K5 electrical question

[K588]

I have an 88 K5 and electrical trouble shooting is not my strongest skill. The problem I have is the parking lights stay on all the time and I have no dash/gauge lights. I dont know if the 2 problems are related some how. I have replaced the headlight switch and checked all the fuses. it has been like this since i have owned it. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Leper]

When you say "all the time" do you mean all the time? running,not running, keys in, keys out, they dont blink or change no matter what?

 

[K588]

Sorry, parking lights- by all the time I meant when the truck is running. They turn off when you turn the key off. Dash lights never work.

 

[mouse]

Sounds like the switch on the dash. I had one short out internally causing the lights to stay on like you describe. They are not hard to remove if you know how to remove the knob. You have to pull it out, then press in a little button on the switch and the knob will pull the rest of the way out. Just use a multimeter to check the switch contacts. In my case I just used the switch out of a truck I was scrapping.

 

[dyeager535]

Pull the headlight switch connector off and see if the problem goes away, first thing.

Would be odd that the new one and old failed the same way. I'd suspect someone has hacked the wiring up somewhere.

 

[wkbrdrob]

When I bought my truck, I had all kinds of screwy electrical problems. M dash when on and off by themselves and the light bulbs were just loose in the dash. Some dumb ass put the wrong tail light into the truck and screwed up all of my brake lights, turn signals, etc. You'd be surprised how easy it could be. Remember, it's always a ground problem!

 

[trikstark5]

If the lights don't go out when you unplug the headlight switch, try disconnecting the radio. I have seen some people wire up the radio's wiring harness to the wrong fuse or wire, causing the radio to turn on the lights and/or short out the dash lights. Good luck...