Bulb with black plastic wire

asjt3 · Aug 9, 2024

Folks, on the back of the instrument cluster there’s a bulb with what seems to be a black solid plastic stiff wire attached. It’s black with a green stripe, anybody know what this is for? Doesn’t seem to be electrical in nature?

1990 chev suburban V1500

dd1990 · Aug 9, 2024

That wire is a fiber optic line, sends light from bulb on dash cluster to the ash tray

Turbo4whl · Aug 9, 2024

If it is on the right side of the instrument cluster, it is fiber optic line to light up the ashtray. On the left side it lights up the wiper switch (older model than the '90)

Early squares had a fiber optic ribbon to light up the wiper switch.

Turbo4whl · Aug 9, 2024

dd1990 said:
That wire is a fiber optic line, sends light from bulb on dash cluster to the ash tray

I was slow to respond, David has it ^^^

asjt3 · Aug 11, 2024

Wow that’s interesting thanks for the replies. Now I’m confused though, because there is also a free hanging bulb that I thought plugs into the ashtray like on the GMT400s. Is it possible this dash cluster is from another year or is the free hanging bulb for something else?

gmbellew · Aug 11, 2024

asjt3 said:
Wow that’s interesting thanks for the replies. Now I’m confused though, because there is also a free hanging bulb that I thought plugs into the ashtray like on the GMT400s. Is it possible this dash cluster is from another year or is the free hanging bulb for something else?

might be for the HVAC controls if it has a bulb attached and doesn't have a spot in the cluster.

asjt3 · Aug 13, 2024

I found where the fiber line plugs in above the ashtray. Very interesting. I’ll have to figure out whether this bulb plugs into the HVAC cluster.

PrairieDrifter · Aug 14, 2024

asjt3 said:
I found where the fiber line plugs in above the ashtray. Very interesting. I’ll have to figure out whether this bulb plugs into the HVAC cluster.

It goes into the very top far right of the gauge cluster.

Bulb with black plastic wire

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