Need help with dash-lights and SI cluster

[z-28john]

Hey all,
I am working on a 98 Civic EX coupe. It had an SI cluster in it when I bought it, and it had miniature 'spotlights' mounted to the bezel (No, I am not kidding!) to illuminate the instrument cluster, along with several other weird 'cobblings' that one of the previous owners had done. Although it's not my DD, I had to drive it to work one morning at 5 am, and decided to try and resolve the dash-light issue.
Since I have a 99 Civic LX, I thought that I would use it to help troubleshoot the cluster. I couldn't get any of the lights to work, on the gauges in the 98 EX, so I transplanted the cluster into my LX. It wouldn't light there, either, indicating that the SI cluster had an issue...
I was pretty bummed, until I saw that there was a small flat wire attached to the far right bulb socket, and it was bent in a manner that obviously was designed to put it under the RH blue plug, when it was attached to the cluster-harness.
I could see that the copper(?) ribbon had a burned spot in it, where the power from the plug initially came down the Printed Circuit. So, I bent the wire more precisely and inserted the plug, turned on the lights, and had lights-- for a second! Then I lost lights, and smelled something hot...
Now my 99 LX doesn't have dash-lights, either!
So, my question is this: since the fuse looks OK, and since BOTH cars have the same problem, can anyone tell me what it might be, before I have to drive to work with either a flashlight or the three miniature spotlights to illuminate my gauges?
Also, any ideas what can be done, if anything, to repair my PC on the SI cluster? Or WHY it would burn-up like that? I REALLY wanted to keep the SI gauges.
Thanks in advance!
John

 

[XpL0d3r]

My guess is that there's a short in the cluster somewhere, or there's fuse with an amperage too large and is throwing too much power around where it shouldn't be.

First, I'd double check your fuses and make sure they're the correct amperage.

Also just to clarify, you put your LX cluster back into the LX and now that won't light either? Definitely check your fuses. The fact that you smelt something hot though, means you very well may have fried something unintentionally.

 

[z-28john]

Yeah, it kinda su**s, since the LX is my DD. I think maybe the dimmer-switch is bad. I was looking on youtube and there are vids about no dash-lights in Accords, and some box that burns up, but nothing like that in my Civics (that I can see).
Fuses are definitely good, and I think the printed circuit on the SI cluster is def bad, too. I posted some pics on my Hondatech page here: http://honda-tech.com/g/album/2104534
and used Paint to circle the bad spot. Trying Picknpull PC asap.
Also going to try used dimmer switch...

 

[mc360]

If you want to save the si cluster im sure you could A. Either solder a jumper wire to the circuit bypassing the burn spot (if you can solder to that stuff without melting it) or B. Looks like you removed the circuit board from the plastic gauge box so maybe go to a junkyard and remove one from another cluster and swap them out and C. Just swap the 3 gauges into another cluster which is basically swapping the guages onto a new cluster circuit board.

 

[Mr.E138]

Nice thread i got the same problem in my eg8 except mines do work until i hit a bump they go off or if i hit a bump again they come on or if i hit around the dash they work guessing A faulty wire of some sort idk checked fuses all good any ideas what the problem is

 

[z-28john]

Ok!
The verdict is: I replaced the dimmer switch in the LX and the dash lights started working!
THEN, I replaced the pc on the SI cluster, used a jumper wire across the dimmer plug in the EX to verify that the lights worked in the SI cluster without blowing the fuse (and without risking the 'new' dimmer switch), then put in the used dimmer switch and it did NOT burn-up the dimmer or the fuse!
So, BOTH cars have dash lights, AND the SI cluster doesn't have a short-circuit any more!
Thanks guys!

 

[XpL0d3r]

Glad you got everything resolved!

 

[Mr.E138]

Hmm might do that also

 

[Genyc07]

Or you could do the led dash light mod.. Just a thought

 

[z-28john]

Isn't an LED conversion just LED bulbs? My problem was the printed circuit. Do LED conversions include new pcs?

 

[mc360]

yes led conversion is just changing bulbs it would not have solved your problem

 

[Genyc07]

Um yes it would have if he used the led strip replacements and wired it to the dimmer directly or to the heater back lighting. If the lights on the top of the cluster still work he could have powered from their as well. Absolutely would have solved his problem.

 

[Genyc07]

If you search google addiction2bass led gauge. You will see what I mean the the only difference would be powering it but there are soo many easy options there I could be here all night giving you choices. Sorry I didn't reply sooner but bottom line this will easily fix your problem upgrade the system and will last the life of the car. Win/win and win