The gauges in the cluster and the a/c ***** etc. doesnt work at all, the back light on the clock on milage works until you turn the combo switch to parking lights. then the back lights on both go out. red/black wires going to all the componets and all has voltage when i turn the combo switch **** over to parking light.
1) one light bulb out will not cause the gauge light not to show right?
2) all fuses that are suppose to have voltage have been multimeter tested and work.
3) my headlight fuses even with switch off has volts of like .02 going to it, normal?
i cant drive at night now, i need all the help i can get.

 

Are we to assume it is a 99 accord?

Also a better discription of what is working and what is not working would help, when you say you "can't drive at night now" does that mean the head light also do not work or is it just the park lights and dash light that are not working, or maybe it's just the dash lights??????

If it's just the dash light that you are having problems with and the red/black lead has power, [when park lights are on] then I would check the "Dash Light Brightness Controller" it supplies the ground to the dash lights, [red lead], a simple test is to unplug the controller and use a jumper to jump from the black lead, [ground] to the red lead, [dash light grounds] turn on the lights, if the dash lights work, replace the controller, you can leave the black and red jumped until you get a new controller, so you have dash lights. 94

 

yes 99 honda accord ex coupe, no everything (headlights etc) work just fine, that is the info i really needed though the only other question i have is where is the "Dash Light Brightness Controller"? i seen that in the wiring diagrams but thought its in the instrument cluster. thanku thanku thanku for the response!

 

The "DLBC" is the **** on the dash you turn to dim or brighten the dash lights, it is also sometimes called a dimmer switch, [which it is not, even though it dims the dash lights]. 94

 

so i need to take apart the instrument cluster and run the lead wire to it to test it out like you were saying? or or just from the top where the connectors at on the instrument cluster? i did run a test on the one wire i cant remember which one but turning clockwise the volts decreased, when turning counter clock the volts increase. if that helps solve anything????? thanks again for the response

 

You should be able to test it right at the plug that plugs into the controller ****, should be a 3 pin connector, black, [ground] red/black, [power for bulb in switch] and red. [ground for bulbs], You can use your meter to test for ground on the black lead, 12V+ on the red/black lead, [when park lights are on] testing the red lead will show 12V+ if park lights are on and nothing when park lights are off.
If you ground the red lead, [jumper from black lead to red lead or from red to chassis ground] and turn on park lights the dash lights should work, if so, replace the "DLBC" switch, it is defective.
Sorry I do not have a wiring diagram for your 99 Accord, I am going by wiring for 90-98 Integra/96-98 Civic.

If your DLBC switch does not have the black, red/black and red leads, [3 leads] but has two leads, [whatever colors] then your car has a DLBC "unit/module" under dash someplace and it will have the black, red/black, red and the two leads from the switch going to it, the test would be the same, use a jumper from the black to the red lead, if the dash lights work replace the DLBC unit. 94

 

you are the man! this is very useful info, you must work for honda because noone has responded to any of my other treads. haha
i will be working on my car when i get off ill post what i find out.


Modified by accord99power at 8:52 AM 6/14/2008


Modified by accord99power at 9:13 AM 6/14/2008

 

I do not work for Honda, I have a 94 Integra LS, I work at a auto A/C shop, we do a lot of 12V electrical troubleshooting and repair...
http://www.airwolfeautoair.com/
I have been doing car audio/video/security/electrical for a long time, can you say 8 track, or maybe I should say, do you know what an 8 track is? 94

 

ahh that explains it, yah i know what 8 track is however i have never listened to one.
i called the dealership and looked all over to try to see what this brightness controller is looks like, they told me its on the circuit board of my dash cluster, they said that circuit board is $214 however im going to check around for the cluster, the only thing is the auto tranny is different from manual tranny gauge cluster and.... theres rarely any manual accords here. im still going to look though and see if i see those wires going to relay or controller of some sort.

 

I also have a "Dimming Circuit" in the cluster of my 94LS but it is controlled by a 3 wire DLBC switch on my dash, yours is a little diff., you can find a zip file here... http://www.pauldesign.ru/honda/shopmanual.html under "Body Electrical" for testing the DLBC switch. 94

 

heres my wiring diagram, im about to have my car take a long drive off a short pier , please look at it and see what you think.

http://members.***.net/nitemarez/wiring.jpg

dude i looked over and over, couldnt find this module your refering to. im going to look some more in the morning, i tested my combo switch and it checked out good,
here something i found odd, my clock runs constently even with key out. i dont remember it doing that.

The instrument cluster seems fine when i turn the **** the volts and the continuity changed. the strangest thing is the red/black and red wires both have volt readings when parkink lights on but NO light comes on, and the bulbs tests out fine!!! arrrrrggg, i really hope theres that module under my dash somewhere.

 

The wiring diagram tells me the DLBC sends its signal to the "Drivers Multiplex Control Unit", in the drivers under dash fuse box.
The DMCU then supplies the ground for the dash lights, and if you are reading 12V+ on both the red/black and the red leads then the DMCU is not supplying a ground to the bulbs, [red lead].
It could still be the DLBC, unplug it and test continuity between the pins of the white/red and red/white lead, you could also use a jumper to connect the red/white and white leads in the DLBC plug, that would be the same as the DLBC being turned all the way up.
You could also supply a ground to any of the red leads, they are common with all the dash illumination.

The reason you read 12V+ on both the red/black and the red is because there is no ground to the red lead, if you ground the red lead the light(s) will work. 94

 

[QOUTE]
It could still be the DLBC, unplug it and test continuity between the pins of the white/red and red/white lead, you could also use a jumper to connect the red/white and white leads in the DLBC plug, that would be the same as the DLBC being turned all the way up.
[/QOUTE]
Theirs continuity i checked it on the instrument cluster Between the 2 pins and its adjusts when you turn the ****, i am 100% sure the DLBC not under my dash.
[QOUTE]
You could also supply a ground to any of the red leads, they are common with all the dash illumination.
The reason you read 12V+ on both the red/black and the red is because there is no ground to the red lead, if you ground the red lead the light(s) will work. 94
[/QOUTE]
im going to try it out, again i really appreciate you taking the time to help me out, this is a great help.

when i was checking it out again, heres another thing i noticed
my clock and my igntion key light are on constantly with or without the key in the ignition. im puzzled on that.


Modified by accord99power at 6:56 AM 6/16/2008

 

It's not the DLBC, "Dash Lights Brightness Controller" that is under the dash, it is the DMCU, "Drivers Multiplex Control Unit". 94

 

FCM you offical kick ***! problem solved! i ran a wire from the sunroof red lead to a ground and bam EVERYTHING worked!

the last question i have is this proves the Drivers multiplex control unit is defective? or the ground coming out of DCMU isnt grounded?

it should be fine to tap a wire onto the red lead wire right? or replace the DMCU?

wow i owe you like many of these
thanks sooooo much you are one of the few people on honda tech that actually KNOWS what they are talking about!

 

Grounding a dash lights red ground lead is the same as the DMCU supplying a full ground to the bulbs, you just will not be able to dim them.

What the problem is, other then the DMCU is not supplying the needed ground, I do not know, but if you metered for resistance between the white/red leads pin and the red/white leads pin on the DLBC and resistance changed when adjusting the DLBC then I would say that it was OK, that leaves the DMCU as being the problem.
Did you try using a jumper between the white/red and red/white leads in the DLBCs plug to see if the lights worked? 94

 

I hope I'm not a day late and a dollar short. I hope this helps.





EDIT: I just read that you solved your problem.

 

The wire schematics are not from a 99 Accord are they???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Did you try using a jumper between the white/red and red/white leads in the DLBCs plug to see if the lights worked? 94 </TD></TR></TABLE>

no but ill give it a shot to...... the only problem is the dmcu is part of the fuse box, i dont know if the one side (DMCU) comes off and i have looked over and over for a bad ground wire, i cant find a diagram of just the DMCU i think that would solve wheres the bad grounds at huh.

 

Or maybe the DMCU is just bad, but do the jump, that will at least eliminate the DLBC it as the problem if the lights still do not work. 94