Dash Lights not working!! i searched! a lot!

[forged_tsi]

okay, so i just got a 91 talon TSI fwd.

everything worked when i got it aside from boost/vacuum leaks.. ect.

however i noticed the other day that my DASH LIGHTS arent working.. checking fuses.. found that my "cigar" fuse was blown, now my cig lighter works. also found that my TAIL LIGHTS were out, found the fuse under the dash and changed it. now my cigar and tail lights work. not my dash lights.. as best as i can tell all my wiring is good. however the wiring is a little effed up from the prev owner. the thing that gets me is if all the connections are good.. and it worked before even with the hack job wiring.. what the heck changed? also my ACC lead for my radio is dead..

i think my radio wires may have grounded and blew the fuses.. ive since installed a new stereo. (the wires were cut and sitting in the hole when i got the car) it also blew the fuse to my parking light flash feature for my alarm. fixed it now they flash when i arm/disarm my alarm.

SOOO no dash lights, HVAC lights.. nothing. and my ACC lead is dead.. ive checked all fuses.. if theres a relay, where is it? any help would be greatly apreciated! thanks!

ive spent HOURS on end tracing wires.. aside from the obvious fact that the guy before me had almost no idea what he was doing.. the connections are stable..

would the dimmer switch going out cause this? if so is there a way to jumper it to test it?

ive searched and search and searched however no one posted weather or not theyre problem was resolved and how! please help me!!!!

 

[willydsm]

Start with the dimmer switch. pull out the gage cluster and check the bulbs too. is it just the gage dash light do you have the other lights(heat/a-c controll lights? I know they sell a dash kit that has white gages that light up blue comes with wiring kit on ebay, worst case get small LED lights(autozone) and mount them on the bottom of you gage console.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Try a dimmer switch, fixed my problem several times.

 

[sidewaystsi]

When my gauge and tail lights didnt work it was the 10a fuse under the hood that blew, as for the other ones im not sure?

 

[awzer2]

When my gauge and tail lights didnt work it was the 10a fuse under the hood that blew, as for the other ones im not sure?

i believe it may be the alternator fuse or the 100a.

 

[forged_tsi]

It's just my gauge lights and heater controls. Tails work and all fuses are good. I'm gathering that the dimmer switch is the problem. Is there a way to jumper it so they work?

 

[Oldsid]

It's just my gauge lights and heater controls. Tails work and all fuses are good. I'm gathering that the dimmer switch is the problem. Is there a way to jumper it so they work?

Disconnect the dimmer connector and connect pins 2 and 3 with a jumper wire (Pin 1 is the left one if you are looking at the connector). This should light up the dash light.

 

[forged_tsi]

Tried jumpering it all ways possible with no luck but I will try again.. Would that make it so they are just bright all the time? That would be fine with me.

 

[willydsm]

if it did not light up from jumping the switch WTF then check your bulbs and wiring behind the gage cluster , from the sounds of it this car has been hacked on, proley shorted out the wiring system to your gage cluster or bulbs, im not sure but dosen't the headlight switch itself connect to the dimmer switch also to light this up? when you turn on the headlight the dash lights come on as well. or are supposed to come on. when you get to the bottom of this let us know.

 

[forged_tsi]

SOLVED!!

from what ive read it apears that the dimmer switch controls the resistance in the ground wire? so jumpering may have made it work.. in my case i may have just not jumpered the right wires.

however i switched the dimmer and all is good now

also i have a spare dimmer if anyone wants to buy it just pm me with a fair price or something.

 

[NeMiZiS]

So many threads on this, so I'm jumping in on this one.
My friends 90 gsx no tail lights, brake lights or dash lights.
Checked the fuse under the hood as soon as you put a new one in, it will just blow.
Swapped the dimmer switch to a known good one.
I noticed the tail light relay was missing, swapped in one from a parts car fuse keeps blowing.
I have read the "dimmer wire" for the deck can cause this problem.
I'm going to pull the deck out and check it out today, also going to check out all the bulbs.
Does any one have any other ideas?

 

[OerO]

I just fixed my similar problem a few minutes ago and wanted to add my 2 cents.

I previously "jumped" the dimmer wires the first time my dash/tail lights wouldnt work. The second time time my lights went out i was fumbling with the stereo and made contact with an open wire and that blew out my 'tail light' fuse. Its a 10 amp fuse on the passenger side under the hood. Hope everyone fixes there issues

 

[Smeed78]

When this happened to me the illumination wire on the back of my head unit was trying to ground itself out to the body casusing a few different fuses to blow. I wasted like $85 on a dimmer switch but I guess it could have been worse. On top of that when I was checking all the fuses in the cab, I accidentally put one in the wrong slot and it triggered my SRS light. These damn cars are super tempermental.

 

[markeski]

If you have another instrument cluster gauge see if swapping it out causes the lights to go back on.