Passed the DS test today~ - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Ben Dover · 01-22-2004, 01:36 AM

Thats the Dumb Sh1t test, for those of you that don't know.

I spent the better part of the last two evenings cleaning up the light sockets and the circuit board on my ’82 C30 instrument panel.
Couldn’t seem to get much light from the bulb in the upper right corner, so I pulled it (and it’s attached wire) to take a look-see. The wire seemed to be a ground wire attached to the top of the ashtray mount, so I took it in the shop for a little testing.

Absolutely NO continuity from one end of the wire to the other. Figured it was shorted, so I clipped one end off while leaving enough for a crimp connector. Nuthin’. Clipped off the other end in the same way. Nuthin’. Checked the middle piece which was left after clipping off the ends. Nuthin'.

Stripped off the end of the middle wire to see what kind of wire it is.

It’s Fibre Optic cable.

Who would have thought GM used optics to light its ashtrays in ’82.

Ben

Russell · 01-22-2004, 01:40 AM

Thats what that is?

Cool! I noticed that too and I was a bit confused about what it was too

crackajacka · 01-22-2004, 02:10 AM

lol yea but i dont see how it would give off enough light to light up the ashtray. it looks cool but thats about all i think it was for

ocbaud · 01-22-2004, 02:11 AM

wow, so thats what the wire is

shavedchevy · 01-22-2004, 02:13 AM

DOOOOHHHHH!!!!

C-10volvo · 01-22-2004, 02:22 AM

i dont think mine has ever worked. how do we get it to?

crackajacka · 01-22-2004, 02:24 AM

i gets light from the light on the vent controls.

ElGracho · 01-22-2004, 02:45 AM

It get's light from the upper right bulb (from the front) on the instrument cluster. It gives off just a glow so you can see the ashtray. It keeps people from stabbing their cigarettes into the $300 dash pad.

If yours is dim, don't cut both ends off like Ben did, just lightly sand each end with 400 or 600 grit paper. That takes all the dirt off of the plastic fiber and smooths it up again so it will be as bright as it can be.

Russell · 01-22-2004, 02:57 AM

Is there suppost to be a light for the vent controls? If it is, mine doesn't work, how does a guy fix it?

ElGracho · 01-22-2004, 03:06 AM

Yeah, there is. It's a bulb that turns into the back of the controls. It uses the same socket as the instrument panel lights. Change the bulb.

Russell · 01-22-2004, 03:16 AM

Sweet, I hate trying to find the right knob in the dark

I'll change it out tommorow morning

*1972C10* · 01-22-2004, 04:01 AM

They have had fiber optics for years shift indicators on 72s used fiber optics to light it up.

Lynx · 01-22-2004, 02:45 PM

Yeah the light for the vent contoles go in the back or some place... Mine is unpluged at the moment and bouncing around on top. I havnt gotten around to pluging it in so i rattles arond and looks like i got a flash light behind there when the lights are on.

01-22-2004, 01:36 AM	#1
Ben Dover Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sandpoint, Idaho Posts: 19	Passed the DS test today~ Thats the Dumb Sh1t test, for those of you that don't know. I spent the better part of the last two evenings cleaning up the light sockets and the circuit board on my ’82 C30 instrument panel. Couldn’t seem to get much light from the bulb in the upper right corner, so I pulled it (and it’s attached wire) to take a look-see. The wire seemed to be a ground wire attached to the top of the ashtray mount, so I took it in the shop for a little testing. Absolutely NO continuity from one end of the wire to the other. Figured it was shorted, so I clipped one end off while leaving enough for a crimp connector. Nuthin’. Clipped off the other end in the same way. Nuthin’. Checked the middle piece which was left after clipping off the ends. Nuthin'. Stripped off the end of the middle wire to see what kind of wire it is. It’s Fibre Optic cable. Who would have thought GM used optics to light its ashtrays in ’82. Ben

01-22-2004, 01:40 AM	#2
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Thats what that is? Cool! I noticed that too and I was a bit confused about what it was too __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

01-22-2004, 02:10 AM	#3
crackajacka Stylin Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tuttle, OK Posts: 620	lol yea but i dont see how it would give off enough light to light up the ashtray. it looks cool but thats about all i think it was for __________________ Ive been traveling for some time, with my fishin pole and my bottle of shyne. Most Girls like finished products and just dont understand what a good addiction does for you http://www.paulwall.us/

01-22-2004, 02:13 AM	#5
shavedchevy Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Posts: 315	DOOOOHHHHH!!!! __________________ Dennis

01-22-2004, 02:22 AM	#6
C-10volvo Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Lake Oswego, Oregon Posts: 1,028	i dont think mine has ever worked. how do we get it to? __________________ Ken Morgan For fun: 1964 Volvo 122 For slow: 1984 Chevrolet C-10 For everything else: 1997 BMW M3

01-22-2004, 02:11 AM	#4
ocbaud Garage Queen Material Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: USA Posts: 4,129	wow, so thats what the wire is

01-22-2004, 02:24 AM	#7
crackajacka Stylin Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Tuttle, OK Posts: 620	i gets light from the light on the vent controls. __________________ Ive been traveling for some time, with my fishin pole and my bottle of shyne. Most Girls like finished products and just dont understand what a good addiction does for you http://www.paulwall.us/

01-22-2004, 02:45 AM	#8
ElGracho Gentleman Jim Driver Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Poulsbo, WA Posts: 1,550	It get's light from the upper right bulb (from the front) on the instrument cluster. It gives off just a glow so you can see the ashtray. It keeps people from stabbing their cigarettes into the $300 dash pad. If yours is dim, don't cut both ends off like Ben did, just lightly sand each end with 400 or 600 grit paper. That takes all the dirt off of the plastic fiber and smooths it up again so it will be as bright as it can be. __________________ Joe '75 GMC Gentleman Jim '84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter) '85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed

01-22-2004, 02:57 AM	#9
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Is there suppost to be a light for the vent controls? If it is, mine doesn't work, how does a guy fix it? __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

01-22-2004, 03:06 AM	#10
ElGracho Gentleman Jim Driver Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Poulsbo, WA Posts: 1,550	Yeah, there is. It's a bulb that turns into the back of the controls. It uses the same socket as the instrument panel lights. Change the bulb. __________________ Joe '75 GMC Gentleman Jim '84 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super duper plain (manual steering, manual brakes, no dome light, no cig lighter) '85 Chev C10 Short Wide - Super plain Vortec 4.8 4L60E trans also: '81 K30, '83 C30 Crew Dually, '84 M1028 CUCV, '85 M1009 CUCV, another '85 C10 SWB, '89 R3500 Flatbed

01-22-2004, 03:16 AM	#11
Russell Professional Grade Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta Posts: 7,915	Sweet, I hate trying to find the right knob in the dark I'll change it out tommorow morning __________________ 1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap)

01-22-2004, 04:01 AM	#12
1972C10 Account Suspended Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 2,686	They have had fiber optics for years shift indicators on 72s used fiber optics to light it up.

01-22-2004, 02:45 PM	#13
Lynx Registered User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada Posts: 513	Yeah the light for the vent contoles go in the back or some place... Mine is unpluged at the moment and bouncing around on top. I havnt gotten around to pluging it in so i rattles arond and looks like i got a flash light behind there when the lights are on. __________________ Ben 1983 Silverado SWB 305 2002 Silverado Extended Cab 5.3 http://members.shaw.ca/bkennett



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