no dash lights & fuse blows!

[ianclarke]

Hi Corsa people,
My girlfriend has a 96 corsa B 3 1.0l (recently bought).

It has a fault with the dashboard / interior lights not working.
Not just the heater ones (which I read here are usually blown) no lights at all, except the hazzard switch backlight?
When I replace the fuse and turn the light switch on it blows straight away.
headlights work ok, seperately fused I guess.
We've not long moved and my test meter is buried in storage so I have not had a chance to check the draw across the fuse to see if it's a dead short or not.

The main beam tends to flick on because the indicator stalk is a bit worn/iffy so maybe there's something going on in the stalk connections?
The stalk is probably an easy fix. but I want to try and do it all at once.
The car does not have the central MFD, just the basic instrument cluster. Instruments work ok, just don't light up.
Interior light dead too (same fuse)

There's no stereo fitted that could be causing a short, although at some point there obviously was one.
No other non-standard parts that I can see.

Before I tear the thing apart I wondered if anyone else has had this problem.

I wonder if it's the light switch itself, anyone dismantled one of these?
There's no brightness adjustment on the switch, so it's not that.

I'd really appreciate a clue if anyone has experienced the same thing.

Cheers
Ian

[Octane2097]

you say theres no stereo fitted but check the wiring anyway, its possible that when it was removed a few of the wires could be touching eachother or some bit of metal behind the dash
especialy if your not the one who actualy removed it!

[ianclarke]

Thanks for that.
Unfortunately, that's the one thing I did look at when I changed the fuse as the radio loom is easily visible.
All looks fine, has what looks to be the original connectors with no damage to the wiring.
Can't help feel it's the light switch, ignition switch or the indicator stalk.
It doesn't seem to have power steering (at least doesn't feel like it) I read on the forum that some models have electric power steering on the column.
Is there a way I can check that in case it's that and it's knackered causing a short?

Thanks
Ian