Dash lights problem...

[blackmax23]

So in the past few months, my clock has been flickering until the point now where it doesn't come on at all. It'll come back on after a week or so, displaying the wrong time, but then will go back off as soon as I touch it. Also, my JET PCM underneath my cd player is flickering now. The LED's in the PCM are supposed to light up according to how much throttle I'm giving her and now they flicker on and off. If I hit a bump, they sometimes go off, sometimes don't. I started to take off the plate underneath my cd deck to get at the wiring cuz I'm thinking it's a ground problem, but as I'm about to take the dash kit off, I realize that the dash is screwed into the frame of the deck with the screws facing the front of the car so I can't get at them at all. Oh, and now my lights to my heat/ac are starting to go! What the hell is going on here?!?!?!?

[TJMAX98]

I had a similar problem with my clock. also my climate control lights were bugging out. A friend told me to check my battery connection and sure enough, there was a little corrosion and the wireswerent clamped tightly, after i adjusted it the problem has been resolved.....hope that helps at all...........although, some of my dash/radio lights are out

[jltibbs]

it does sound as though you have a grounding issue somewhere. you may need to contact a mech who has good electrical knowledge to track down the issue.

[blackmax23]

Thanks, guys. Yeah that was my original thought, ground. TJMAX, it couldn't have been the battery connection if the lights are still out, though? Or do you think you have a different problem now?

[lightsout]

i just had to pull out my heat/ac unit to replace the bulbs on the circuit board.

click the link below, and scroll down to the bulbs that are called Neo - Wedge LED Instrument Panel Bulbs Type A, B & C. The blubs that are in the 00-03 heat/ac units are the Type B bulbs. You have the options of filament bulbs or LED's. I just bought the LED's in hopes that they are the wide angle LED's, b/c only the wide angle LED's will light up all the buttons.

HAPPY PURCHASING!!

http://autolumination.com/74.htm

as for the clock flicker, i'm not sure how to fix that

[blackmax23]

Thanks, but it's not my bulbs that are malfunctioning. My bulbs all work, but it's an electrical issue. Once I get some extra time, I'm gonna tackle the problem. But ya know what, I just might purchase those LED's anyway!

The problem I have getting the dash apart right now is where my cd player is, I can get the left part of the dash off fine, just a pop with a flat head screwdriver, but the right side is bolted in somehow and the screw is facing the front of the car!

How do I get at that screw that is bolted into the frame that supports my deck???????

[lightsout]

pictures are worth a thousand words!!! post up a few pix of the screw and surrounding area's!!

[blackmax23]

Yessir I will asap!

[lightsout]

thanks, i'll check back laaaate 2night!!

peace blackmax23

[lightsout]

check with a Nissan dealer as to which bulb you have b/c u are a 4th gen Maxima, and your bulb code may be different than mine!

[McSteve]

does anyone know if the analog clock in the I30 middle console has a backlight to it? I mean that thing is pretty much pointless at night!

[Darktide]

To get the radio out you need to take apart most of the center console. You need to take out the shifter bezel. then the vents at the top. You will then see 2 screws on top and 2 on the bottom. Once unbolted the whole center console comes out. Once you pull it out you'll see the screws holding the radio on the sides. These screws are RIDICULOUS if you've never gotten them out. My friend had some special screwdrivers that were slotted and had a grip coating on them . I needed'm because I almost stripped 2 of them out. It's insane. I hope this helps

As for the clock. The clock is supposed to dim at night so that it isn't a distraction to you. But just pull up on the unit and it should pop right out. I don't remember seeing a bulb behind it but you could check. And since when were cars shipped with analog clocks?! Last car I saw something like that in was my 1981 Trans AM

[blackmax23]

Wow, THAT'S what it takes to remove the console?!?!?! If I had known that, I don't know if I would've trusted the dudes that installed my deck 4 or 5 years ago! It's even harder for me cuz I have to be extra careful cuz I have the brushed aluminum dash kit and if anyone knows aluminum, any slip and that stuff is bent like a mo fo. I'll post pics a lil later just to show you what I'm dealin with! Thanks a lot!

[lightsout]

i just did the same thing...had to take everything out. I actually put it back in tonight with the new LED lights!!!

such a big hole in the dash for a week!!

[Darktide]

there are 2 large problems with leaving the center console out like that for a long period of time. 1) You don't have any HVAC, which ends up being pretty important when you don't have it (especially in the frigid new england weather)

2) If you unplug the Hazards Button... your turn signals will no longer work

As for the job itself. After you do it once the next time moves quickly. The hardest part I have is the top vents... sometimes they get jammed up there and I can't get'm out. Other than that I can take it apart and put it together in pretty quickly. I've gotta do it again actually so I can paint my dash kit and hopefully paint everything like lightsout did.... that was awesome.

[blackmax23]

From the pics above, you can see that damn bolt that I can't get at. The red arrows show you where it is and the one pic has a yellow arrow showing the way it's facing (towards the front of the car). You can also see that I have the left part of it off, just need the right side. Any ideas of how to get at that thing, without removing the whooooole dash?

[lightsout]

i believe you must pull off the shifter bezel first(1), then pull out the vents(2), then unscrew the HU mounting brackets(3). That should enable you to take out the entire HU & AC to get out that screw. the yellow dots are where your HU mounting brackets should be once you get step 1 & 2 finished.

[blackmax23]

Thanks, lightsout, I appreciate it. You have a 2000 maxima, mine's a 99, you think it's still the same procedure at getting that out???

[lightsout]

it looks very close to mine...i looked in my Haynes Manual for 93-04 Maxima's(chapter 11 section 15), but it's not very specific. I do know that the framing for the dash is almost exactly like the 00-03 models, so it can't be too different.

purchase a manual at your local Pepboys or Kragen Auto Parts.

[blackmax23]

Thanks, man, I'm gonna give it a shot, I'll let you know how it works out!

[lightsout]