I just recently bought a 91 civic si after my ls/vtec dc2 took a **** on me. the only problem that i have is that when i turn on the headlights the taillights go out. when i move the headlight switch to the first position (for the parking lights) the tail lights come on (and the dash, clock..) but as soon as i turn on the headlights the dash, and taillights go out. what gives, could it be the switch or is it just the wiring. i did a search and saw that the 89-91 crx/civics have a few electrical gremlins, but is this a common one?

 

cant say for sure but I woud re-trace all the wiring to see, but off hand, it does sound like a faulty or failing switch. Might be a good idea to change it anyways...cant go wrong with new parts...one less thing to have to replace later...hth

 

only applies to 90-91 civic/crxs the DASHLIGHT BRIGHTNESS CONTROL UNIT located on the right side of the steering wheel column black box with 5 gills in it secured with a ten mm. It controls the dashlights and is circuited thru the entire light system, causes lazy taillights/corner lights. Try finding a friends 90/91 and swapping before spending the money should fix your problem. In addition check your taillight pigtails for rust or dried condensation (that nasty white crap) clean with a toothbrush and baking soda and a shot of brake cleaner. Replace tailight gaskets too

 

I noticed when that dash brightness thing was turned any which way but all the way high that my lights would dim when my car was at idle. Seems like it never gave the lights enough power.

 

I just removed my running light fuse, and that solved my problem.

 

thanks for the responses, i fixed the problem by switching out the headlight/blinker switch with the one in my busted integra.