Tail lights and dash lights out [Merged 4-7]

[GS-T_Newboost]

i figured mine out by puting a 30 in there and the fuse began to smoke but wouldnt pop but the only parking light that worked was the one that had the short

 

[tlikethedrink]

do you have an aftermarket radio?
when i was puttin in a new deck there was one wire that i had wrong. at first i had put it to the remote and the lights wouldnt turn off... then i put it somewhere else and it wouldnt turn off....
anyways check behind your radio.
this happened to me on my 1g too, i didnt know how to fix it either, then again- i never tried.

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

I don't really know of any really good way to trace the exact spot of the short. Like mentioned ealier... that fuse controls everything that get's turned on with the parking lights. So, all interior and exterior lights, fog lamps, stereo backlighting. Those are all stock things wired up to that fuse. I'd check anything that you recently may have fiddled with. I.E. gauges, neon lights, stereo, etc.

 

[496wedge]

Mr car is 100% stock. 93 tsi awd. The only thing that had been changed is that there is a bazoka sub in the back that never worked since i got the car (im the second owner). The only thing i could think that happened "funny" lately is that i hit a bump on a stupid dirt driveway and the sub in the back worked for like 5 sec then didnt. But thta happened a week or so ago. I've put a 25 fuse in it and i'll check everything out this week. I'll look at the wires for the lisence plate.

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

I wouldn't mess with putting a larger fuse in there... you could potentially fry the entire wiring. That's what my asshole friend did when that same fuse blew out. It ended up costing me $700 to get fixed.

 

[tlikethedrink]

Mr car is 100% stock. 93 tsi awd. The only thing that had been changed is that there is a bazoka sub in the back that never worked since i got the car (im the second owner). The only thing i could think that happened "funny" lately is that i hit a bump on a stupid dirt driveway and the sub in the back worked for like 5 sec then didnt. But thta happened a week or so ago. I've put a 25 fuse in it and i'll check everything out this week. I'll look at the wires for the lisence plate.

i would pull the deck. i know there has to be spliced wires back there then. just find something with all the wire colors/codes. and make sure everythings ok. maybe something just came loose. if nothing less you could probably get that bazooka workin again.

 

[ktowntalon]

try just taking the dash out and putting it a new dimmer. My interior light went out and i trouble shot it. It ended up I fried the switch.
ktowntalon

 

[Menacing talon]

This happened to me a while back,only thing is I got pulled over for it because I was not aware that the tail lights ran off the same fuse as the interior lights. Changed fuse,all better

 

[95CarbonEclipse]

This happened to me a while back,only thing is I got pulled over for it because I was not aware that the tail lights ran off the same fuse as the interior lights. Changed fuse,all better

Obviously he's not going to be able to just 'change the fuse' and it'll be all better. He already blew a 20A fuse when there was supposed to be a 10A in there to begin with. Hmmm... something is obviously wrong!

Sticking an even bigger sized fuse in there is just asking for problems. Unfortunately I can't give you any advice on how to find a short except to check everything that is running off of that fuse. Just because you haven't messed with anything, doesn't mean that there isn't anything wrong with it... obviously there's something wrong, or else you wouldn't have blown a 20A fuse.

 

[15 sec gs]

im having the exact same problem my front left marker and front right corner wont light up and i changed the bulbs and my tail lights wont light up i have no clue what it is i changed the fuses and still nothing when someone finds out please post it on here and put it in a must read section because im having more trouble with this than changing my head
thanks
mike

 

[15 sec gs]

I have tried everything and I can not get mine to light up I have no idea what is wrong, im not blowing fuses and ive put three new ones in just to check, i put in a new turn signal switch, new relay, new fuses under dash and hood i have no idea what is wrong can someone please help me

 

[EricGRIT09]

im having the exact same problem my front left marker and front right corner wont light up and i changed the bulbs and my tail lights wont light up i have no clue what it is i changed the fuses and still nothing when someone finds out please post it on here and put it in a must read section because im having more trouble with this than changing my head
thanks
mike

Same situation here. My driver side corner doesn't work, along with my taillights and gauges. My fuses and relays are good under the hood. For a while the lights would just take like 5 mins of sitting there with my headlights on to actually work. Then sometimes they would turn off while driving (but 99% of the time they stayed on once they were on, I think this might be well worth mentioning). Now, they don't turn on. Ever.

Any ideas other than just checking fuses/relays?

 

[Jetrosr]

Hey

I resently purchased my new toy and had to replace the stock deck and spreakers but in the process of installing the deck had to move my car so my girl friend could use the garage, as i pull out i hear and see some sparks from the cavity of were the stock deck was and think FUC% ME now what!!! i couldn't find any problems untill that night as i noticed my dash lights were out, i think it's minor then the cop pulls me over; and now i know my tail lights are out, it's been close to a week and i have no idea what it is. The fuses are good under the hood and the fuses on the driver side are good too. any idea's???

Thanks

SL

Guys, check the radio wiring. Make sure there are no wires rubbing against metal brackets, also check for a secure ground. Make sure you hooked any power leads to the fusebox (or at least the factory radio circuit), you may be overloading a circuit if you just connected to anything with 12v. Just because the radio works doesn't mean the problem is not there.

 

[15 sec gs]

Same situation here. My driver side corner doesn't work, along with my taillights and gauges. My fuses and relays are good under the hood. For a while the lights would just take like 5 mins of sitting there with my headlights on to actually work. Then sometimes they would turn off while driving (but 99% of the time they stayed on once they were on, I think this might be well worth mentioning). Now, they don't turn on. Ever.

Any ideas other than just checking fuses/relays?

Mine ended up being a short in the wire. First off you are going to have to take out your radiator. Then start undoing the wire loom at the fuse box under the hood and keep going all the way round to the other side of the car. Once you get the wire loom off take the tape off and look at all of the spots where the wires connect it should be a green wire with white line in it also check your ground wires and your power wires that one will be a thick white one my problem was that the green and thick white wire were touching so give that a shot and let me know how it works.
mike

 

[InFlames]

Wow! I posted in this thread 5 years ago, and it's still going- mint!

 

[5spdFTW]

i am having similar problems. my headlights dont work but my brights do. i still have turning signals and other running lights but when i press teh brake pedal teh rear lights dont get brighter like they should. this happened one day after i stopped for gas/ i have swapped a cracked radiator out of the car and the stock radio was removed and then put back in. i am fairly sure the fuses and relays are ok but i will check again. i think wires might be touching behind the radio. the radio doesnt play anything it just ejects anything i put in it. my dash lights work too,


i hate electrical problems.

 

[Tim Melton]

I bought this car for four hundred dollars in this condition.the green wire in the head unit is burnt up.i dont seem to be able to find the burnt wire ecept for actually on the sterio harness.does any one know how i could trace this wire.or other connections that I might be able to trace it to.Also if you put the fuse in the tail light relay it turns the tail and dash lights on permenantly?

 

[1LE]

Time to start pulling wiring harness apart. Sounds like you've most likely got some wiring melted together and now shorting. I had a similar episode in my 2g when the radio shorted out. The radio illumination wire melted way up in the harness under the radiator. Had to pull the wires out and individually inspect and repair them (either by electrical taping missing insulation or by soldering in new wires as needed).

 

[talonite]

i got this same problem but my dash and running lights are both out and the fuse is fine under the hood. would that still be the dimmer switch?

 

[luv2rallye]

No, dimmer does not control running lights. Your problem sounds like a bad taillight relay in engine fusebox. Try swapping it with another of same type as a test.

 

[scarfacemt92]

OHH MAN u guys saved me. i thought i pulled a wire some where, i was gona rip out the whole dash. when i read it could have been a fuse in the engine bay was bad...i checked and presto.kinda stupid that its labled "tail." so next its my glove box light... i swaped bulbs, replaced the whole holder thing, and it still won't light... any tips?

-tom

 

[tunernewb92]

^^ So your dash lights still don't come one, or tails and dash lights?

In my car we had a problem like this. Turns out it was multiple problems. A rat and chewed up only the side marker lights up front, after we spliced them back together, presto, instand tail lights but still no interior guage lights. Have you messed around with the dash, put in a new radio lately, etc.... if so make sure that your black wire with the yellow strip and the green wire with the white strip are not touching or grounding out. There is another wire, can't remember the color of it, that needs to be grounded as well. Of course it could be the dimmer switch, hit up your local junkyard and grap one for less than 10 bucks if none of the above work.

PM 360glitch. He is the co-owner of my car and can help you out if you still can't find the problem.

EDIT: Make sure none of your taillights are bad, this could also cause the problem.

 

[Project2G]

I removed my air fuel ratio gauge and now my dash lights are out.. My running lights are working. Do you think I cut a wire I shouldn't of?

 

[taz4u2nv]

guys thanks alot for all your post,i read these,and fixed my cluster light dilemma,awsome,...i bought the car with the cluster out,and was told it was the rheostat,
but i connected the black wire to the black and yellow wire on the dimmer and the cluster works,...im new to dsm,...just got out of a 240sx with a 1jz supra motor,...im hoping to do big things with this.....

 

[badabing33a]

So i lost my dash lights and tail lights. no problem i changed the fuse. started it up, bam. no tail or dash lights again. Replaced it again, started it up, smoke came from the fuse. They keep popping. What do i do?