How do you exactly bypass a Rheostat?

I did a search, but cant find exactly what is to be done. Obviously, I am trying to get my dash lights working, and I am not familiar with electronics.

connect the wires together....presto, dash lights. You can also do this on the rheostat by putting both wires on a common terminal.

just join the 2 wires to the rheostat together and it will give you full lights if the part is faulty.

all the rheostat does is cause a resistance to dim the light.

Last time I peeked under my dash, it appeared there were more than two wire connected to the Rheostat. Or was I just seeing things?

mine had four....two on each terminal. Removed the fresh air vents for easier access...two clips and a crimp later and voila...dash ligts...albiet very dim ones!

I think I had four - soldered them all together and then used heat shrink tubing to insulate. leaves a great hole in the dash for a new manual choke cable.

sorry yes there is more than 2 wires but the rheostat has 2 connections,just bridge between the 2,sorry to misslead

Just an idea, but if you are going to jumper the rheostat as describe above, think about using a line fuse. that way if there are any shorts in the lights under the dash, you will not melt the harness. The link below to John Twist explains it well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2f3zkMzuUY

Thanks all!

(click on image to enlarge/hosted offfsite)
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I'm at work, so I can't see the video. If your rheostat is not working, I think I read John Twist say somewhere, that if you work the rheostat, back and forth, stop to stop about 100 times, this usually cleans the contacts and gets it working again. Mine was kind of hinkey. It worked in some areas but not all. I did this and viola, fully functioning rheostat. Replace all my dash lights with halogens from Little British Car Co. www.lbcco.com and viola, my 60 year old eyes can see the instruments again.

Take a look at the attached image.
Pretend that the dimmer switch is not there.
Let's say that the Red Number 1 ball is a 10 amp fuse and the blue lines are the jumper wires.
Would this be correct?

Dakine,
Your photograph has it depicted correctly. You'd effectively eliminate the rheostat and replace it with an inline fuse instead.

The second red/white wire goes to the cigar lighter...

you guys are awesome!

You can paint the inside of the instrument cases white to increase the brightness to within the range of human retinas
2 to 3 times as bright. Just a quick rough as you like spray from a can of matt ultra white. I'd suggest you leave the bottom side of the instrument case the original dull blue/green colour because if it is too bright you will get a reflection on the windscreen from the bottom of the instrument. Maybe even paint the bottom 33% black

It is possible to rebuild most rheostats, even if they are stuck and rusted up. A new one is over $100!! Here is a fun article on how to do it:

http://www.mgexperience.net/article/dimmer.html

Ask on the trader forum for a rusty used but rebuildable used unit if yours is toast.

Also, you might consider using LED dash bulbs as they draw less power, never burn out, come in many cool colors, and put off less heat. Get them locally at any specialty light bulb store by taking them an old dash bulb as a sample. They run $3-$5 each and you need about six or seven by my count.