Dash Lights Not Working

[Kellson]

Hey everyone, I know this topic has been covered multiple times but I can't seem to get much out of reading them. Here's what I know:
Headlights work, dome light works, brake lights work (when applied).
The dash lights are connected to the parking lights, and none of them work.
I just replaced the headlight switch tonight and that did not solve the problem.
The fuses are all good (fuse for "INST LPS" and "Parking Lights").

This might be helpful:
This problem has happened to me once or twice in the past, but has always been temporary and the lights were working again a few minutes later.
Please help I have no idea what I'm doing!

[cantab27]

ya haven't got them turned down ......gotta ask .......

[Brasscatz]

Might be a bad ground somewhere. Try banging on the dash a wee bit and see if they come back

[Kellson]

Maybe I should just grab my multimeter and start checking grounds?

[Brasscatz]

Good place to start

[Kellson]

New development: every time I turn on the the lights, the "Park LPS" fuse blows. What does this mean?

[NW99XJ]

You have a short somewhere.
Maybe one of the parking light bulb sockets, maybe a wire going to one of the lights, maybe something else tied into that circuit that shouldn't be, and is pulling more amps than the circuit was designed for.
Either way, I would start by removing all the parking light bulbs, and attempt to re-create the problem... if the fuse doesnt blow, then there's a good chance its not in the parking lights them selves... but a good overall visual inspection of each socket will determine if there is some build up, a short, or corrosion somewhere causing the issue.
It;s a good place to start anyways.
Another place would be trailer wiring.... if you have a trailer harness hooked up, it may be giving you some issues...
I had a buddy here just this summer... his XJ had a trailer harness installed by the P.O. ...everytime he'd turn on the lights .... *POP* ... fuse blew... ended up being that shotty harness install... he yanked it all out, and VOILA! ... everything works now as it should.
Moral of the story... even if you didnt hook it up...there may be something in there that a previous owner DID ...and although it;s been working fine, an issue could arise to cause it to fail prematurely.
Good luck... post back what the trouble shooting reveals, and we'll go from there.

[Kellson]

So I don't really know what I'm looking for, but I tore down the front parking lamp assembly. Changed the bulbs, cleaned the sockets. Both left and right amber parking lights are getting equal voltage from the battery. On to the rear?

[Kellson]

It may be important to note that it seems the brake lights have a bad ground…? Check the picture

[4.3LXJ]

You have just confirmed that you have at least one ground issue. The ground for your tail and brake lights. This is a different ground than your dash lights however. But that ground for your dash lights are a common ground at the plug in back of the instrument cluster

[Kellson]

Alright so I'll worry about the rear light issue later and tear down the instrument cluster and inspect that ground.
Will removing the all the bulbs throughout the circuit stop the fuse blowing?? Then I would be able to determine if the short was due to the parking lights at the front, the parking lights at the back, or the dash lights.

[4.3LXJ]

It might. But you are probably more likely to have a wire going to ground. But it will be a process of elimination

[Kellson]

Alright got that bad wire replaced! Back in business. Turned out to be in the hatch. Thanks everyone for the help, electrical gremlins are the worst.