Speedometer problems

Aguespinosa

New Member
Alright well I recently got my self a Honda civic 2000 ex on mid Dec of 2013. With the car running and everything I noticed a problem that I've tried to fix but can't find anything on the subject. When first got the car the car's dash would not light up, to be exact when turning on the headlights no lights in into interior turn on not the radios not the Speedometer ' nothing however however however the instrument lights do turn on being the signal lights cruise control lights check check engine etc. I thought It was a faulty light bulb thinking all the lights work in sequential order. I replaced the bulbs nothing, on top of that the Speedometer 's reading is off I disconnected the sensor and turned on the the car and the stick goes up to 10 mph without the speed sensor being connected. So what could be the problem could it be the whole instrument panel or something else I can change. I love the car, always been a civic fan, but don't don't think the car loves me :(
Please help! And thank you in advance
 

RonJ

Banned
Is the dimmer switch dialed off?

Check fuses 15 and 30.

CEL codes?
 


Aguespinosa

New Member
hey Ron thank you for replying, in regards to the dimmer control i've moved it's wheels to brighten and darken and it has had no effect with the backlight of the instrument panel, if there is another way to dial it on if you can please walk me though it, please. for the fuses i have not yet given it a look due to college work being hectic, but i will keep you posed on it Ron, finally for the CEL codes i havent ran a reader on the car seeing that the engine light hasnt been on, would i still have to run the reader or no?
Thank you in advance Ron

 
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RonJ

Banned
hey Ron I did what you advised me and check fuses 15 and 30, seems like all the fuses in my car are working, is there anything else I can do now.

Thanks in advance
How did you check them?

When you turn the key from OFF to the ON(II) position (engine off), does the charging system light (battery symbol) in the cluster turn on and stay on?
 

Aguespinosa

New Member
How did you check them?

When you turn the key from OFF to the ON(II) position (engine off), does the charging system light (battery symbol) in the cluster turn on and stay on?
I had some sort of screw driver with a light bulb in it, I completed the circuit with the fuse and checked for the light to turn on. For the battery symbol it does stay on along with the oil and the brake light
 

RonJ

Banned
I had some sort of screw driver with a light bulb in it, I completed the circuit with the fuse and checked for the light to turn on.
^That's good. It's called a test light. But for fuse 30, did you test BOTH of the fuse tabs? Click the Fuses link in my signature. Both fuse tabs should have voltage.
 

Aguespinosa

New Member
Yes sir for every single one I checked if any current was going through by using both the tabs on fuses 15 and 30 like you instructed
 

RonJ

Banned
Unplug the dimmer switch and short the red wire to the black wire in the connector. When you turn the light switch on, do the cluster and climate control lights now work?

Sounds like the speedometer itself may be bad.
 

Aguespinosa

New Member
Im in the car now, theres three cables behind the dimmer, 1 black and 2 red .inwhich one red is solid and the other is red with a strip of black , which one do i short wire to the black one
 

Aguespinosa

New Member
Appericiate it Ron all the interior light work now, theres just one more minor problem thats got my mind twisted that i cant figure out, the car when turned on the needle on the temp gauge goes all the way up even past H and the fuel gauge is all the way up past F as well, at first it didnt bother me cause the last time i had driven the car i had filled up the tank but recently i ran the car a good 15 miles i would say and the needle on the fuel gauge is still as full as before any idea i can do to fix it
Thank you in advance
 

RonJ

Banned
A replacement dimmer switch would likely return adjustable dimming function to the cluster/climate control.

Gauges:

  1. Remove cluster.
  2. Unplug ONLY cluster connector B.
  3. Turn key to ON(II).
  4. Do the temp and fuel needles now drop?
 

Attachments

Aguespinosa

New Member
hey Ron i havent had much time to do what you had told me up until however, i removed the connector B from the gauge and only the Temp needle goes down, the fuel needle stays at the same point it was before the disconnection, i will post pictures along with this post, hope it helps
Thank You in advance Ron



Before Disconnection of Connector B with key turned to ON







After Disconnection of Connector B with key turned to ON
 
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RonJ

Banned
1) The temp gauge in the cluster is good. The temp gauge wire that runs from the cluster to the sending unit has a short OR the sending unit is bad. Plug cluster connector B back into the cluster and now unplug the 1-wire temp sending unit under the distributor. Turn key to ON(II). Does the temp needle rise again or remain at cold?

2) The fuel gauge is bad OR the plastic printed circuit at the rear of the cluster has a short. If the printed circuit looks fine, then the fuel gauge is probably bad.
 

Aguespinosa

New Member
Hypothetically speaking if the plastic printed circuit were to be damaged how would I fix that. Is there a replacement or would I have to get a new Speedometer? If so would I be able to put an si cluster in my ex trim Honda?
 

Aguespinosa

New Member
Perfect Ron I have a 2000 civic ex so an si cluster of the same year would work no. And I'm regard to what could be the damage I noticed scratches on the green film of the circuit on it I don't know that if that's damage enough to to cause the problem but seeing that I was eventually gonna change change the cluster anyways would I be fine?
 

RonJ

Banned
Perfect Ron I have a 2000 civic ex so an si cluster of the same year would work no.
A 99-00 Civic Si cluster would work - plug and play.

And I'm regard to what could be the damage I noticed scratches on the green film of the circuit on it I don't know that if that's damage enough to to cause the problem but seeing that I was eventually gonna change change the cluster anyways would I be fine?
Post clear pictures of what you think might be damage.

Replacing the cluster will likely fix the fuel gauge issue and possibly the speedometer issue, but not the temp gauge issue.
 


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