Instrument and hand brake lights out-advice needed

I've searched on "308 Instrument Panel Lights" and a number of other combinations of words, most threads found point to increasing - or failed attempts at increasing - the instrument panel light brightness.

Issue is on a 1984 308 QV. No instrument lights or parking brake handle/lever light. Every other electrical device in/on the car has been verified as working.

Car has OEM fuse boxes, Left #2 and Right #14 seem to be closest related fuses. Those have been checked, changed and by-passed to no avail, instrument cluster and parking brake lever light still won't activate.

Hand brake light "socket" verified as not getting any power, so it is not the little green bulb.

In the schematic, there is a "#60-Additional fuse for light in hand brake handle" - not sure if this is the issue, but for the life of me, I can't find this fuse.

Could the instrument dimmer switch be toast and now needs to be by-passed or repaired? This would presume the hand brake light is wired to this rheostat, which I am uncertain of.

Any pointers on what to check next?

Thanks,
Phil

 

US version, GTS.

First time I noticed that these lights weren't working was Friday evening.

I confirmed again that all parking lights, license plate lights, overhead light, hand held light that plugs in under sun glass compartment, reverse light, brake lights, and signal lights work. Signal and hazard indicators, as well as low and high beam indicators, work on the instrument panel, as does the rear defrost, fan and battery indicator, and all gauges. On the console, the clock and oil temp work, as well as the cigarette lighter light.

Both windows, power door locks, and radiator fans operate, as does the fuel pump and headlight pods.

This is limited only to the instrument back light and hand brake light, and the only theory I have at this point is the dimmer knob is ng. The is no effect no matter which way I adjust the dimmer knob, the instrument back light and hand brake light are still out.

The last update I made to the car was about 2 weeks ago I changed out the shocks and springs, which I really don't think caused this issue.

Thanks,
Phil

 

Thanks Steve.

That's what I figured. I'll pull the dimmer knob one night this week and see what I can find.

Will report back,
Phil

 

Anyone know the technique for removing this dimmer dial from the dash of a US 308QV? Mine is different from what is shown in the picture, as Mike described I too have "a smooth rotating rheostat wheel".

I've isolated the problem to this dimmer....because when I fiddled with it tonight, trying to see how it comes out of the dash, I used a small screwdriver to try to grab the dimmer wheel from the side to pull it straight out of the dash face. This removal process did not work, at least not for me possibly because I was approaching it very delicately. The dimmer switch moved forward maybe 1/8 of an inch, and then stopped. I pushed it back, tried this again 3-4 times, same results.

So, after trying this a few times, I figured I'd test the lights again to see if maybe just by me touching the dimmer something changed.....sure enough, the dash lights now work, as does the hand brake light. And the dimmer dims, and brightens, as before. Funny, I never noticed this before but the dimmer also dims the hand brake light.

Obviously I have a loose wire or dirty connection, I'd still like to remove the dimmer, clean it, and maybe add a by-pass wire as well.

Thanks,
Phil