A few weeks ago the instrament lights and lower console on my wife's 2000 Venture went out. A few days later we were stoped for not having any marker/running lights. We had head lights, stop lights, turn signals, backup and hazards just no running lights (back or front) I don't know if the two problems are related or not. At first I thought the problem with the instrament lights was just a fuse but all the fuses sheck good with an ohms meter. All of the light bulbs are working. We almost never use the light switch because the lights turn on automaticaly, however trying the switch didn't make any diferance. I pulled the light switch and checked it with an ohms meter and it seems to be working fine (if I'm checking it correctly). My wiring diagram showes two hot wires (orange) going into the switch; there are two orange wires going into the switch (the third and fourth from the left) but only the fourthis hot (always). The one that I think should have power to turn the parking lights ondoes not have power either with the ignition off, on, or running. I currently have the ligh switch removed and if I run a jumper wire from the one orange wire that is hot to the marker/running light wire then the marking/running lights work -regardless of if the van is turned on or not.I have not checked to see if there is power going to the fuse but I'm sure that the fuse its self is good.

1.) Does it sound like the instrament lights and marker/running lights being out is the same or different problems?

2.) Where should I look for the source of the problem with the running lights?

3.) How much voltage should the hot wire going to the running lights have?

 

So pulled the dash apart andtraced the wire all the way down to the fuse box under the hood. It had good continuity all the way from the switch to the fuse box. I pulled the fuse to check the continuity at the fuse terminal and the problem jumped out at me like a smake. the fuse was blown. [sm=headbang.gif]I thought that I had checked those fuses. Oh well. It's all back together and working now and yes the instrument lights and the running lights are all on that same fuse.