Hi all, i just got given a TN magna elite for free i'm trying to work out this problem

the problems is when i turn on the head lights the dash board turns off (or goes very black) and i have figured this doesn't help at night time, i just wondering if anyone knows what causes this and a solution to it

Cheers

when you switch on your headlights, do any of the other lights on the dash switch on? (ie. the illumination for the buttons/controls, or gear selector (automatic)

on the wing contoller (or whatever you wanna call it - all the buttons/controls hanging off the steering coloum) there is a slider that you can set the brightness of the dash. i snapped the little thingy off so i ended up having to replace the slider... however, when i cut the wires to it so i could solder it onto the new one, i noticed that the dash - and all the lights that light up the controls - did not light up when headlights are on... sort like your describing (despite the fact i have a TM SE, i have fitted a TN elite cluster into my car)

only other thing that comes to mind is the light dimmer curcuit may be stuffed. this is in the wing controller - behind the airconditioner/wiper control side... little white box...

i guess the first thing would be to check our your fuses (anything that remotely has anything to do with illumination) - easiest thing to do

Also, if it is not the illumination on the wing control, it is likely to be the backlighting bulbs.

Thanks for the quick reply

All the other lights work other then the dash it self is just black?
is it possible for all the bulbs to be blowen in the dash (there's quite a few of them)?

Easily. For the record, my wagon blew 6 when the illumination circuit shorted out. :redface:

Thanks for the quick reply

All the other lights work other then the dash it self is just black?
is it possible for all the bulbs to be blowen in the dash (there's quite a few of them)?
however, your saying that the dash goes dark when you turn the lights on... this emans that the globes could possibly be not blown - as they light up normally when headlights are off - or the dash would be dark unless the sun lights it up...

No i did this at night time as the dash is very bright when the headlights are of then nothing when there on

turn the headlights on then thrash the car and see if the dash lights up
could be ur altinator stuffing up
with my 2nd gen the dash goes very dark then gets brighter when the revs are up, i think my altinator is stuffed

with my 2nd gen the dash goes very dark then gets brighter when the revs are up, i think my altinator is stuffed
sounds like the voltage regulator.

Problem solvered, a wire had come off the dimmer slider resoldered it and she lights up like a cristmas tree :D

thanks everyone for your input, you are the magna gods

:bowrofl: all hail :bowrofl: