my new to me 99 GSRs dash lights dont work. i replaced the 7.5a fuse and it pops right away. The other day i was looking at something on the dash ans noticed that this little vent thing on the right hand side of the wheel was loose. i pulled it out as seen there was a plug on the back but it wasnt attached to anything. not too worried about that, but i did find this little guy tucked into the dash. The POT was plugged in, but i didnt like the idea of an exposed circuit board bouncing around so i unplugged it....

 

The button thing you unplugged is where the dimmer switch is supposed to go. What you're holding in your hand does not look like a dimmer switch. What is it?

Get a dimmer switch from a junk yard and try it. Dimmer switch is why your dash lights do not light up with your headlights. I had an MX-6 that did the same thing. Also, what does that blue wire attached to your ground wire go to? That may be why your fuse is blowing. I'm guessing someone improperly grounded that wire.

 

oh it is the dimmer switch, i guess its just missing the plastic casing. i ended up taking part of the dash apart and found that, that blue wire was the ground to the LED for the car alarm thats in my car that i have no fobs for (found it at the same time). after i removed the wire, the clock and lights on, the AC dimmed, and the light on the oil pressure gauge came one, but the gauge lights are still out. of course on the way home it went out again, but that may be because i was out of 7.5a fuses, and put a 5a in.

 

The black wire is a proper ground, but I'm not sure it was the best ground. See the images below.

Check the red/blk and red wires at the dash.

You could jumper the red wire from the dimmer straight to ground and see if they come on at all.

 

I ended up getting it last night.. I had the dimmer plugged in backwards, they work fine now I have right and a 7.5a fuse in

 

Glad to hear it's working fine.