Panel light bulbs replaceable?

[Russell Marlowe]

None of the panel light switches in my M380 actually turn on the panel lights. I pulled the panel over the dining room table, but it is not apparent (to me at least) how the bulb/fixture comes off the panel. I don't want to break anything.

My multi-meter is still at our old house, but I will have it later today and can check that the bulbs are actually getting power. Assuming that is the case, any hints/tips on how to remove the bulb/fixture so that I can replace them?

Alternatively, any suggestions where the fuse(s) might be? Everything else seems to be working just fine.

Thanks!

Russ Marlowe

[Arcticdude]

Russell,
Since none of the switch lights work, then don't worry about checking bulbs. The odds are infinitesimally small that every single bulb would be burned out. Go to you main light switch and start there. My 96 has a 5 amp fuse in a holder right at the main switch that covers the dash lights. It's accessible when the main dash is pulled. I replaced it with a resettable breaker, which I can just reach without pulling the dash. So it's either that fuse or a rheostat that's off/failing. I'll bet the fuse popped.

[Russell Marlowe]

It is only the single back light on each of the 3 switch panels that does not work.

Multimeter confirms no power to the “panel light” switch on each panel.

All other switches in each of the 3 panels work fine.

I reset each of the breakers in both the front and rear fuse boxes. No luck.

[Arcticdude]

After looking at your picture again, that looks more like an electroluminescent light connector than a single light socket. But I didn’t think the 380’s had electroluminescent dash panels. Can you post a picture of the front of that panel?

[Russell Marlowe]

It is not the dash, it is the 3 banks of switches (one by front door, one over dining table, and one in bedroom). The switches all work with the exception of the "Panel Light" switch on each one.

Somewhere I read there is a transformer near the switch panel that may be bad.

[Arcticdude]

Yes, that looks much more like an electroluminescent panel than a simple filament light bulb. Those DC to AC inverters do go bad. Stephen at Dupree products has sort of a replacement. It's a much smaller inverter, but seems to handle a fair sized load. I replaced my 2 inverters on my dash in my 96 with 3 of his little cubes and it's working very well. One of those cubes should do that panel very nicely. The original was a white box about 2"H x 3"W x 4"L and his cubes are almost 1" cubed. My originals were hard wired in, but his used spade terminals. The top and bottom are 12V input (+ is on top, - is on bottom, iirc) and the 120v outputs are in the middle without any polarity concerns. It would be nice if yours are near the panel, but with 3 panels, it will be where the three panels get their feed.

[Russell Marlowe]

Thanks. I'll have to pull some access panels to try and locate the inverter(s).

[Arcticdude]

Russell,
Newer models may have smaller inverters, such as this one:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Javelina-Corp-E...1493967237


That will help in your search.