The dimmer switch for the instrument cluster lighting has three wires going out of it: red, red/black, and black? i would like to tap into the wire which leads from dimmer switch to instrument light . Does anyone know which color the wire is? Thanks!


95 civic

 

 

80% sure its red/black

 

Speaking of that i put a jdm cluster in my ride and it does not dim with the stock dimmer????

 

thats because JDM clusters don't dim.

 

w3rd.

 

Im pretty sure that it is possible to make ANY cluster dim. You just have to find the wire that powers the lights and wire that through a dimmer. Any variation in current is going to limit light output = dimmer.

Jon Black

 

This of course would need to be a wire that is isolated from the parking/interior lights. You can make it work if you have enough skill/experience. Any competent alarm installer can do it for you.

Jon Black

 

no, that wont work, unless you want every single electrical peice in your car dimming with your cluster.


[Modified by Spoon Hybrid, 5:37 PM 2/23/2003]

 

Yes it will work. The circuit is one that is in parallel not series. Thats why if your parking light bulbs blow or your interior light bulb blows you still have dash/cluster lights. If you find the right wire, which will be one that plugs into the cluster itself, you can dim it.

Jon Black

 

You CAN make it work. A direct comparison to what you just said is like saying that you cant dim only one light in your house without dimming all of the others at the same time. The intial power source is the same (just as in the car) so the thing you have to do is put the dimmer just before the bulb in question and make sure that it is not before bulbs you dont want to dim.

If you have a seperate cluster fuse, you should be able to put the dimmer there. If you dont then you will have to wire the dimmer in at the point where the harness attatches to the cluster.

Jon Black





[Modified by Jon Black, 5:45 PM 2/23/2003]

 

ok, try that, and tell us if it works.

 

All of those wires are up there. E-Brake, Hatch Open indicator,etc. I used to use the Hatch Open light to do custom alarm installs instead of running a pin switch on the hatch itself. I used to use the E-Brake light wire in Remote Car Starters so they wouldn't attempt to start unless the E-Brake was up on a manual transmission equipped car.

Jon Black

 

each line of lights have their own switch s..thats why when u dim one switch all the lights on the cluster dim..other interior lights are on another switch and do not dim..for isolated case s a seperate switch will be need d..hook up the red to red *+* and ground the black *-* the black/red is for the dimmer