cnowak

The lights that DON'T WORK are my rear running lights, my instrument lights and left low beam headlight.

On my instrument panel the only lights that WORK are my no seat belt, CEL, brake, battery, oil, turn signal indicators and all other indicator type lights.

I have NONWORKING Illumination type lights that light up my tachometer and speedometer for night driving.

I have NONWORKING taillights which are the lights that are constantly on when your headlights are on so people from behind can see you.

Still WORKING are my..
right low beam
both high beams
front and rear turn signals
front and rear parking lights
reverse lights
brake lights

During this problem I have..

Checked the continuity of all fuses both under the dash and under the hood
all tested as good

upgraded my Gauge cluster from a DX one with no tach to an SI one with a tach so I know the instrument light problem isn't apart of my cluster

I replaced my dimmer switch on my steering column (No Change)

and I replaced all my light bulbs. (No Change)

Please help me with what could be the problem and/or what to check/change next...

Could this be three separate problems or one major problem?

jdm_rb20

Have you already seen this?

jdm_rb20

This is exactly what you were saying in your other thread, but I still don't quite understand. I thought the "rear parking lights" ARE the "rear running lights"???

anyway, I took the picture above to see if it will help you any. Good luck with it.

cnowak

I can hardly read it but it looks like Number 8 Fuse 10A (under dash) Controls=
1)Dashlights brightness Controller
2)Dashlights
3)cant read
4)Taillights and license plate lights
5)Integrated control unit

that fuse tested good continuity with my multimeter
So if I pull the fuse and test if it is getting power than it would be a ground or short somewhere after that fuse correct?

cnowak

what I ment by parking light is reverse lights sorry for the mix up you are right about rear parking lights being the tail lights

lostforawhile

the headlight as I explained in the other thread is a blown fuse or a bad bulb, it's split into four fuses after the switch, the back up lamps are on a totally different fuse then the illumination circuits, when did the dash lights stop, did they use to work and quit? if the combination switch goes bad, either both high or both low beams or all headlights will quit, or all running lamps and all dash illumination will quit

lostforawhile

brake lights, reverse lights, and turn signals are all separate circuits and have nothing to do with the illumination circuits

jdm_rb20

#3 is "front position lights." probably those "front parking lights" but you say they are working. If the fuse was good and the front parking lights are working, then I expect that you will find voltage to be proper at that fuse. Doublecheck everything (relating to that fuse and what it is supposed to send power to) so far just to be sure.

Then I, with no other clue where to go, would find and follow that wire out of the fusebox. Following that wire, you may find that it successfully transfers power to the working "front position lights" but is broken after that and prevents power from reaching everything else that it should....????

lostforawhile

all of your dash illumination is controlled by the dimmer module, the dimmer module is controlled by the dimmer switch, how this works, all the dash illumination bulbs receive a full 12 volts from the parking light circuit, the ground to these lights is controlled electronically by the dimmer module, the dash switch controls the module, normally the module gets fried when someone tries to hook up the illumination lead on an aftermarket radio, in order to do that, you need a non dimmed illumination lead. the illumination lead tells the radio to dim it's display when the lights are on

lostforawhile

the way nearly every honda since the 70's is wired, is the power to the headlights is split after the switch, two circuits, high beam and low beam are split into a fuse for each headlight, Honda was actually the inventor off this as a safety feature, now it's pretty standard

cnowak

My dash lights were working and as I was driving around dusk they just quit, Idk if that is also when my rear running lights went out cause I found that out after being pulled over by the police. So Lostforawhile if my dimmer module was fried then I wouldn't have any running lights?

lostforawhile

if your dimmer module or switch quit, you wouldn't have any dash illumination, one minute you said you had no taillights, and then you said no reverse lights, if your tailights are out, and you have a blown fuse, this might be why there is no power to the dash lights

cnowak

tomorrow I will get under the dash and start tracking down wires that lead from fuse 8 and hopefully find a problem that is easily fixed.

if this is separate problems could a bad dashlights brightness controller knock out my dash illumination?

cnowak

I do have reverse lights, brake lights, rear turn signals but no rear running lights aka taillights

lostforawhile

yes, but since the tailights are out, it's probably a fuse, possibly a bulb failed and blew the fuse. you need to find the fuse for the rear tailllights, pull it and test for voltage on both sides of the fuse slot with the lights on, if there isnt any power coming into the fuse box for that circuit, thne it has to be the switch

lostforawhile

to clarify,with the taillight fuse pulled, and the lights on, there should be power to at least one side of that fuse slot, I said to test both to make it easy on you

cnowak

okay I will do that tomorrow and by switch are you referring to the dimmer switch on the steering column that I just replaced?

jdm_rb20

Lost, I accidently said headlight, but quickly edit/corrected it to "front position lights" in my post you quoted. I don't see any connection between the dashlights and headlights, other than a funky headlight/parkinglight switch doing something crazy. However, it seems logical that both headlights would be equally disfunctional...so I dunno...I didn't address the headlight on purpose..just a typo.



It is HIGHLY unlikely that your dimmer module is bad (from what I understand in the schematic.) The only POSSIBLE situation that would connect the dimmer switch going bad AND taillights not working is:

1) dimmer switch shorts out and fries...
2) while dimmer switch is frying, the power wire for the dimmer (back toward the fuse) melts/breaks.
3) Melted power wire "upstream" (back toward the fusebox) doesn't allow voltage to reach the taillights anymore...


The power stream doesn't run downhill from the dimmer switch to the taillights. So, just the same as my earlier post, I would search for a broken/damaged wire. You have voltage at the fuse. Use a multimeter to start troubleshooting....check for voltage to each item that isn't working.....

There's only so many times I can retype it. Eventually you need to go outside and investigate.

lostforawhile

I love my meter, but for testing stuff like fuses under the dash, get one of those test lights with the aligator clip ground lead and the pointed probe, it's so much easier to test things like fuses whn you are under the dash, I have about 6 of them

lostforawhile

the switch almost never goes bad it's the module it controls, I think you just blew a fuse, the illumination circuit gets it's power from the same circuit as the taillights. if the module went bad, it would have blown the fuse for the taillights, or vise versa

cnowak

Ok thanks for all the explaining I am new to electrical crap on my civic, mechanical stuff I get all day long but electrical is new so thanks for the patience

cnowak

after I test all the stuff tomorrow I will reply letting you guys know what I found or didn't find out and go from there so please check this posting tomorrow afternoon for an update

lostforawhile

your most likely scenario, a tallight or parking light bulb went out, shorted out in the process as they sometimes do, blew the fuse for the taillight and parking light circuit, which also fed power to the illumination circuits. If I had a wiring diagram for that year I could tell you exactly, but the computer with all my schematics is down

jdm_rb20

Lost, check the 1st reply to this topic. I have already posted the schematic, and we've been talking about the schematic..lol :D





We now understand that your taillights don't work. I also couldn't understand how your "front parking lights" are still working (unless it is a broken wire).

However, I am now wondering if your ACTUAL TRUE "front position lights" are the same light that you call "front parking lights." After all, remember that there are 2 lights in the lower bumper ANDDDD 2 lights in EACHHHHH front corner lens.

I would bet that your "front position lights" (which are on the same wiring with the taillights that don't work) are NOT working. You are probably looking at a different light.

Like you said, I will try to check tomorrow for your response, but I will leave you with more intel, just in case: If you check both sides of fuse 8 and you do NOTTT have voltage supplied to 1 side of fuse 8, then the problem is further toward the beginning. In that case, keep working and tracking the wire back toward the battery, and try to find out why no voltage is present at fuse 8. After all, even with a good fuse, perfect wiring, and functional switches....no power at fuse 8 means they are not gonna work.

lostforawhile

He had me completly confused for a while until I figured out what wasn't working, honda usually pulls power for dash illumination from the tailight circuit