Buddy's gause cluster don't light up

[ocdjg]

If fuse 30 is fine and you correctly jumped the red wire to the black wire in the unplugged dimmer connector, then the dimmer switch is unlikely to be the problem. Start by checking whether fuse 30 has battery voltage at both top tabs with the light switch on.

Do the heater control panel lights work and both brighten and dim with the dimmer switch?

OK I'll check it out and report my findings in a bit.

When everything was working yeah the dimmer brightened and dimmed the backlights behind the heater a/c controls. Now its totally dark.

 

[ocdjg]

Sheit, now my drivers side headlight is out! WTF is going on with my electrical!?

 

[RonJ]

When everything was working yeah the dimmer brightened and dimmed the backlights behind the heater a/c controls. Now its totally dark.

Okay. Proceed as I mentioned.

 

[RonJ]

Sheit, now my drivers side headlight is out! WTF is going on with my electrical!?

Likely separate issue. Probably blown bulb or fuse.

 

[MyNaSi51]

hard to tell, did you have a weak battery and jump start the car? or have a cold start, battery surge, anything wired into car?

 

[ocdjg]

OK I'm back. Well it actually was the stupid fuse, LoL. I guess I was tired last night and didn't really see it properly. However my lights still do not work properly. Something is blowing the fuse to hell. I've gone through 3 fuses back to back just now. At least I'm getting closer to the problem, but now I gotta figure out whats shortening out the fuse.

Oh and yeah the headlight is a separate issue. The bulb just burnt out.

I did used to have a indiglo gauge overlay that was powered by the dimmer switch. Its off now but I remember having to literally bang on the vent to turn on every so often. I hope thats a good clue to the problem. I also retrofitted LEDs onto my gauge cluster and ac backlights, but I've had them on for a while now with no problems til now.

 

[ocdjg]

hard to tell, did you have a weak battery and jump start the car? or have a cold start, battery surge, anything wired into car?

Hmmm I do know that my battery is on its last leg of life. Could it be the reason behind my woes? Damn I wanted to swap out my IM this weekend too. I may have to spend that money repairing my electrical instead now.

 

[AllStockHatch]

Crossed wires from hopefully not a hack job with those LEDs? Id recheck all that wiring that you did.

 

[RonJ]

The dimmer switch may be bad and shorting. Here's how to test:

Turn light switch off, install a new fuse 30, pry dimmer switch out of dash and unplug connector, jump red to black wire in connector, and then turn the light switch to on. Does the fuse now hold and the dash lights work?

 

[HONDA_CIVIC_EJ8]

im having jus about the same problem, everything but the needles light up so at night i cant see how fast im goin. do any of you know what i can do to fix this?

thanks

 

[ocdjg]

The dimmer switch may be bad and shorting. Here's how to test:

Turn light switch off, install a new fuse 30, pry dimmer switch out of dash and unplug connector, jump red to black wire in connector, and then turn the light switch to on. Does the fuse now hold and the dash lights work?

OK I did that. As soon as I jumped the connection the fuse fried. I also did it where the gauge cluster was not plugged in and the switch was. When I did it that way the fuse held but the dimming control woudn't dim anything. Anyhow I figure its gotta be the gauges.

I'm so frustrated right now. I don't understand what or where I screwed up esp. since they were working just fine.

 

[RonJ]

Okay, the dimmer switch is fine. Problem could be in the cluster or other lights on the dimmer circuit, such as the heater control panel and radio. Unplug the different components one at time to find which disconnected component prevents the fuse from blowing.

 

[Raabe]

i knwo you said fuses...but i put money on it...

everytime it happend to me, it was the fuse. im jsut sayin

 

[nightryder1314]

Do the taillights work? If the taillights work, then the switch is fine.

You need to recheck 7.5A fuse #30 under the dash. This is best done with a multimeter. For example, does fuse 30 get battery voltage? Otherwise, replace fuse 30 with a known good fuse.

Edit: If the heater control panel back lights work, then you may have a problem with a cluster wire or connector or the cluster itself.

I'm having the same problem but my heater control panel lights dont work all this started to happen after i put my radio in. I also tried putting my buddy's dimmer switch and i shorted his out so help me what could this be???

 

[RonJ]

I'm having the same problem but my heater control panel lights dont work all this started to happen after i put my radio in. I also tried putting my buddy's dimmer switch and i shorted his out so help me what could this be???

What year? Do the taillights work? Pull the radio out and double check whether it is wired properly and whether any of the wires are damaged or shorted.

 

[sick si]

i have 99 civic si and my guage cluster and other interior lights won't light up. I checked all the fuses (#30) and it's fine. I also tried the dimmer switch jump and still no luck oh and while i was down checking all the fuses my CEL came on. I don't know what to do now. I recently bought the car knowing the lights don't work. please help

 

[RonJ]

Check for voltage at both top metal tabs of fuse 30 with a test light or multimeter as described at the link in my signature. Both tabs should be hot with the light switch on.

 

[sick si]

i checked it with the test light and it light up that's why i m soo confused now
oh wait i checked the fuses with my car on and headlights on and the test light lit.

 

[RonJ]

i checked it with the test light and it light up

Did you test both top metal tabs of fuse 30 for voltage with the light switch turned on? If so, unplug the dimmer switch and test whether the Red wire and Red/Blk wire have battery voltage with the light switch on. Also check whether the Blk wire has continuity to body ground.

 

[sick si]

how do i check those metal tabs i dont have the real test light. Its the one that comes with the fuses.