Guys,

Been fiddling with the light in my side door panel with a pair of pliers, got a little spark but nothing else.

Wanted to go to the gas station, got in the car, started, turned the lights on.

headlights work
Doorlights work
Interiour lights work
Warninglights on the dashboard work
Clock works (although it said 1:00)
Radio works

Dashboardlight stayed off
Neon (connected to the sigaretlighter) stayed off
couple of seconds later a "TAK" sound and burning smell.

checked all the fuses inside and in the engine bay.

any ideas?

Sounds like a wire has melted

The lights you say aren't working are connected to the sidelights wiring - can you see if the sidelights are working okay? I don't know how it is all physically connected though, it might be a whole dash out job trying to find the problem.

I don't know if sidelights have a seperate fuse (I know headlights do, pink PAL 30amp under hood) cos I've never had to took but I imagine they should do... did you check the fuses with a multimeter?

Also, might sound obvious, but something must have caused that short so you'll need to find it too. Sorry if any of that sounds patronising, isn't meant to

Saw the thread title, and thought you were about to talk about films!

[img]http://www.reviewstl.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/short_circuit_ramake_johnny5.jpg[/img]

found it. i put too much strain on the light dimmer (neon, gearknob, etc) and it burned through.

the wires are black, red, red/black and red/yellow.

which wires do i have to connect to get the stuff working?

fixed! picked up a new one from a dutch member nearby, fitted and working

Ahh I forgot about that bloody dimmer!

It's so pointless as well, cos it doesn't dim everything and really it isn't that bright to begin with. But still, good to hear it was a quick fix

no idea how it went bad though. one minute it worked, I went inside, came back, got in, turned the lights on and the dashboard/neon stayed off. I though "huh?" and all of a sudden I hear a hissing noize and a puff of smoke appears from the dashboard.

guess I overloaded the dimmer with the neon and the led-gearknob.

luckily i could get a free new one, think those things dont come cheap on a scrapyard.

and yes the dimmer is pointless. the only reason I connected my neon and gearknob to the light of the ashtray is because that light goes on when you turn the lightswitch. too bad it also reacts to the dimmer..