JonBaillio

Hey guys thanks for reading this and hope you can help.
94 coupe 1.5 auto

Dash functions properly and all warning lights and gauges are doing fine. However, when my daughter drives at night the back lighting will not come on. I have checked all the fuses under the dash and in the engine bay and none are blown.

Can the bulb for the back lighting burn out? I have checked the adjustment settings and get nothing by turning it back and forth.

Just wondering what to check next and if anyone else has run into this.

Thanks,
Jon

B18C5-EH2

I've had to replace the illumination switch in all three of the 92-95 Civics I've owned, and numerous customers' 92-95 Civics. It is the little wheel type switch that you control the dash lighting brightness with. It is located on the left side of the dash in a three switch pod (other "switches" will likely be plastic block offs on her DX) and is easy to replace.

I'll be back with a picture, hopefully.

BTW:

Try pusing on the switch or bumping it and see if the dash lights don't flicker.

B18C5-EH2

Also check THIS TOPIC <-- clickable for more info.

Former User

Have you checked dash fuse 19? Do the taillights work? If so, do this:

Pry the dimmer switch out of the dash and unplug the switch connector (see Tom's diagram above). Using a jumper wire, short the red wire to the black wire in the connector. Do the cluster lights now shine at full intensity when the parking lights are on?

JonBaillio

hey guys excellent help and direction! I will take a look at those items and see if I can jump the dimmer to test the light itself. All other electrical components are working as required.


Jon

JonBaillio

So yesterday I finally got a chance to work on this.

Jumped wires in the dimmer switch and still no backlighting on the dash. I then noticed that neither the front or rear driver's side running lights were coming on. Turn signals work just fine just not the parking/running lights. I went ahead and replaced the bulbs and notice that the rear parking light (2057 I think) attached to the truck lid was blown. I replaced that and still no driver's side running lights and no dash lights.

Of all the tools I do have I thought I had a voltmeter to test with. I must have loaned it to someone. Anyway I will be getting one today and checking the voltage of the lines running to the dimmer switch.

thanks for any other direction you guys can offer.
Jon

Former User

Start by checking dash fuse 19.

B18C5-EH2

If the fuses are good then I'd be checking the lighting switch on the steering column.

JonBaillio

Just an Update. It was fuse 19 all along. Thanks again to RonJ! You have now helped me on two significant issues and nailed them both the first time. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Jon

Jymmm

Shorting the wires per the instructions above restored the cluster lighting for me, thank you!


To pop-out the three switch assembly (moonroof, dimmer ****, cruise control) I used a 1" wide putty knife and gently nudge it out.

The spring retaining clips for the whole assembly are on the left and right sides, but I didn't want to mar up the plastic face, YMMV.

I found a little notch at the bottom that if I did muck it up, it wouldn't show.
So I gentle nudged it out from there.


This may sound obvious, but there are three wires:
1. BLACK
2. RED
3. RED WITH BLACK STRIPE (the stripe may be hard to see).

You want to short out (paper clip worked for me) the BLACK and RED wires.
Not messing with the RED WITH BLACK STRIPE at all.

Here is a photo of the dimmer connector shorted out with a cut down (about half an inch long after folded into a 'U' shape) paperclip.

I then fully wrapped the connector in black electrical tape and tucked it back in the opening, leaving it disconnected from the dimmer control ****.




If I ever get a replacement dimmer ****, I can just remove the tape and paperclip and plug in the new one, leaving the factory wiring as it originally was.

Hope the helps someone else!

Sidenote: I think the forum is censoring (****) the word (dimmer) K N O B, heh.

vitamin_c95

bookmarked. This may be my issue

MT-Civic

Great information..
I just started having my back light go out. It seems to go on and off as it wants. Will use this thread to see if I can get it figured out.

gzes

Why didnt you just get the replacent part.... Pretty sure running it at full blast with no controller isnt a good idea

Jymmm

Well, even at "full blast" as you put it, that's still only 12V going into 12V bulbs.

The dimmer is $118 from Honda, paper clip $0.005.


Yes, there probably is cheaper aftermarket ones, but I didn't feel like going through the trouble and I had the paperclip already.

I took apart the dimmer itself. While there's an "unknown" marked part,
I recognized the circuit as being an LM317 variable voltage regulator.

But it is riveted in and I just didn't feel like drilling out the rivet and resoldering in a new regulator at the time.

Also, even at "full blast" the dash lighting isn't that bright (probably due to the age of the car/bulbs), and I rarely if ever adjust the dimmer after all these years.

94preludeguy

Can somebody put this in the FAQ please?

I'm having a similar issue. When the car first starts up whether it is cold or hot, the lights act up. The park/tail lights come on with the cluster but when I switch to headlights, it cuts out the cluster and taillights/tag light. Sometimes if I rev the car up and flick the switch on/off a bunch it'll work. I've been having tons of issues with it since it's been > 30 degrees, never had issues before.

Thanks for the detailed information guys. Bookmarked this so I can tackle it later this week.

NotARaCist

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