crazycaucazian86

I have done the search many times and have determined that it should be the dimmer switch...but I just swapped out another dimmer switch and it still seems to have no affect on my current situation with the interior lights.

My dash lights work...such as the AC controls...they all dim and brighten when I turn the dial on the dimmer switch (both the original and the spare switches). They do NOT however seem to affect the lights on the gauge cluster itself...the lights do not show up at all such as the mph/km markings...

However the Turn signal indicators, SRS, CEL, High beams and Parking break lights all seem to work fine on the gauge cluster...just not the other stuff.

I checked my fuses, I checked the dimmer switchs...I have no idea what else it could be...and I can't seem to further read up on this since the Search function on Honda-tech seems to be broken right now...

Any help is extremely appreciated...

crazycaucazian86

also I have checked the connections on the back of the gauge cluster and they all seem to be fine and well connected...I will however say that I did have a UNGO alarm system removed recently and replaced with a Viper alarm system...

this occured after the new alarm system was installed and the installer said he had no idea what it could be despite that it was more than likely the dimmer switch...

Unless I have been using two bad dimmer switchs...which I find to be a bit odd...

DAP97SI

iTrader: (2)

Sounds like maybe they cut a wire or something when they installed the new alarm.

crazycaucazian86

the only problem with that is...

at the very beginning of this situation...every once in awhile the gauge cluster lights would work when i would turn the car on and it was in park, but as soon as I would disengage the parking break and step on the break to reverse out of my garage the lights on the gauge cluster would dissappear.

It does not do that anymore though ever since i disconnected the orange wire on the back of my headunit because the installer told me that they never hook up the headunit illumination wire because of the fact that something like this might happen to your car...

So i dont think its a cut wire...I want to try and see if the bulbs are blown and maybe I need new ones...

this is fairly frustrating...only thing i can think of is that it may be the light bulbs themselves that all went bad on the cluster or...something involving a wire ground or mishap...i just do not have a multimeter to try it out.

crazycaucazian86

i checked the backlight bulbs behind my gauge cluster...the ones with the brown base and blue coat over the bulbs and they seem to be fine and not blown. When I try to put another bulb borrowed else where on the dash to put it on the backlight spot it still has no difference of wether i turn the headlights on in park...its just the gauge cluster backlights dont even light up at all period...

what do i do from here? as i stated ive already tried another spare dimmer switch with no luck...unless that one is messed up as well...the dimmer switch affects the ac control lighting but has no affect on the gauge cluster. The gauge cluster does even light up...besides the indicator lights and etc...

crazycaucazian86

anyone?

crazycaucazian86

i decided to hook back up the illumination orange wire on my headunit and it still causes a flickering in the headunit display when i adjust the dimmer switch **** anywhere in the middle of the adjustment dial...

fuses are good under hood and under steering wheel...anyone have any slight possibly solution or method of figuring it out?

zerovandez

iTrader: (1)

I just had the same exact problem. My issue was the fuse. Please let us know which fuse you are checking.

crazycaucazian86

i checked the instrument panel fuse under the steering wheel as well as the interior lights fuse under the hood because i had no idea we had one there...

also checked most of the other fuses to see if any other fuses might have been blown...but everything looks good.

The backlight bulbs of the gauge cluster sockets do not light up at all...i tried putting a bulb from another socket into check it with no luck...and I also tried a third dimmer switch that I know for sure works from my friends civic with no luck on that front either...

Only thing i can think of now is a bad wire connection somewhere along the line since my viper alarm install...but i dont know which wire to check...

crazycaucazian86

bump for some love

zerovandez

iTrader: (1)

Do you have an aftermarket radio? Also in my case, the dimmer lead behind the radio became loose and grounded itself to the chassis causing my fuse to blow. I'd check that dimmer lead to make sure it's connected properly to the radio.

crazycaucazian86

i do have an aftermarket alpine headunit, the dimmer lead as in the illumination orange wire correct?

i disconnected it because i got tired of it flickering whenever i adjusted the dial on the dimmer switch. It no longer flickers since the illumination wire has no affect on the headunit anymore...which is how i like it for now...until this situation can be resolved. But as for the disconnected dimmer lead...it is properly capped off on both ends and does not appear to have grounded it self to anything.

for now i think it has to be ground of something...or a wire cut somewhere where it shouldnt...but i dont know which wires to track down and or follow.

zerovandez

iTrader: (1)

I was looking at a helms manual for the 96-00 civic (not sure if that's what you have). Get a multimeter and check voltage on a Red with black stripe wire when you turn on your dash lights. Not sure what plug it's on but that should get you started.

EDIT: Check both RED with Black stripe, and solid RED wires.

schwazel

schwazel

some diagrams may help

Arthas

Imma check my illumination wire on my head unit too.

crazycaucazian86

ok cool ima check that tomorrow see how it goes tomorrow.

zerovandez

iTrader: (1)

Also, you might want to post something in the audio/video/security forums on HT. Since your problem occured after a new alarm install, the guys there might be able to point you into the right direction as to what wires to check for.

crazycaucazian86

ok i decided to get a test light and test the wire connections to see if it lights up...the red black wire on the back of the cluster on the connecting harness does light up but its a very very faint light that comes up as opposed to the really bright light we get one testing any of the other connector leads...

i am going to test tomorrow with a multimeter...what should the voltage be out of the red/black wire on the connecting harness?