Dimmer Switch???

**x2xtreme360** · 03-03-2011, 01:36 PM

Just regular DV volts. You can do the 20V scale as long as you have two decimal places after it or just go to the m scale (m stands for mV). If you do the 200mV scale, you're looking for a number smaller than 300mV (300mV=.3V).

**TT4ME** · 03-03-2011, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Mike-92RT

There is no aftermarket alarm. I have the factory alarm.

What do you think all the extra wiring and fuses are for? Something was added, likely an alarm. Hard to tell from the video, but it looks like the box with 3 harnesses/plugs that is zip-tied up is NOT stock.

**Mike-92RT** · 03-03-2011, 02:00 PM

Originally Posted by x2xtreme360

Just regular DV volts. You can do the 20V scale as long as you have two decimal places after it or just go to the m scale (m stands for mV). If you do the 200mV scale, you're looking for a number smaller than 300mV (300mV=.3V).

okay, i will do that test today, and i will post my results later on in the afternoon!

Originally Posted by TT4ME

What do you think all the extra wiring and fuses are for? Something was added, likely an alarm. Hard to tell from the video, but it looks like the box with 3 harnesses/plugs that is zip-tied up is NOT stock.

When i lock the doors with the windows down, and i unlock them from the inside, and open the door from the outside, the headlights flip up, lights flash, and the car horn beeps until i lock/unlock the drivers door. I dunno if thats the factory alarm? Maybe one of the previous owners got some one to do a hack job to repair something? I have no idea.

I plan on removing my dash either today or tomorrow when i have time. I will follow all those wires. I HATE tangled up wires that are a mess. It drives me up the wall. I prefer things neat and organized.

**Mike-92RT** · 03-03-2011, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by x2xtreme360

Just regular DV volts. You can do the 20V scale as long as you have two decimal places after it or just go to the m scale (m stands for mV). If you do the 200mV scale, you're looking for a number smaller than 300mV (300mV=.3V).

okay so here are the results.. i actually had some extra time to do it now, rather than later on.

pins 1 and 2 read .3v... and pin 3 read 5.6v in the 200mV scale.

**x2xtreme360** · 03-03-2011, 09:49 PM

You don't want to do voltage drops between the pins. You would want to do voltage drops on the paths themselves. I'm thinking that you're putting one lead on the pin and then putting the other lead on a ground... that's not a voltage drop (well, technically it is). A voltage drop on a path is placing one lead of your DMM on one end of a wire, and the other lead of the DMM on the other wire and taking a voltage reading with the circuit LIVE (ie: nothing is unplugged and the circuit has current flowing through it).

The green/white wire on the rheostat is hot when the park lights are on. The black/yellow wire will vary it's voltage based on the rheostat knob position from 0V - 12V. The solid black wire is a ground aka: NO voltage on that wire.

Now, with that being said, do your dash lights illuminate at all? Does a fuse keep blowing? If you wiggle the dimmer switch will the lights on the dash flicker?

**Mike-92RT** · 03-04-2011, 12:44 AM

Originally Posted by x2xtreme360

You don't want to do voltage drops between the pins. You would want to do voltage drops on the paths themselves. I'm thinking that you're putting one lead on the pin and then putting the other lead on a ground... that's not a voltage drop (well, technically it is). A voltage drop on a path is placing one lead of your DMM on one end of a wire, and the other lead of the DMM on the other wire and taking a voltage reading with the circuit LIVE (ie: nothing is unplugged and the circuit has current flowing through it).

The green/white wire on the rheostat is hot when the park lights are on. The black/yellow wire will vary it's voltage based on the rheostat knob position from 0V - 12V. The solid black wire is a ground aka: NO voltage on that wire.

Now, with that being said, do your dash lights illuminate at all? Does a fuse keep blowing? If you wiggle the dimmer switch will the lights on the dash flicker?

what happened was i was letting my car run (after cylinder head work) to show my ex's dad (mechanic) my work.... i pushed my flip up lights button twice (to flip up/down), and then all this smoke just started pouring out of my dash like there was a small fire. I found out that a solenoid on the dimmer switch melted.

My dash lights don't illuminate at ALL, even when i wiggle the Rheostat. I got a new(er) one from the junk yard, and when i plugged that in and turned it on (still no illumination), it got really warm/hot in seconds. So i plugged it while driving to save it from being blown.

I checked every fuse possible, thats on the car. None are blown.

ANd yes, what i did was put the positive probe into each pin of the connector plug, and grounded the negative on metal. The readings i posted above were what i got.

**x2xtreme360** · 03-04-2011, 12:40 PM

OK do this. Do the test again with the parking lights on. Do the test on the 20V scale. Green/White should give you 12V. Black/White should give you a range of 0-12V when the dimmer knob is spun. Not sure what it will give you if the dimmer isn't there. The black wire should give you NO voltage.