# 2002 buick regal 3.8

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** regal, buick\
**Created:** [September 17, 2017, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848 "2017-09-17T02:01:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Felixsaint2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/felixsaint2/32/8695_2.png) [@Felixsaint2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Felixsaint2)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848/1 "2017-09-17T02:01:56Z")

</div>

Car dashboard dimmer lights are dark. Tail lights are working fine. 7.5 amp fuse is not blown I have tested it for continuity. Any help on what the problem could be. No matter what I do even turning them to full they are always dark

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848/2 "2017-09-17T03:09:16Z")

</div>

I am not at all familiar with your car, I have owned only 2 GM cars, my first and absolutely positively my last, but whatever is behind the knob, slider or whatever you use to adjust your dash lights is bad.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848/3 "2017-09-17T15:16:21Z")

</div>

It might also be oxidized contacts that no longer allow free conduction of electricity. I’ve encountered that on all my cars that I’ve kept over 12 years.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848/4 "2017-09-17T15:33:05Z")

</div>

You need to pull the switch and check for current in and current out.

There may be a dedicated fuse for the dash lights. Has the radio been removed or worked on lately? Installing aftermarket sound systems often result in your problem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [September 17, 2017, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848/5 "2017-09-17T18:03:15Z")

</div>

Most of the dash light switches have a rheostat to dim them. On my wife’s Nisan Sentra, that part was burned out. Instead of buying a new switch for $300, I had the shop short-wire the connection so that it only showed bright. Cost $65 or so.

You can probably have the same done with your switch.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2002-buick-regal-3-8/107848/6 "2017-09-18T01:23:59Z")

</div>

Good advice above by @Docnick. Full bright might be a little too bright though. Replacing the defective control will return you to full functionality, but there’s probably a cheaper work-a-round possible by inserting a fixed resistor in series with the jumper wire to dim the brightness a little. Make sure whoever does that understands how to specify the correct wattage spec for the resistor.