gauge help

[dna59]

I've been noticing lately that when i put on my lights, my gauge lights take a while to come on or don't come on at all. Everything else works fine except for this and when it does come on it blinks with my bass. Not a little dim like headlights, but more noticable. What could the problem be?

[97 camry xle]

have you tried playing with the dimmer switch?

[dna59]

^yes I have. doesn't seem to do anything

[terrastrife]

loose wiring/soldering/connection... sub making the wires loose contact, also with time duration wires heat up and conduct better... maybe?

[CraigW]

Loose connection. Try to GENTLY stress wires and connectors and look for flickering/on-off. Also make sure those are the only lights that are out at that time.

Is it all of the dash lamps or just the gauge if all concentrate on the dimmer unit and connectors, If gauge remove and re-seat the connector on the back of it.

CW

[dna59]

yes the gauge is the only light out. well i have a neon connected to light up when the lights are put on and that does the same thing. all other lights work perfectly.

[CraigW]

Did you by chance tie the neon into the dash lamp circuit (the bulbs that dim with the control knob ??) If so I would change it.(too much current for control unit)

I would re-seat connector at speedometer.

And maybe look at the connection for the neon it could be the source of trouble. (if it is on the same circuit)

[dna59]

I tried everything and now it still doesn't work. I messed around with the dimmer, unplugged and replugged all connectors, checked bulbs, and took off the neon and folights that were wired to come on wiht the lights. None of this worked, maybe I didn't explain it good enough. All my headlights, tail lights work, also all the light on the dash work (ABS, Brake,etc.) no fuses are blown or anything. ONly the light for my gauges won't come on (Speedo, Tach, Fuel, Temp.). Those are the only light that don't come on. Sometimes they come on after a while and sometime they don't at all. I had my neon and foglights wired to come on w/ the parklights, I had cut off the cig. lighter bulb and used that as a power source, but I have disconnected both and my lights still hasn't come on. Any help would be appreciated since this really bothers me while driving at night.

[CraigW]

It sounds like a loose connection. Have you pulled the speedo unit out and inspected ?? Does it use standard #194 bulbs for illumination?, you could try to remove and re-seat those.

[dna59]

^ I tried pulling out the bubls and re seating them but that does nothing