Llight Dimmer

[marcthelegend]

Hello,

Last year I wired up two 1 meter light strips into the lighting circuit on the car, i wired it up just before the dimmer (rheostat?) so they didnt dim, but after 2 days of driving like that, I noticed that the rheostat doesnt dim, I have had one brightness level for 1 year now (100% bright) and would love to dim it again.

I have checked EVERY SINGLE fuse in the car (inside and out) and today while rewiring everything, pulled it apart and nothing LOOKED burned out, so im a little stumped whats wrong.

Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks

Marc

[paulandkathy]

Hi Marc,

I gather you are talking about the dimmer for the dash lights...?

Now I'm no autolec...

but I think it is possible that you are getting a feedback through those strip lights to earth, effectively by-passing the dimmer.

Someone please feel free to put me in my place if I'm wrong.

The other thing to try... if the dimmer worked fine before you wired up the strip lights, and nothing dims now... then why not disconnect the strip lights and see if the dimmer works again??

If the dimmer works, I reckon you've got a feedback / by-pass sort of problem.

Paul.

[marcthelegend]

Paul, I have since removed the strip lights, but it still doesnt work, starting to think it may be dead, have just found how to test it in the service manual, will have a go at this tomorrow, it says connect positive to pin 1, light to 2 and negative to 3, meaning it controls the negative side of the lights, looks like it will come up dead.

Cheers

Marc

[marcthelegend]

And its dead, no idea how, but its finished, puts out 12v no matter where I move the little wheel, too scared to ask MM what it costs (guess 200+ lol) will just do what ive been doing all year, put up with it.

Thanks for your help.

Marc

[paulandkathy]

No worries, I'm glad you found the problem.

I'd still price one from MM, you never know...

I priced a genuine snorkel for my NM the other week just for a giggle, turns out it was on a par with non-genuine prices.

Or, why not try and ses if you can get one from a wreckers? I'd think the part would be the same for NM and NP at least. Might be a bit cheaper than new...
Good luck with it,

Paul.

[marcthelegend]

I will check with mitsubishi and the wreckers after christmas, seems there is a never ending list of presents, with a not so never ending bank balance.

Interesting with mitsubishi pricing, have read on here about someone enquiring about the cost of a new headres for the front seat, he was quoted 500 dollars.. FOR A HEAD REST!! just out of fun, I might just ask about the dimmer, I will be sitting down when I make the call, just in case!

Cheers

Marc

[marcthelegend]

Hi All,

Well, finally got around to getting a different dimmer switch! mitsu quoted an incredible 180 dollars for a new one :O wreckers, 50 dollars! installed it, turned on the lights and it was bright, a turn of the wheel did .. absolutely nothing! lol

Any ideas?

Cheers

Marc

[Lance]

Could it be that there is a relay (?) problem deeper in the wiring somewhere ?

I'm no auto elec either, but I'd be trippin in to Jaycar or similar and grabbin a cheap potentiometer of some sort and hook that into the system to check it out.

http://www1.jaycar.com.au/productResults.asp?keywords=potentiometer&keyform=KEYWORD&SUBMIT.x=0&SUBMIT.y=0

[Rendrag]

I don't know if they changed things in the newer models, but in the NJ, the dimmer actually provides a resistive path to ground - aka it's not providing a variable voltage from say 6-12v, it's actually connected to the *ground* side of all the lights (threw me quite seriously when I was wiring my my new guages in my custom centre pod..) - so if *anywhere* in the lighting circuit is shorting the 'ground side' to actual ground, the lights will always be at full brightness..

Cheers,

DG