Check the headlight switch. There is a contact that brushes on the resistor coil toward the knob end of the switch, could have broken off, got bent somehow? First check for power. If I remember, its the light blue wire with a red stripe that powers the dash lights, check for +12v at the plug to the cluster.
Also check out or replace the old wiring including the fusible links from the alternator, voltage regulator and solenoid. I replaced all mine and dash lights are noticeably brighter about $4ea at NAPA. With these old cars you fear the worst and sometime it's something so simple you feel like an idiot later.
Does your shift indicator light up? How about the AC-heater console? If these work,like was said before,carefully clean the printed circuit board where the plugs go in,the plug terminals themselves,and where the lamp sockets turn in. There are also some new replacement LED lights that directly replace the original bulbs. They're not cheap,but they should last forever and they are much brighter than the originals! http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=/mini-wedge.html
yes, unfortunately and the heater controls. I would make sure that you are getting power to the blue/red stripe wire with a test light, not a voltmeter. that will verify if the circuit will carry current. make sure the ground works as well. you can use the test light the same way, just power it instead of grounding the light. look at the printed circuit and make sure the exposed copper where the plug goes isn't peeling back when you disconnect it. you can do those tests without removing the headlight switch, which I have had to do multiple times recently. Not Fun. If you light the test light at the connector for the cluster then the problem is in the cluster(printed circuit) or the ground. You didn't mention if the warning lights work. If they do, the ground is probably ok. If you don't light the test light, then you have to trace back to the switch. As simple man stated, the heater control lights and radio are powered from the same circuit so that will tell you if the switch may be the issue. good luck. Hope this helps.
i think every light except the dash lights work maybe its th connection from the copper to the bulb. can i buy replacment bulbs?
use a small amount of steel wool over a pencil eraser to clean the copper, when it shines a little, you should be good. the bulbs pull out of the sockets and are replaceable. 194 I think but they are the same as the marker lights if you look them up by application. I had to replace all of mine when I upgraded the alternator to the 130amp 3G. Car didn't know what to do with 14.4volts
