Hello!

Last week, the power window switch for the passenger's front window died (wound up making me miss a class I really needed to go to ). To get the window rolled back up, I wound up re-arranging a few of the plugs on the switch assemblies in the center console. When I was done, the passenger's rear and the driver's front switches worked as normal, the driver's rear switch rolled down the passenger's front window, and the driver's rear window didn't have power at all (not a problem since the regulator's bad). An unexpected consequence of this was that my instrument lights stopped working.

Originally intending to leave it that way, I decided I needed to do something about it, and woundup getting a new passenger's side switch assembly (thanks mattdave!!). I installed it last night, and re-wired everything so that it's back to where it's supposed to be, and everything works...except the instrument lights.

I noticed that one of the female prongs on the plug for the driver's rear window's missing...and at first though that this was the root of the problem, except that I think it was missing before this whole thing.

Any ideas on troubleshooting this? Given that the only thing I've changed is the window switches, I'm guessing that it's in there somewhere, or in a plug. The fuse is fine, and all running lights, the headlights and high-beams, and foglights all work normally. The instrument lights were working perfectly until last Friday when the switch died. Also, the light in the gearshift pedestal's working...I'm guessing that it's a different circuit from the others (as the rheostat doesn't control it). The rheostat has the typical dead spots, but is actually in halfway decent shape, so I don't think it's there...

Thanks in advance!

__________________
2001 VW Jetta TDI, 5 speed, daily driver
1991 Ford F-350, work in progress
1984 Ford F-250 4x4, 6.9l turbo diesel, 5 speed manual
Previous oilburners: 1980 IH Scout, 1984 E-350, 1985 M-B 300D, 1979 M-B 300SD, 1983 M-B 300D
Spark-free since 1999

I would put a temporary jumper wire on the back of the dimmer switch, just to rule that out.

__________________
Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

Although it can't be ruled out but I seems
strange that changing or rewiring a switch
will make the dash lights to stop working.
Unless you shorted out something.

But then checking the fuse would be the first
thing to do.

It could also just be coincidence.

Louis.