Dash Lights are out!
Dash Lights are out!
I recently installed a new stereo in my '89 240sx, after i did this my dash lights would not come on. I have checked my fuses, and don't know what else to look for??? I'm thinking one of the wires(illumination) that I hooked up for my stereo should not have been hooked up, I don't know if I accidentally blew out the dash light?? The radio works fine and so do all of my other lights and accessories.I can't see my speedometer or other instruments when I'm driving at night now! Help!!
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Holisticbeatz
- Posts: 1221
- Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:09 pm
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
Check the bulb in the dimmer switch. It's probably blown.
Also, check your "brake light" fuse on the driver side fuse block. Turn on your headlights and see if you have any lights working in the back. Usually when the dash lights are out the brake lights won't come on with the headlights, only when you press the brakes. Which could mean you'll get a ticket.
The reason why I say check your dimmer switch bulb is because if the bulb is blown the circuit won't complete and you won't have any lights.
You're right about the illumination wire, isolate it and don't hook it up to your stereo. i believe it's a red with yellow stripe.
good luck.
Also, check your "brake light" fuse on the driver side fuse block. Turn on your headlights and see if you have any lights working in the back. Usually when the dash lights are out the brake lights won't come on with the headlights, only when you press the brakes. Which could mean you'll get a ticket.
The reason why I say check your dimmer switch bulb is because if the bulb is blown the circuit won't complete and you won't have any lights.
You're right about the illumination wire, isolate it and don't hook it up to your stereo. i believe it's a red with yellow stripe.
good luck.
yeah, it's located inside the dimmer switch itself, once you get the dimmer switch off, you'll be able to unscrew the bulb from the bottom of it, you'll see it, it's the only thing on the bottom of the switch that can be twisted off. To get the dimmer switch off you have to remove the dash panel with all the switched on it. Just a few screws.
I have removed the dash and gotten the what i think is the dimmer switch out. this is the switch that makes the dash lights go brighter and dimmer correct? From looking at it there is only a screw and it is on the back of it, not the bottom... i just want to make sure because when i turn the screw it moves but but only about half a turn then stops, it does not want to unscrew competely and it is a PLASTIC screw...???
ok, i've gotten the bulb out but it's a blue bulb and i cannot really see if it's burnt out... so i hooked up a couple wires to a AA battery then to the bulb and it did not light up. where can i get one of these tiny bulbs or do i need a whole new switch?? also can i drive the car as is .. without reconnecting all of dash gauges? thanks...
I don't think an AA battery will produce enough power for that bulb. You'd need at least one of those square 9V batteries.
I don't know about it being blue, i've seen it clear, but i guess different cars have different things. It might not be easy enough to look through and see the blown filaments through the blue, they are EXTREMELY thin. If you have a 9V battery that could help the process. Or even better if you could scrape off the blue coating from the bulb and take a look carefully against a very bright white light or the sun.
I don't know about it being blue, i've seen it clear, but i guess different cars have different things. It might not be easy enough to look through and see the blown filaments through the blue, they are EXTREMELY thin. If you have a 9V battery that could help the process. Or even better if you could scrape off the blue coating from the bulb and take a look carefully against a very bright white light or the sun.
Ok, I found a 9Volt battery and tested - it does not light up. Then tried what you suggested - scratching off the blue coating... well it wasn't exactly blue coating... it was like a rubber balloon which i was able to tear off with my finger nails, anyway... it does look bad. So.... where do i get a replacement bulb and is that all i need??? Also, can I drive the car as is without putting everything back together? I don't want to cause more problems...
Great, so you've checked the bulb out and you've found it to be bad. Now at least we've found the source of your problem. The bulb is all that you need. You can look at the bottom of your dimmer switch and see how the bulb was completing the circuitry.
That blue cover is called a condom incidently. yeah i know, funny choice for a name.
You can contact http://www.courtesyparts.com and buy the bulb from them. Previously people used to replace entire dimmer switches just because they didn't know about this little bulb. I tried radio shack already, they have a similar bulb, but it's not the same. Call up courtesyparts instead of mailing them, you'll get what you need instantly with a phone call. Mails take like 2 days for then to respond to generally, in my experience.
You CAN drive with your dash taken apart, just make sure the hazard lights switch is plugged in or you won't have turn signals. I would suggest you put it back together but leave the screws out, only take less than a minute to put it back into place.
Good luck!
That blue cover is called a condom incidently. yeah i know, funny choice for a name.
You can contact http://www.courtesyparts.com and buy the bulb from them. Previously people used to replace entire dimmer switches just because they didn't know about this little bulb. I tried radio shack already, they have a similar bulb, but it's not the same. Call up courtesyparts instead of mailing them, you'll get what you need instantly with a phone call. Mails take like 2 days for then to respond to generally, in my experience.
You CAN drive with your dash taken apart, just make sure the hazard lights switch is plugged in or you won't have turn signals. I would suggest you put it back together but leave the screws out, only take less than a minute to put it back into place.
Good luck!
yes, you can, but that can also lead to you causing other electrical problems. That bulb is there as a safetly precaution, it will blow and protect other components like the timer control unit. If you simply bypass the bulb, you may very well get yourself deeper in trouble. A $7 bulb is alot cheaper than $50-100 in an electrical component.
Before anything is done, the first thing to do is check all the wires at stereo. Make sure nothing is hanging loose or no part of a wire is exposed. With an aftermarket cd player or so you don't have to hook up the illumination wire. 99.9% of the time these dash light problems are caused by people messing with the illumination ground wire. Just tape off the end and leave it alone.
Before anything is done, the first thing to do is check all the wires at stereo. Make sure nothing is hanging loose or no part of a wire is exposed. With an aftermarket cd player or so you don't have to hook up the illumination wire. 99.9% of the time these dash light problems are caused by people messing with the illumination ground wire. Just tape off the end and leave it alone.
Only other thing i think it can be is the timer control unit. Located in the drivers side kick panel. Basically it's located where your left foot rests when you sit, remove the panel and you'll see a white box, open the box and look for any burnt soldered joints.
Before you do that, turn on your headlights and go take a look at your brake lights, make sure they're on and none of them not working.
Before you do that, turn on your headlights and go take a look at your brake lights, make sure they're on and none of them not working.
The brake light/tail lamp fuse is the fuse that has a bearing on the interior lights.
If the fuse is fine, and your dimmer switch is fine, and your TCU is fine, the only other possible conclusion that could be drawn by me is that the problem lies in the stalk that you use to turn the lights on and off with. A soldered joint could be burnt. Either that or your stereo's wiring could be the problem, hook up the old factory stereo and see if it works with the new dimmer switch bulb.
If the fuse is fine, and your dimmer switch is fine, and your TCU is fine, the only other possible conclusion that could be drawn by me is that the problem lies in the stalk that you use to turn the lights on and off with. A soldered joint could be burnt. Either that or your stereo's wiring could be the problem, hook up the old factory stereo and see if it works with the new dimmer switch bulb.
I have some other electrical problems. My seatbelts don't work unless the ignition is on, the interior light or map lights do not work, the door ajar light is on all the time, and occationaly when I start the car the wipers will go just once. I don't know what the poblem is though, i'm gonna look into it in the next few days.
Thansk,
David.
Thansk,
David.
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ricebike
- Posts: 3381
- Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2003 7:03 pm
- Car: 1989 240sx se 5spd (donated to my brother in law)
2002 Quest
2005 Altima - Location: CNJ
hmm, wolf, here's a suggestion:
http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....ights
I read this thread & didn't know to check the dimmer switch bulb; acts like a fuse/fusible link??? wow, learnin everytime...
Soo, I got my ghetto lights & radio works w/out the key ON...
gonna go isolate the red/blue stripe and red/yellow stripe wires from the aftermarket radio next weekend & hunt down a TCU from another member.
http://www.nissaninfiniticlub....ights
I read this thread & didn't know to check the dimmer switch bulb; acts like a fuse/fusible link??? wow, learnin everytime...
Soo, I got my ghetto lights & radio works w/out the key ON...
gonna go isolate the red/blue stripe and red/yellow stripe wires from the aftermarket radio next weekend & hunt down a TCU from another member.