Headlights/tails/dash illumination not working

[2ndhandyotaman]

I just got towed home, it's about 1230 am east coast time. I was leaving a local pub listening to music and watching drunk people do drunken things, always good for a laugh.

I start the 'runner, go to put it into gear and noticed that I had no dash illumination. The red idiot lights all worked and the gear selector lights were working, then I noticed that I had no headlights. I did a quick function test- I do have flash-to-pass high beams, brake lights and turn signals front and rear. Interior dome light comes on w/ the door opening. Stereo/hvac are all lit up.

I opened the fuse box inside of the truck and saw an ILL fuse, I pulled it and didn't see any burnt filament. I opened the box under the hood and checked the headlight fuses, they looked ok. I popped the headlight relay and tapped it against the bumper ( can't hurt, right?) and got nothing. At that point, I googled the issue and found a few threads about what could be the issue, it was interesting to hear that maybe the turn signal stalk died.

I knew I wasn't getting anywhere with troubleshooting in a parking lot, so a call to AAA got a roll back to give me and the 'runner a ride back to the house.

I'll start probing with a VOM in the morning, I just thought that I'd post this right now so that maybe the left coast peeps might be able to offer up some troubleshooting ideas.

 

[TheDurk]

First, "looking" at fuses is a rookie mistake. Use that VOM or sub in a known good fuse.

Need to know what year and if you have DRLs for any specific advice. Circuits vary a lot over the years.

It's a good idea to put your truck info in your sig; most of us do that.

 

[2ndhandyotaman]

Thanks TD, I need to fill in that info for future use.

I pulled the cluster back out this morning because I had put a bulb into one of the open ports when I was replacing a burned out bulb yesterday, my thought was that maybe by adding a bulb where there shouldn't be one it was causing the issue.

I got lucky, when I started to pull the cluster out, I could see that the upper white header wasn't fully seated so I removed the extra bulb then made sure that all of the headers were fully seated- all of the lights are working again. Glad that it was an easy one this time.