Yesterday with the light switch on, the tail lamps and gauge cluster no longer illuminate. Replacement fuses blow out every time.

What works:
- headlights work, fog lights work
- brake lights always work
- radio illuminates.

Other conditions:
- replaced the turn indicator bulbs with LEDs ages ago (no resistor added). They worked fine except flashed at double speed.
- a longstanding issue is that the hvac lighting does not always work properly. So, I know there is an intermittent, fault somewhere, but it wasn't too big of a problem to ignore it (and am probably paying for that now). Sometimes just adjusting the knobs makes it change state between the illumination working / not working. A whack on the side of the console often gets them to light up, too.


I can't really drive the car after dusk now, but also don't have the time at the moment to trace the fault. I'm willing to go ghetto on this, so is there any way to hack in a splice or something somewhere to force the tails to illuminate with the lights on? Perhaps with a bypass switch?

Other than that, I will try the bypass suggested by azdave in this thread in case it is just the dimmer:
http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=97083


Thanks for any help:
juan

Originally posted by juan
Yesterday with the light switch on, the tail lamps and gauge cluster no longer illuminate. Replacement fuses blow out every time. What works: - headlights work, fog lights work - brake lights always work - radio illuminates. Other conditions: - replaced the turn indicator bulbs with LEDs ages ago (no resistor added). They worked fine except flashed at double speed. - a longstanding issue is that the hvac lighting does not always work properly. So, I know there is an intermittent, fault somewhere, but it wasn't too big of a problem to ignore it (and am probably paying for that now). Sometimes just adjusting the knobs makes it change state between the illumination working / not working. A whack on the side of the console often gets them to light up, too. I can't really drive the car after dusk now, but also don't have the time at the moment to trace the fault. I'm willing to go ghetto on this, so is there any way to hack in a splice or something somewhere to force the tails to illuminate with the lights on? Perhaps with a bypass switch? Other than that, I will try the bypass suggested by azdave in this thread in case it is just the dimmer: http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=97083 Thanks for any help: juan

oh, I know ghetto, just ask Kaiser.

If you want to hack this, you can put a 12V+ source (with your manual switch) to the green(solid)/white(stripe) wire at the taillight connector. This is the marker lights wire. The gray+blue stripe is for brakes, and the black is ground. You have to do this for both the left and right tails. I would splice this wire and cut the wire leading to it, just in case the fault is somewhere in that line.

that's a quick fix until you can trace down your short. I'd start by disconnecting both taillight connectors, and take out the light bulbs from the outside ends of the tails (those bulbs do not run off the connector wires like the other bulbs in the housing). Then turn on the lights and see if your fuse goes again. That will point you towards the dashboard, which already sounds like the likely culprit here. I would just test the tails like I said to make sure it's not something there, b/c that's a much simpler fix then going into the dash.

My tail bulbs go out more often than any other bulb. Their little solder nubs tend to melt/wear down over time too. So start there.

Obviously since the fuse is blowing, something is shorting to ground. Remove all the bulbs that don't light, and try a new fuse. If that doesn't work, start inspecting the wiring with a voltmeter.

I doubt it's the dimmer since the tails don't dim.

before switching to LED I never had my bulbs burn out, but I noticed that since they are dual filament, it's possible for the marker filament to fail resulting in contact with the brake filament, causing a short to ground. that's why I'm saying disconnect the tails first, and see what happens.

the same thing just happened to me.

The dash lights are inline with the tail lights so that if you ever blow a fuse for the tails, the dash lights going out as well will let you know.
I had the same problem once and it turned out to be the wire for the dimmer switch to my radio shorting out. Check any connections behind the radio if you have an aftermarket stereo.

do you have a wire grounded thats not supposed to be? happened to me once just a thought

thanks for the feedback, guys.

I used ez's suggestion, and am up an running at the moment. It certainly isn't an elegant-looking hack the way I did it, but I did wire in an in-line fuse and a switch, and it does work nicely. I'll have to take a pic and post it. Ghetto-riffic!

Next week when I get back from a trip I'll enlist the help of youse guys to identify the root cause.

juan

Originally posted by juan
Other than that, I will try the bypass suggested by azdave in this thread in case it is just the dimmer: http://forums.2gnt.com/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=7&topic_id=97083 Thanks for any help: juan

Please note in the thread you mentioned above we were looking for an "open" condition since he had no dash lights but the fuse was okay and he still had normal running lights all around. Many of the tips I gave in that thread would not apply to finding a short condition.

I've helped a lot of people trace gauge lighting problems and every time the problem was found to be aftermarket wiring of either alarms, gauges or sound systems. If you aren't the original owner of the car you have to be extra diligent in tracking down the wires because you never know what someone did before you. Start looking at any add-on wiring and let us know how it goes.

yeah i installed my headunit a couple months ago and it never had a problem until recently..i also did connected the 2 ground wires from the dimmer switch and i still have a problem..what else could it be?

nm

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