today i took the cluster out of my car and i ripped the electrical paper cover on the back , i noticed that two of the gold lines running thorough the green backing were ripped. so i decided to solder them back to each other, so i soldered them together but there so close to each other i just put one bead of solder and it connected both lines to each other with one bead of solder....i went to plug the cluster in and everything worked fine, then i turned on the lights (didn't light up) and noticed a little smoke from the large plug on the left in the pic below...so this means that the wires i soldered together shouldn't have been connected to each other...so i have a short right....i went to a local car electric store and they said like 300 bucks to find and fix the short...is there anything i can do to keep from having to pay this, could i just get a whole harness for a cluster from the junkyard...i mean where could the short be? and how could i find it?

so i just put the cluster in after i swapped out a whole new green backing on the back, and now everything works fine but the lights

sorry for the long post.....please help me fix this!

 

yeah the 2 trace not susppose to be solder together. how long did you let the cluster smoking? need to take some close up pic. you might be able to fix it. can't tell with this pic.

 

the cluster wasnt smoking i dont think...i thought it was the plug...but it only was smoking for 10 sec

 

your short was the bead of solder you put on there. The lines are seperate for a reason.

You probibly blew a fuse or popped the dimming control in the dash.
I'll bet you don't have lights on the heater controls either....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Relic1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your short was the bead of solder you put on there. The lines are seperate for a reason.

You probibly blew a fuse or popped the dimming control in the dash.
I'll bet you don't have lights on the heater controls either....</TD></TR></TABLE>

the fuse is good.....i dont have light on my climate controls either...u think its the dimmer switch?

 

try unsoldering it then plug it back in

 

i got a whole new backing on the cluster.......so the backing 100% in tact....but my lights dont light up

 

please help

 

anyone?

 

slow night

 

try to ohm out the dimmer switch. to see if the switch still working properly or not. double check all the wire.

 

did you check the fuses in both fuse blocks...under the hood under the dash.prob them all with a test lamp.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 2lua &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">try to ohm out the dimmer switch. to see if the switch still working properly or not. double check all the wire.</TD></TR></TABLE>

how do i ohm out the dimmer switch, can i use a multimeter?

double check which wires...the ones on the dimmer switch or cluster plug?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Who Said &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">did you check the fuses in both fuse blocks...under the hood under the dash.prob them all with a test lamp.</TD></TR></TABLE>

no i didnt even think to check the one under the hood....it was smoking inside my car a lil so it would have to have something to do inside my car right?

 

not really...i know that the radio fuse is under the hood.check it out

 

did you check the number 24 (15a) and 15 (10a) fuse under the dash, number 39 (50a) and 41 (80a) under hood? i'm sorry to ask that again to be sure. cause you said you have no light at all right?

 

i only checked the "instrument light" fuse

i dont have light anywhere inside the car....but my taillights and headlights work fine

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 92civeg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i only checked the "instrument light" fuse

i dont have light anywhere inside the car....but my taillights and headlights work fine</TD></TR></TABLE>
you should check the underhood fuses before going any further with your diagnostics

 

we still talking about the gauge cluster lighting here, cause you have 3 fuses under dash panel and 2 under hood.
19 (10a) 39 (50a)
15 (10a) 41 (80a)
24 (15a)
ps 19 (10a) some where close to the dimmer switch

 

ok im going to check those tomm and ill let u guys know whats up...thanks for all the help so far

 

all fuses are good.....but still no interior lights

 

ttt

 

you more than likely fried your dimmer switch

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hybrid94Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">you more than likely fried your dimmer switch</TD></TR></TABLE>


u think?....i guess illl got to the junkyard tomm and pick one up

 

anyone else?