hello all, i recently bought a 97 Honda accord and am having some really weird but constant electrical issues.
to start it had got a new rebuilt 2.2 engine, tranny, clutch, and flywheel 6000 miles before i got it. not sure if its important info.

at first it was the cluster stopped working. i noticed while tinkering the dash dimmer switch on full gives the digging and lighting but no speedo/tachometer. oddly when i dim it my temp starts working but dies out again when i turn it back up. i then noticed if i take out the dimmer switch and have at least my running lights on my cluster comes to life except the lighting. if i put the switch back in the gauges go dead but lighting comes back. i had a fuse blown for lighting under hood(15) and magically cluster fully worked with lighting and all. downside my back running lights didnt work. changed fuse and running lights came back but lost cluster. currently tachometer does work with running lights on(also working ) but dies as soon as you turn lights off. dimmer switch has to be out currently but when it did work for the short time it was in, i just didnt have rear running lights. horn and reverse lights also not working but haven't since i got it.

 

replace all fuses with correct size. the sizes are listed on the fuse cover. there are also fuses in the drivers side foot well.

u might need a new gauge cluster. they have been known to blow out and need soldering. u can pull it out and inspect. if it is melted u can re-solder the transistors of swap for a working cluster

 

I would doubly check where the wires go throught the firewall, and attach to the ecm. I think there are a few larger plugs, that attach the wires that go throught the firewall...possibly on the passenger side? Make sure none of them have bent pins...or for that matter...if they could be mixed up? Just check things that you touched when doing engine change out...and affects the dash wiring.

 

ok. on farther disassembling the dash and cluster out I've found the main wires from the ecm i believe. all of them are spliced with electrical tape. i didnt do the swap by the way, it was done 6k miles before i got it. im going to try and locate a easy to understand wiring diagram and inspect the bunch. hopefully liquid electrical tape will work better aswell.

 

having a hard time locating good diagram.some of the wiring im seeing is pressed between the frame and driver ac duct. is there a way to take out the entire dash? as of right now i can get my hands in but don't have a very clear view of wire color ect. I've located a red and black solo set of wiring that is unconected coming off the main harness i think at the point right behind the cluster. any clue?