Dashboard lights, passenger taillight not working.. HELP!
Feb 8, 2007, 04:41 PM
#1
Dashboard lights, passenger taillight not working.. HELP!
Ok.. It's been 2 weeks and no amount of research and tinkering with my wires helped... so hopefully somebody had this issue before and can tell me what's wrong..
Here's the deal:
One day, out of the blue, i got into my car turned the lights on and my dashboard did not come on. Speedo lights up, but a/c controls and cigarette lighter ring do not, and the clock doesnt dim like it's supposed to. Also Passenger side tailight does not light up. Brake/Rev/blinker lights still work.
Bulbs in tailight are good, ALL fuses are good (dashboard and under hood, checked ALL OF THEM 3 times at least), Dimmer switch is not the culprit either, i tried a diff one - did not help.
One weird thing is - when dimmer switch is on its lowest setting dashboard lights do actually light up , but very very very dim.
like i said, i checked all fuses multiple times, took out my stereo, changed dimmer switch, checked all connections, changed all bulbs in taillight, all to no avail....
Thanks!
SOLUTION: AS NOTED IN POST #14, ALL THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF RUSTED/CORRODED/MOLD COVERED HARNESSES LOCATED BEHIND THE DRIVER KICKER PANEL. YOU NEED TO UNPLUG THOSE 3 CONNECTORS, INSPECT THEM AND CLEAN ALL RUST AND MOLD. THEN YOU HAVE TO SILICONE UP THE FENDER WELL OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE WIRES COME IN, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE MOISTURE, THAT IS CAUSING ALL THE MOLDING, OUT.
Here's the deal:
One day, out of the blue, i got into my car turned the lights on and my dashboard did not come on. Speedo lights up, but a/c controls and cigarette lighter ring do not, and the clock doesnt dim like it's supposed to. Also Passenger side tailight does not light up. Brake/Rev/blinker lights still work.
Bulbs in tailight are good, ALL fuses are good (dashboard and under hood, checked ALL OF THEM 3 times at least), Dimmer switch is not the culprit either, i tried a diff one - did not help.
One weird thing is - when dimmer switch is on its lowest setting dashboard lights do actually light up , but very very very dim.
like i said, i checked all fuses multiple times, took out my stereo, changed dimmer switch, checked all connections, changed all bulbs in taillight, all to no avail....
Thanks!
SOLUTION: AS NOTED IN POST #14, ALL THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF RUSTED/CORRODED/MOLD COVERED HARNESSES LOCATED BEHIND THE DRIVER KICKER PANEL. YOU NEED TO UNPLUG THOSE 3 CONNECTORS, INSPECT THEM AND CLEAN ALL RUST AND MOLD. THEN YOU HAVE TO SILICONE UP THE FENDER WELL OPENING THROUGH WHICH THE WIRES COME IN, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE MOISTURE, THAT IS CAUSING ALL THE MOLDING, OUT.
Last edited by mplspilot; Feb 13, 2009 at 10:21 AM.
Feb 8, 2007, 04:52 PM
#2
Have you installed gauges or anything electrical to your interior prior to your issues? I.E. Stereo, gauges, hardwired in your radar detector, anything at all? Any electrical work at all in the engine bay or interior??
Reason I ask is I fried a wire trying to hardwire in additional foglights (work with headlights off) in my Acura years ago and multiple interior lighting issues ensued because of this.
Good Luck!
Reason I ask is I fried a wire trying to hardwire in additional foglights (work with headlights off) in my Acura years ago and multiple interior lighting issues ensued because of this.
Good Luck!
Feb 8, 2007, 04:57 PM
#3
i had some interior lights hooked up to a positive/ignition from my stereo and negative from dimmer (from stereo as well). everything worked for a week with no problems. so then this happened and i unhooked the light and even my stereo, but it didn't help.
nothing else i can think of...
nothing else i can think of...
Feb 8, 2007, 05:08 PM
#5
Without knowing how you actually wired this 'light' I would say that is your culprit.....you could have fried a relay.......but then again you said your dimmer still works on the lowest setting.......not quite sure........Do you have a voltmeter?
That's about the extent of my electrical knowledge.....hope this helps....
That's about the extent of my electrical knowledge.....hope this helps....
Feb 8, 2007, 05:10 PM
#6
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all the above specified that had gone wrong are coincdently all wired into your radio (headunit) my father owned the dealership that i got mine fixed at because they put it under waranty but you might be able to fix it your self by following all the wires and taking off your dash...good luck
Feb 8, 2007, 05:16 PM
#7
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Have you checked fuse #20 in the engine bay on the drivers side. It should be a 7.5 amp, My guess is the interior lights have put this fuse under strain and it failed. Good luck.
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Feb 9, 2007, 01:27 PM
#9
it seems that fuse #20 replacement helped everyone that had a similar problem.. but for some reason it does not help me.. i think i tried replacing it, but maybe i just took it out, checked it and put it back in..sometimes fuses fail and look normal, i was gonna get the fuse check tool, but i'll try replacing that fuse again....
when i took out my radio, i just disconnected the harness basically.. i don't think putting a stock head unit would make a difference....
something definitely happened because of that light i installed, probably too much load.... that is supposed to blow out a fuse, so i don't understand why all fuses look normal and this is happening... frustrating
when i took out my radio, i just disconnected the harness basically.. i don't think putting a stock head unit would make a difference....
something definitely happened because of that light i installed, probably too much load.... that is supposed to blow out a fuse, so i don't understand why all fuses look normal and this is happening... frustrating
Feb 13, 2007, 04:31 PM
#11
culprit is corrupted green/white wire that goes from under hood fuse box (from fuse 20) to harnesses behind driver side kicker panel. This wire then splits and powers several things. Reason why the lights would turn on slightly when dimmer switch is on low is because the negative dimmer (rheostat) wire has voltage in it. When you lower the desired setting the voltage increases. I was pretty amazed to find this out with my voltmeter 
Feb 19, 2007, 04:31 AM
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Ok.. It's been 2 weeks and no amount of research and tinkering with my wires helped... so hopefully somebody had this issue before and can tell me what's wrong..
Here's the deal:
One day, out of the blue, i got into my car turned the lights on and my dashboard did not come on. Speedo lights up, but a/c controls and cigarette lighter ring do not, and the clock doesnt dim like it's supposed to. Also Passenger side tailight does not light up. Brake/Rev/blinker lights still work.
Bulbs in tailight are good, ALL fuses are good (dashboard and under hood, checked ALL OF THEM 3 times at least), Dimmer switch is not the culprit either, i tried a diff one - did not help.
One weird thing is - when dimmer switch is on its lowest setting dashboard lights do actually light up , but very very very dim.
like i said, i checked all fuses multiple times, took out my stereo, changed dimmer switch, checked all connections, changed all bulbs in taillight, all to no avail....
Thanks!
Here's the deal:
One day, out of the blue, i got into my car turned the lights on and my dashboard did not come on. Speedo lights up, but a/c controls and cigarette lighter ring do not, and the clock doesnt dim like it's supposed to. Also Passenger side tailight does not light up. Brake/Rev/blinker lights still work.
Bulbs in tailight are good, ALL fuses are good (dashboard and under hood, checked ALL OF THEM 3 times at least), Dimmer switch is not the culprit either, i tried a diff one - did not help.
One weird thing is - when dimmer switch is on its lowest setting dashboard lights do actually light up , but very very very dim.
like i said, i checked all fuses multiple times, took out my stereo, changed dimmer switch, checked all connections, changed all bulbs in taillight, all to no avail....
Thanks!
HEY I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM
WHO YOU FIXED ?
Feb 19, 2007, 10:19 AM
#13
It was corrupted (bad) green/white wire that goes from under hood fuse box (from fuse 20) to harnesses behind driver side kicker panel. This wire then splits and powers several things. So you'll need to check those green/white wires and see where you have no signal. The wire is supposed to have 12 volts with ignition on.
Feb 19, 2007, 03:43 PM
#14
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this happened to me this past week after an ice storm.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=252161
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=252161
Mar 3, 2007, 08:16 PM
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I just installed a new head unit only on Thursday, I have the same problem tonight, no pass side tailight and no fan/temp lights.
I checked the kick panel area, totally dry.
I used the 10mm bolt at the back of the stereo slot to ground. There were two orange wires, one with white stripe on the factory harness connector I bought. One for dimmer, one for illumination. I twisted those two together and connected it to the one orange wire on the alpine harness labled illumination.
I've owned the car since new (2004) with no issues, I put the stereo in and then I get this. The wire may be the culprit, but what is the root cause?
I checked the kick panel area, totally dry.
I used the 10mm bolt at the back of the stereo slot to ground. There were two orange wires, one with white stripe on the factory harness connector I bought. One for dimmer, one for illumination. I twisted those two together and connected it to the one orange wire on the alpine harness labled illumination.
I've owned the car since new (2004) with no issues, I put the stereo in and then I get this. The wire may be the culprit, but what is the root cause?