Hello, I have a 1995 Ford ranger 3.0 XL two-wheel drive. The back lights to the dash do not turn on. I've tested each bulb, checked all fuses, and I've tried to test the pins for the gauge cluster. All other lights such as blinkers, high beams, and all that other crap works. I believe it has something to do with the dimmer. They didn't work when I got the truck, however when I took the dash apart to fix the speedometer they magically came back on. And I thought they were all good until one day they turned back off again and I haven't got them to come back on since. Soon I'm getting a new dimmer but I want to others feedback to see if this issue has been seen before. Thank you for reading this, I know you all are busy people.

Dimmer

Inside dimmer (I believe the pins on the wheel were bent, but I don't have something to compare it to)

Just a schematic I haven't seen around don't know if it will give anyone good use.

 

The dimmer is actually 2 switches which is why it has 4 wires
It has 12v in from the Main Light switch , and Volts OUT to dash lights, the dimmer part, all dash light not just cluster, radio and Climate control as well
And then full time 12v in and full volts OUT to Dome light/Cargo light(this can be shut off by Battery Saver Relay after 30min or so)

So the dimmer is a separate part of the switch, and did you confirm the Radio and Climate control back lights also didn't work?

In 1995 the "dimmed" voltage OUT should be on a Red/Black stripe wire, it has a few splices to split off to the various bulbs
There are 2 red/black wires at the cluster, each powers 3 of the 6 bulbs

The Main Light switch and Dimmer module were both known issues on Rangers, not a common failure just a known failure

If all dash lights are out then its the dimmer module(or main light switch is not sending it 12v when Park lights are on)
If only the dash lights are not working then its a splice point or..............very unlikely, a problem in the cluster, all 6 bulbs SHARE a common ground wire at Cluster connector C214 pin 10, black wire, if it was bad then no cluster lights

 

I just checked, the grounds are good in the cluster, however I'm not getting voltage to the two black and red wires in the cluster. I get continuity from the dimmer to the cluster through those wires, but no voltage. I've replaced the main light switch, and I'm getting 12 volts to the dimmer. The climate control backlight went out the same time the backlight to the cluster did, however the radio dimmed on occasion very sketchily. Sometimes it would get very bright or very dim very quickly. And now it doesn't dim at all but it still has light. I can't find a red and black wire running to the radio, however I do have a blue and red that has continuity to the dimmer. However this wire only gets about 1 volt. As for the climate control I can't find any wire that's the same color that runs off of the dimmer. This is really starting to frustrate me. Even with continuity is it possible to have a bad splice, or is it just the dimmer? Who knows could be something else.

Gage cluster black and red wire continuity, no voltage

Gauge cluster red and black wire number 2 continuity, no voltage

Blue and red wire, continuity one volt

Dimmer red and black wire, blue and red wire, no wire for climate control.

 

It was in fact the dimmer switch