dashboard dimmer switch

[gav_ish00]

so guys here is my problem... i have this dimmer switch which is next to the steering wheel...

but its weird... i have to turn it anticlockwise for it to go from less bright to brighter. usually you have to turn it clockwise to go brighter.

so i removed it and there were 3 wires at the back,
1 black
1 red
1red/black

so thinkin im a smartass i swapped the 2 reds between each other and next thing i know when i put my parker lights on, something popped and now ive got no lights at all in the dashboard...

any help how to fix?
and anyone with the clockwise/anticlockwise problem?

thanks...

[remix405]

first of why the hell would you do that for! it was made like that from factory i find it weird too but just leave it alone, but anyhow hopefully its just a blown fuse i would start there and check your fuses and wire it back up how it was to begin with check back with us and let us know what happens...

[gav_ish00]

yeah i know, pretty stupid but i like things to be straight up... turning it anticlockwise to make it brighter was just weird... i already but the wires back as they were before but still nothing fuses are all good... so im lost now... it had a burnt smell, i might go to the wreckers tomorrow and get a dimmer switch and see if it does the job

[GeoffM]

anticlockwise

Counter Clockwise

I just picture it moving towards the light switch to make it brighter. Towards the lights gives you more light.

[cb7resurrector]

make sure you pull the fuses out and check them carefully. i had a blown fuse one time and over looked it a few times because you couldnt see the burnt part from the top. a 2 days later my friend comes over pulls it out and sed heres your problem.

[gav_ish00]

Counter Clockwise

I just picture it moving towards the light switch to make it brighter. Towards the lights gives you more light.

mine is a right hand side car and the dimmer switch is on the left of the steering wheel... so, it cant be right...

oh well, we'll see

[deevergote]

I never noticed the dimmer direction before. I would think reversing the wires would do the trick, but I suppose not.

Most likely, the pop you heard was a fuse. There is a fuse box under the hood, and a fuse box under the dashboard. In LHD cars, that box is by the driver's side kick panel. I'm not sure if they moved it for RHD cars. Probably not... so check the passenger side kick panel area.

Counter Clockwise

He's Australian. Believe it or not, people from other countries have different terms for things (and they think OUR terms are weird! )

[gav_ish00]

He's Australian. Believe it or not, people from other countries have different terms for things (and they think OUR terms are weird! )[/QUOTE]


LOL, im from Mauritius and im a student here i still understand if you say counter clockwise lol... "anticlockwise" i learned it in mauritius...

cheers

i think it waas the dimmer relay thats gone guys, coz the only thing related to what happened in the fusebox, would be the DIMMER relay...

ill get one and tell you if its workin

thanks

[James Matteu]

If all your fuses are fine, quickly jump the red wire to the black wire to see if you regain function in the Small Lights circuit (don't hold this connection for long). If so, your attempt to alter the rheostat has resulted in its destruction, replace it.

I don't have the dimmer circuit control mapped, so I don't know exactly what you damaged inside the switch, if that is the case.

But for future reference,

Red: common ground for all small lights (the ones that won't come on now),
Red/Black: power for the dimmer switch indicator and rheostat input,
Black: ground for small lights circuit, dimmer indicator, and rheostat

You might want to have a circuit diagram handy in the future, before you start moving wires around.

[deevergote]

He's Australian. Believe it or not, people from other countries have different terms for things (and they think OUR terms are weird! )

LOL, im from Mauritius and im a student here i still understand if you say counter clockwise lol... "anticlockwise" i learned it in mauritius...

cheers

i think it waas the dimmer relay thats gone guys, coz the only thing related to what happened in the fusebox, would be the DIMMER relay...

ill get one and tell you if its workin

thanks[/QUOTE]
Gah... that's what I get for viewing your IP briefly, rather than doing a full search! I swear it said you had an Aussie IP address!

Are you also Mauritius_cb7, or are there actually TWO CB7tuner members from there?

[gav_ish00]

^^ im from mauritius but im a student in australia ... hence explaining the ip address...
nan hes a different one... there are 2...
i have a cb3 too, once im in mauritius, i will upload pics of my cb3 in mauritius...

thanks

[deevergote]

Wow, 2 CBs on here from such a little place!

Ok, the Aussie IP makes sense now...

[gav_ish00]

If all your fuses are fine, quickly jump the red wire to the black wire to see if you regain function in the Small Lights circuit (don't hold this connection for long). If so, your attempt to alter the rheostat has resulted in its destruction, replace it.

I don't have the dimmer circuit control mapped, so I don't know exactly what you damaged inside the switch, if that is the case.

But for future reference,

Red: common ground for all small lights (the ones that won't come on now),
Red/Black: power for the dimmer switch indicator and rheostat input,
Black: ground for small lights circuit, dimmer indicator, and rheostat

You might want to have a circuit diagram handy in the future, before you start moving wires around.

thanks, i did jump the black wire and red wire! the light came on, i blew the rheostat, which gives me a reason to change it and fix the "counter clockwise" problem

[gav_ish00]

cb addicts, the transistor was gone! replaced it and its working fine! however i didnt fix the counter clockwise problem!

thanks again

[old honda tek]

another case of if it aint broke don't fix it ......