you can trace it back and figure it out.

Glad it seems to be working again...hope you and Porky made it back into the house instead of spending the nite in the dog house.

[SuperSix]

Great!

[Steve Wood]

But!!!!!!!

That sounds like a legit ground wire that somehow has been crossed with power.  I would not be surprised to find that you have some lights that are not working properly now that the fuse is not blowing...and since the problem showed up after you bought the car, it may have been brewing, but something went bad after you got it.

I would follow that wire back and try to find out where it is now getting power from.  Might be a bad socket, or such.