2001 Chrysler Sebring DASH ILLUMINATION PROBLEM

SEBRING2001

MEMBER
2001 CHRYSLER SEBRING

Electrical problem
2001 Chrysler Sebring 4 cyl Two Wheel Drive Automatic 101K + miles

since I bought my used 2001 sebring sedan couple months ago the dash illumination has not worked at all. At night when I turn the headlights on, the whole dashboard stays pitch dark INCLUDING the heater control knobs and radio buttons. The rheostat is good because when I turn it the digital PRND3L and odometer dims and brightens fine, and I checked ALL fuses and all are good too. Brake and parking lights work fine also. I took out the radio and heater control knob unit and in back of the heater controls unit seems to be a stray plug that I can't find where it plugs in. There are only two sockets in back of the heater control unit but three plugs and behind the radio seems to be a stray purple with yellow stripe wire. It's apparent to me that perhaps the heater controls and/or radio have been replaced allthough with a seemingly factory chrysler radio cassette deck. That's my prob in a nutshell somebody can PLEEEASE help! I'm not sure how to follow the wires or look for a short. Everything is wrapped in black sticky tape and there's like a million wires and I can't get into the dash far enough to see where they all go. Thanx

2 Replies

BLUELIGHTNIN6

MECHANIC
16,542 POSTS

Hello

I have researched your vehicles radio wiring diagrams and I have found a violet w/ yellow stripe wire from the radio to the PCI Bus. There is a wire next to this wire that should be orange w/ brown stripe. This wire is the one used for the interior lighting. I believe someone has wired it up wrong, obviously forgetting to hook up the one you speak of altogether. Look at the wires on the back of the radio itself and try to find a stray wire which should be same color as the stray wire inside the dash. Connect the two and check for lighting. If still no lights, follow the wires to the junction block (where fuses are) which is located at the left end of the dash and ensure they are not loose. Below is a small snapshot of the wires I am talking about.

If there is a lot of black electrical tape holding the wires together between the dash and the radio then it has definitely been rewired. There should be a harness (plastic connectors) that connects the wiring to the radio, not tape. .

BEHIND FUSE PANEL (JUNCTION BLOCK AT DASH)