No Dash Lights

[un_known]

I recently installed a after-market cd player in my 1990 240sx. And now there are no dash lights, the whole gauge cluster is dark. Just the dumb little red lights and the clock light work. Also for some weird reason there are no tail lights, when i turn my head lights on only the break lights work. I just checked my "TCU" or what ever the hell its called and it seems to be fine. I have also checked the fuses on the driver side kick panel. What else would you suggest doing or checking?

[Shocker]

Ok man, i gotta 1990 240sx Fastback, bought the car with no dash lights.. opened up dash checked all grounds and connections, everything was fine. Went to nissian for a diagnostics test, here my variable timing controller was bad. Its the white box attached right above the floor by the fuse box, driver side, its like 300 bucks from nissian, i suggest going to the nearest junkyard and pickin one off of a 89-93 240, all are the same, as far as dash is concerned. They dont even kno what it is.. at least the ones at mine didn't.. so they should only charge you the minimum. Cost me 20 bucks. I plugged my new one right in and they worked. You might have the same problem, as i did, it sure sounds like it.

[onosqv]

I recently installed a after-market cd player in my 1990 240sx. And now there are no dash lights, the whole gauge cluster is dark. Just the dumb little red lights and the clock light work. Also for some weird reason there are no tail lights, when i turn my head lights on only the break lights work. I just checked my "TCU" or what ever the hell its called and it seems to be fine. I have also checked the fuses on the driver side kick panel. What else would you suggest doing or checking?

I've read that a lot of ppl who install aftermarket radios have this problem. What it may have been is that your cd is now tapping into the same powerline as the dashlights. I'm not sure exactly how to fix it, but I've narrowed mine down.

I cut all the wiring that was done on the adapters and redid them myself. I've eliminated mine down to a loose connection on the cluster providing the power for the dashlight. I ziptied it and it helped for a while, but it's come loose again.

Like Shocker said, you should try to get another white little box, which is your TCU, that may help, just in case.

[un_known]

Already tried the TCU trick. No dice. I suspect a short now, because my side markers, tail lights (not brakes/blinkers), and illumination lights don't work. I went through about 8 15a fuses today trying different stuff. Everytime as soon as I would plug in the fuse and turn on the lights, you would here a little pop, and the fuse would be blown. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[ghettoslide]

Here we go, I to have suffered the no dash light problem on my 240. I had a friend install a cd player for me because i dont normally do installs. My dash lights did not work afterward and i worked on it for three months before giving up and fixing it my way. Here is what i done, Checked every possible wire under the dash for a bad or wrong connection every thing was fine and they all had continuity so i assumed no short. I then reinstalled my factory harness since it had been removed to install the cd player still no dash lights. Now frustrated with the problem i tried direct power to the dash lights, i belive it is the red wire with yellow stripe to the red wire with black stripe, only i had two of each wire they both work the same components i still can not figure out why there is two of them, any way IT WORKED the dash lights came on. I then tested the head light switch, i turned on the head lights and god damn the dash lights went out, what, i turned the head lights off the dash lights came back on, only now the head lights stayed up too. Disconnected the wires all went back to normal still no dash lights with the switch turned on. I then decided to run direct power to the dash from the fuse block from another compent that has power when the ignition is on. I hooked the red wire with yellow stripe to the air bag fuse i belive it was, my car does not have airbags but has all the connections that work. This to WORKED only when i turned the park lights to the on position the lights went back off, the head lights worked though, only the damn dash lights dont work with the swith on. this lead me to belive it was a ground problem, every ground checked out ok. My friend has a 240 and works at infinity service and we both go to the same automotive school, he does not have a radio in his car so touched the red wire yellow strip to the red wire with black stripe to see what would happen the dash lights came on with out switch being on. I dissconnected the wires and tried the switch no dash lights, this is definitly how the lights was blown in the first place. He too can not find a fix for this problem. I decided to bypass all the factory wiring in case of a missed short or blown link, i removed the entire dash cluster and wired the dach lights to the fuse block from behind the cluster, direct power. I then grounded it as well without the stock wiring, two new wires and the dash light up, i turned in my park lights and damn it again they go off. How can this be its wired through the cluster it is not even on the circuit with switch any more how can the switch have an effect on the lights. The following week i decided this was not cool turning on my dome light to check my speed in police patroled areas. I went back to the board and decided it had to be the switch some how,some way. i read a comple of the forums asking about the same problem and they lead to the tcu box or variable time control box under the fuse panel. I replaced them both guess what no dash lights, although replacing the switch made both of my high beams work where i previously only had one. I pulled my old tcu apart and every thing looked fine. Anyone can have it if they want it, Hell i have two of them because i was so sure that was the problem i was going to give one to my friend for blowing his lights. I still have both. I then read that maybe my dimmer swich light was blown and not allowing voltage to the dash, i checked and YES it was blown all happy again i stopped a two auto part stores to find the bulb none had it, they recommended the wreck yards. I went to nissan heaven the next day on my lunch break from work, found the bulb it was good installed and no the dash lights did not work. ENOUGH OF THE DUMB ****!!!! i picked up 10 feet of wire and ran on end to the red wire with yellow stripe, the other end i ran to the left front park light, I tuned the swich on and GOD DAMN IT I HAVE DASH LIGHT WITH THE SWITCH ON. This may not be the way to do things but i can now see my dash at night and have both of my high beams, every thing on my car now works. If any on finds a official fix for this problem drop me a line because i have tried evrything and this works fine for me. If you need further instruction on how to install this jumper wire with a fuse e-mail me @ [email protected]

[onosqv]

I feel you ghettoslide. I'll probably end up doing it the way you fixed it. At least it's a fix.

It's not so much the speed that worries me (I have the digital one which works finally ), it's my fuel and water temperature levels.

Maybe a slightly more elegant way would be to hook it up to the other side of the fuse panel?

Instead of going all the way to the parking light, I guess you can trace it back to just before the box where the parking light wires are?

It definitely seems strange that connecting it directly to the fuse didn't work, go figure. I'll try that on mine too.

[Shnitz]

Also, dash lights go out when tail lights go out, they are the same fuse. pretty neat trick from nissan, this way the driver knows that something is wrong with their car. check the fuse, quick and easy.

[240Kupe]

That was way too much reading for me so here is how I fixed my prob. The dash and running lights(tail lights) are on the same fuse, my car had a shorted plug in the front turn signal that kept blowing the fuse. Also, my headlight switch was bad so you might check that out too. Sorry if someone already said this but I didn't feel like reading all of that

[Asia989]

Ok man, i gotta 1990 240sx Fastback, bought the car with no dash lights.. opened up dash checked all grounds and connections, everything was fine. Went to nissian for a diagnostics test, here my variable timing controller was bad. Its the white box attached right above the floor by the fuse box, driver side, its like 300 bucks from nissian, i suggest going to the nearest junkyard and pickin one off of a 89-93 240, all are the same, as far as dash is concerned. They dont even kno what it is.. at least the ones at mine didn't.. so they should only charge you the minimum. Cost me 20 bucks. I plugged my new one right in and they worked. You might have the same problem, as i did, it sure sounds like it.

same thing happened to me, i just went to the junk yard and got another one, plugged it in and the lights came on, then i change the bulbs out to blue, all the lights should work properly if that lil white box isnt screwed

[i2ice4m3]

did you change fuses and test the lights with the radio still installed? if you did, try disconnecting all the wires to the radio first and then go test things...that might help you isolate the problem. good luck

[dorifkin]

I fixed mine yesterday after reading ghettoslide's post. But, on my car the red wire with yellow stripe is for a negative lead that comes from the dimmer switch. I just supplied this wire with a new ground and bang, everything works as usual; except that now i cant dim there just on at full brightness.

[zfinger]

I had the exact same problem,just fixed it yesterday, what i did was tap the i think it was white and blick wire up by the switch and ran it to the red and blue wire under the door sill. I was told to put in a relay too but so far so good, everythings working.

[un_known]

That was way too much reading for me so here is how I fixed my prob. The dash and running lights(tail lights) are on the same fuse, my car had a shorted plug in the front turn signal that kept blowing the fuse. Also, my headlight switch was bad so you might check that out too. Sorry if someone already said this but I didn't feel like reading all of that

What do you mean you had a shorted plug on your front turn signal. That may be my problem, because I have gone through about 30 some 15a fuses. Please elaborate on the "plug" and on how you fixed it. Thanks

[240Kupe]

it was my LF turn signal on the front bumper. I went and unplugged every light on my entire car and then I tried the switch and it didn't blow any fuse. So I plugged them in one at a time to see if it would still blow the fuse. Once I got to that front turn signal it blew again. So after I checked the connection of the bulb I cut the wires and just spliced them together bypassing the plug altogether. I worked perfect after that.