I have a 2001 F150 Lightning. For about 4 years now I have had no illumination with the instrument cluster. Cigarette lighter also has no power. Have checked fuses, switch, and pulled out cluster to check bulbs and circuit board. Still no solution. Does anyone know what the problem is or have a solution? Thanks!

 

How did you check the switch ?

The fuse for the cigar lighter would be the 1st place to look, check with a meter on both sides of the fuse while the fuse is installed in the fuse panel, to verify that the fuse is good.
The next place to check the cigar lighter is at the back of the plug, to make sure it is not a socket issue.

 

I checked the switch with a test light. The test light came on when touched to the brown/white wire and blue/orange wire on the big connection. The test light never came on when touched to any wires on the small connection.

 

Not sure what that was testing, those color codes have nothing to do with the instrument illumination.

Start with checking the power to the dimmer switch, this is the Dark Blue w/ White stripe wire, from fuse # 18 in the CJB ( aka Central Junction Box / Cab fuse panel ).

If you do not have power on this wire, you need to check the fuse with the meter on both sides of the fuse while the fuse is in the fuse panel ( the metal pins on the back of the fuse ).

Next try jumpering the Dark Blue w/ white stripe wire to the Light Blue w/ Red stripe wire. This is bypassing the dimer switch, and the instrument illumination will work ( pending you got a pass on the test above ).

If this works, next is to test the switch itself. This would be using an Ohm meter, and on the pins for the Dark Blue w/ White Stripe wire and the Light Blue w/ Red stripe wire. As you turn the dial up, you should get a change in the resistance. The higher resistance will be with the dial rotated down, with less resistance at the top of the rotation.

 

I did the following: Start with checking the power to the dimmer switch, this is the Dark Blue w/ White stripe wire, from fuse # 18 in the CJB ( aka Central Junction Box / Cab fuse panel ).

No power from fuse box nor power to the dark blue w/white stripe wire at the switch.

The cigarette lighter fuse has power.

 

Did you test the fuse with a meter ? If you do not have power on the Dark Blue w/ white stripe wire, CJB Fuse #18 is blown, needs to be replaced.

If it has power on both sides of the fuse, then you need to continue checking at the back of the cigar lighter for power.

 

There is no power on the fuse nor to that fuse outlet. Replaced fuse, still no power. Checked both sides of outlet without fuse, no power either???

 

When you were testing the fuse for the instrument panel, you did have the parking lamps on, correct ?

Are you sure you had a good ground ( test to another known hot fuse ) ?

 

I did have the parking lamps on and also tested with headlights on. I will try to test a known hot fuse now.

 

tested fuse #1 the radio fuse it was hot. Went back and tested fuse #18 no power.

 

tested fuse #1 the radio fuse. It was hot. Went back and retested fuse #18 no power.

 

If there is no power on either side of fuse #18 with the parking lamps on, there is a problem with the wiring at the main headlamp connector.

The parking lamp wire is the same wire to the fuse panel for the cluster illumination.



You are going to have to check the brown wire to the fuse panel, if it is dead on both sides.

Remove the fuse and take a visual inspection of the fuse holder, to make sure the fuse slot is still at the top of the fuse socket, and it does not move.

 

Checked brown and white wire at the switch with wire harness disconnected. Meter indicated low power at that location.

 

I also did this: next is to test the switch itself. This would be using an Ohm meter, and on the pins for the Dark Blue w/ White Stripe wire and the Light Blue w/ Red stripe wire. As you turn the dial up, you should get a change in the resistance. The higher resistance will be with the dial rotated down, with less resistance at the top of the rotation.
I got a result that was opposite of what you said it should have been. When testing the switch itself where the Light Blue w/ Red stripe wire goes, I got a higher resistance when rotating the switch up and lower resistance when rotating down?

 

I did this: Remove the fuse and take a visual inspection of the fuse holder, to make sure the fuse slot is still at the top of the fuse socket, and it does not move. Everything checked out OK!