65 Olds 98 4 door hardtop. The dash instrument panel lights wont come
on. All new bulbs. According to the CSM wiring diagram as well as another diagram indicate the headlight switch powers the panel light fuse when lights are turned on. The panel light fuse is fed by a green wire. There is a green wire at the headlight switch that I would think should have power when light switch activated. It is dead. But if I jump the green wire at the headlight switch from the red or light blue wire, the panel lights work. The green wire has continuity from the headlight switch to the
panel light fuse, so the green wire is good. I took a headlight switch from another 65 olds 98 that the panel lights worked, but the panel lights still did not work. I dont want to jump the wires to make the lights work. I been chasing this issue for several days and am stumped at the moment. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. Craig

 

There is a rheostat on the headlight switch that when turned CCW brings the lamps to the full bright condition.

 

Thanks for response. Rheostat function works if green wire jumped with 12v. Headlights work. Tried four headlight switches, none new but one from known working car and green wire dead. Assuming I correct that the headlamp switch green wire feeds the panel light fuse.

 

I don’t rule out that the switch from a working car may have been already “jumped”. Dont know history of that car. Suppose new headlamp switch is next move.

 

I read a post from 2004 that said panel light fuse also has to have taillight fuse. He right. I putting in new harness and had taillight fuse out as was doing that circuit last. Never occurred to me that taillight fuse figures in to panel lights. Wish I could read wiring diagrams better.

 

Yes the tail light fuse supplies power to the head light switch through the brown wire and the green wire supplies power from the head light switch to the inst. fuse and then to the dash lights also a green wire.

 

I appreciate the lesson. I was smarter when I was
younger I think.

 

Imagine having a Chevrolet or Pontiac. Their CSM wiring diagrams are black on white line drawings.😬

Yeah I've had to use those. Made me appreciate the extra steps Olds took!

 

Having cut my teeth on the black and white drawings I have no issues with them. Sometimes to me they are easier to follow.

 

The wiring diagrams in my Olds CSM are black and white with no way I can tell to decode the wire colors. Are there color wiring diagrams supposedly in a CSM?

 

In original printings, yes. That's why most of us prefer them over a reprint or CD version. Electrical and transmission sections are colorized in originals.

I can read the black on whites easy enough, but the color diagrams sure make troubleshooting easier.