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Panel lights won't dim

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Old 03-15-2012, 10:22 AM
  #11  
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I didn't have this issue last March when the battery died, and I had to replace it!
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Old 03-15-2012, 10:25 AM
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I don't think that would be an issue, but if you prefer, have the battery tested before doing anything else.
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Old 03-15-2012, 11:36 AM
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The dimmer is a potentiometer. IDK how the dimmer is wired to the rest of your electronics but if it is putting out a resistance that falls out of spec or is shorted I could see that causing other problems.
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Old 03-15-2012, 12:34 PM
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Originally Posted by us11csalyer
The dimmer is a potentiometer. IDK how the dimmer is wired to the rest of your electronics but if it is putting out a resistance that falls out of spec or is shorted I could see that causing other problems.
Not sure that it's a potentiometer per se in these cars. The instrument lamps dimming control is located in the BCM. The control on the dash is more likely just a position sensor the feeds a signal to the control in the BCM.
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Old 03-15-2012, 02:30 PM
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Potentiometers are so 20th century. Let's put something in that needs a microprocessor to analyze it. Then we can justify charging $100 for what used to be a 25 cent part.
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Old 03-15-2012, 05:59 PM
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Originally Posted by JazzDad
Potentiometers are so 20th century. Let's put something in that needs a microprocessor to analyze it. Then we can justify charging $100 for what used to be a 25 cent part.
And it also gives someone the opportunity to build an APP for that! lol

Too much truth in what you speak.
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Old 03-15-2012, 06:27 PM
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Has anyone look at the light sensor on top of the dash. It must be part of the system.
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Old 03-15-2012, 09:14 PM
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Originally Posted by JazzDad
I'll look into the battery. And you are correct; the batteries usually just die. You might park for a minute, come out and a cell is open.

I was also thinking a ground-related problem, but with so many points to check...

If I do disconnect the battery, I wonder if the car will have to re-learn the transmission parameters. https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/show...t=call+surging I don't want to have to go through this again.
I think that the crux of that discussion was that once you disconnect the battery for 20 minutes the computer sees a new world and automatically re-learns everything, it does not lose programming, just memory. Else, how could you replace the battery?
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Old 03-15-2012, 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted by us11csalyer
The dimmer is a potentiometer. IDK how the dimmer is wired to the rest of your electronics but if it is putting out a resistance that falls out of spec or is shorted I could see that causing other problems.
"Are you a pot head Fokker?" Meet the Parents reference
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Old 04-05-2012, 12:58 PM
  #20  
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OK, I finally got around to testing the battery with a load tester. It checked out fine. I guess I'll need to pith the computer by disco'ing the battery.
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