Gauge Cluster Lights

[Lead Foot]

Alright guys. New to hondas but not auto mechanics and electrical. My 89 Accord LX auto is frustrating me. I have headlights, tail lights, all other running lights. The glove box light and ash tray light turns on when the running light switch is on. The dash clock dims when the running light switch is on. I checked the dash light dimmer moving it around, unplugging, and plugging it back in. Nothing. I TRIED jumping the red wires on the back of the dimmer switch and still nothing. (if I did it right) Are all the gauge lights just out? Likeliness of this happening? The strange thing is, when I turn on the lights the gear indicator light goes out. Is this normal. I bought this car this way also, just so you know. Im kinda at a loss on this. And yes I checked ALL the fuses with a multimeter.

[lostforawhile]

check for 12 volts at one of the cluster bulbs with the lights on, if you have 12 volts it's more then likely the dimmer module, it controls ground to those lights, the clock isn't affected as it's a switched 12 volt positive voltage to tell it to dim, same as the glovebox lamps

[lostforawhile]

there are two red wires coming into the dimmer,attached to the steering wheel cover, it's in the bottom section, a red and a red with black, if you ground the RED only, the dash lights should come on to full brightness, if you ground the red/black the magic smoke will escape from the fuse. you have two possibilities if the lights come on with the wire grounded, either the module is bad, or the control in the dash is bad, also is the control turned to bright?

[Lead Foot]

OHHHH. The dimmer switch is ground for the bulbs! Thanks for your quick response. Makes more sense now. I am getting 12 volts at the first 2 wires on the dimmer switch with lights on. I grounded the first wire and dash lights! Accidentally grounded the second wire and its the circuit for the ash tray and glove box lights so I shorted it for a second, no blown fuse though. I back probed the other wires for ground and it seems I have good ground circuits. So must be the dimmer switch. Such a simple part right in front of you being a pain in the butt. Ill be picking one up tomorrow.

Thanks.

[Lead Foot]

HAHA Just tested and starting writing my reply before you posted again. Oh, and what about the gear indicator light turning off when I turn on the lights? I didnt notice if it lit up for the split second I completed the circuit to ground.

[lostforawhile]

the indicator light is on the same circuit as the glovebox lamps, I think it's just some sort of ground loop, you are talking about the one near the shifter right? also you are talking about the dimmer module under the steering column right? you have a dimmer control and a module under the steering wheel

[lostforawhile]

if you take off the lower steering wheel cover, you will see the module, it's the black looking module with a single plug plugged into it, to test the dimmer control switch in the dash, make sure it's plugged in, now unplug the connector plug at the control module, turn your meter to ohms, now check between the red/green wire and red/white wires in the plug at the module, you should have a fixed resistance that doesn't change when you move the control, if this checks out, connect between the red/green red/blue when you move the control the ohms should change smoothly, i'm not sure if they will go up or down, if this checks out, connect between red/blue red/white, it should do the opposite as the previous test. if all these tests pass, it's the module under the steering wheel.

[Lead Foot]

The indicator light on the gauge cluster. its an auto so its like a red square in park and green in drive. The dimmer switch im checking is the one on the dash...

[lostforawhile]

The indicator light on the gauge cluster. its an auto so its like a red square in park and green in drive. The dimmer switch im checking is the one on the dash...

that module has it's own built in dimmer for the LEDS but it uses the dimmer ground signal as a reference, the reason i say to check the dimmer switch at the module plug, is there you have a plug with color coded wires, if you unplug the switch you will have to figure out which pin is which,

[lostforawhile]

I assume you are getting parts from the yard, if you need a module or switch let me know i think i have a bunch of them somewhere

[Lead Foot]

I went to the junkyard and grabbed a dimmer switch. Still no dash lights. Maybe I shoulda grabbed two. I guess its possible that one could be bad too.....

[lostforawhile]

I went to the junkyard and grabbed a dimmer switch. Still no dash lights. Maybe I shoulda grabbed two. I guess its possible that one could be bad too.....

did you get the module? it's in the lower cover under the steering column, the switch is just the control for it

[Lead Foot]

nope did not. I guess im going back tomorrow. lol

[lostforawhile]

nope did not. I guess im going back tomorrow. lol

it's the plastic cover under the dash, not the one directly under the steering column, but the one right behind it, it's attached with four screws, it's the black box right next to the chime