e36 Dimmer switch bypass

[Mpower36]

My instrument cluster illuminations went out along with some components under the radio. alot of people experience this and it is a problem with the rheostat in the dimmer switch.

I pulled the dimmer switch and cut the wires, there are 3. Brown, Gray Red, Gray Black.

I connected the red and black, but i dont know where to connect the brown. I believe the brown is the ground and tried holding it against some metal parts on the car and there was no hope.

now i just have 3 wires hanging under my steering wheel

[bmwdirtracer]

Hacks are discouraged. Don't chop wires until you've read and understand the wiring diagrams.

Just because a lot of people do something doesn't mean you should.

The first thing you should have done is pulled up a wiring diagram. The last thing you should do is start cutting and splicing wires, without having looked at the diagram. In fact, that might be one of the official definitions of "Hack".

It took me a while to find that switch, in your diagrams, but see page 270 of the adobe document, under "light switch details":

http://wedophones.com/Manuals/BMW/19...g%20Manual.pdf

You don't need to hook the brown to anything: it's the ground for the bulb of the dimmer switch.

Which means the dimmer switch wasn't your problem, at all, and you hacked three wires for nothing, and since you did that, you've created dangerous garbage out of something nice. Bet you didn't crimp, then solder, then heatshrink, did you?

Did you even bother checking fuse 37?

I know, I'm rough around the edges, but it's Friday and I've been seeing the work of hacks all week long. Why not get someone with some electrical experience to fix the hack job?

[Mpower36]

I checked all the fuses they were fine. Last night i got in and turned on my lights and all of it lit up. I turned them off and back on, and they were gone again..

And as a 19 year old college student, i dont have the money to pay someone to look it at lol..

[Mpower36]

I just picked up a dimmer switch off a parts car, put all the wire back together and still not working... Checked fuses again. I dont know what to do anymore

[vchxe]

Did you ever get this situated?

[GU3RO]

Sup guys... Having the same issue, well kinda. Mine started when I needed to replace some of the indicator bulbs in back of the cluster. I unplugged the cluster, replaced the necessary bulbs. And when I plugged everything back in the back light for the speedo, RPM, temp and fuel gauge don't illuminate. So now I can't see the cluster at night. My indicators work, no blown fuses. Can anyone help me out??? Extremely frustrated. Thanks🍻