Xathine

iTrader: (2)

So some of my cluster / dash lights on my sol went out and I decided to replace them with LEDs.

The LEDs came in, I put them all in and NONE of them worked.

I tested each LED with a battery and some wire they all lit up fine. I did some reading and read that you need to bypass the dimmer for them to work correctly.

You do this by splicing the solid black with the solid red wires together. I tried this and my center console comes on, but my cluster lights STILL didn't work.

I've replaced EVERY fuse, I've put bigger fuses in, I was told to splice different wires and that didn't work.

So I got tired of the ****ing mess, went and just bought OEM replacements. Wired EVERYTHING back up the way it was, replaced EVERY fuse again and put it all back together.

Now NOTHING works, climate control lights dont work, cluster lights don't work (my idicator lights on the cluster still work but the lights that light up the RPM / speed / fuel etc dont)

Anyone have any ideas?

Or if you know how to get the LEDs working I'm willing to paypal for the correct advice that gets them to work.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

I have a multimeter, I have a soder gun, I've got pretty much anything I need to test anything.

No the curcuit board on the back of the cluster isn't bad (there are no burn marks anywhere)

I pulled the dimmer off and took it apart it looks good.

Can get pictures upon request.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

bump for love

Former User

What year? Did you check for blown gauge cluster fuse under the dash? It's fuse 30 for a 96-00 Civic.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

96 del sol

I repalced ALL fuses.

Former User

Using a voltmeter, do you detect battery voltage at fuse 30 when the headlights are ON? To test, remove the fuse, turn the lights ON, and then touch the red voltmeter probe to the battery-side fuse terminal and the black probe to a metallic part of the frame under the dash.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

its fuse 19 for me, and yes.

Former User

Okay, disconnect the dash lights brightness controller. Do you likewise have 12V on the Red/Blk wire?

If so, jump the red wire to the black wire in the connector for the brightness controller. Do all the gauge and dash lights now work when the headlights or parking lights are turned ON?

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Yeah I've got 12v on the red/black

You mean the dimmer correct? The box on the right side? You want me to disconnect the plug that goes into it, or the plug that goes from the dimmer to the cluster?

Former User

Below is shown the Civic controller. Remove the controller and uncouple the connector. Jump the red wire to the black wire in the connector. What happens when you turn the parking lights ON? I know what happened when you previously did this. What happens now?

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Yeah mines a little different then the civic.

Want me to take my dimmer completely off? Or just unplug it from the harness, and unplug it from the cluster?

Former User

Are the controller wires the same as those of the Civic? If you can uncouple the connector without removing the controller, that's fine. (Leave the cluster connected to the wire harnesses.) Then jump the two wires of the connector as mentioned above. What happens if you do this right now with the parking lights ON?

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Anyway, when I do this my center climate control comes on but the dash is dark

Former User

Were all of the cluster connectors hooked up? If so, remove the cluster. On the Civic, the Red/Blk wire from fuse 30 enters the cluster at connector C, terminal C13 and is grounded by the Red wire from terminal C12, which goes to the controller/dimmer. Use your multimeter to test whether there is 12V at terminal C13 of the cluster wire harness connector. Next test for continuity (low resistance) between terminals C12 and C13 of the cluster itself. There should be continuity.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Idiot me, I still had the LEDs in.

I put the OEM bulbs in, and everything lit up untill I turned my head lights on.

Then they went out, I checked fuses they are all good, pulled the cluster out and now I've got some curcuit board that looks to be charred.

Former User

There's the problem. So all was fine with the parking lights ON, but the circuit board blew when the headlights were turned ON? Check the terminals of all cluster connectors for bending or damage.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, everything was fine till I turned the head lights on.

I checked, only one peice was not making contact and I got some wire and soldered them back together.

I've got the cluster in now, but with 5 OEM bulbs, and 2 LEDs everything lights up and works.

But if I try to put any more LEDs in the **** goes out again

Former User

My guess is that someone here probably has a work around for your LED problem. Have you searched?

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Yeah quite a few times, new VB board search blows though.

Xathine

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for your help RonJ@HT.

Anyone else have any ideas?