Gauge Cluster Wont Light Up! :-( Please Help... - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

DJ8684 · 07-06-2006, 12:49 PM

Well i bought a '93 hatch not too long ago and im working out all the little bugs and problems every used car has. Right now im trying to work out my gauge cluster problem. Whenever i turn my headlights, the gauge cluster wont light up. Everything else on the cluster works like the needles work, the milage recorder, the red lights such as brake, seat belt, etc..., the clock works, just not the back lights. When u turn the lights on, u can see the clock dim when u turn the switch like it normally would do. So i thought maybe the little lights may all be burned out... so i pulled the cluster out and changed all of the little lights that would light up behind the cluster and still nothing. So then i figured maybe the fuses.... so i check them, found a couple blown ones and changed em but still nothing..... i wouldnt have thought the wiring would be an issue considering everything else on the cluster workss..... any ideas?

driftkid316 · 07-06-2006, 01:16 PM

check the fuses under the the dash buy the pedals. its probably bad or maybe not even there. that was my problem.

chlatboy · 07-06-2006, 01:17 PM

haha. Dude i had hte same problem that you did not too long ago. The problem is the fuse is blowing. On my car its called the meter fuse. I had put in a couple of them, each one of them blowing.

Check to see if your taillights work. There may be a short there causing the METER FUSE to pop. Oh by the way meter fuse in on the drivers side kick panel. I didnt see anythign wrong with the tailghts so i checked the front. Found that i had shredded the corner light bumper lights and the two were touching. This basically shorted the fuse. All i did was to cut the wire, makling sure they did not touch and everything went back to normal. Let me konw if this helps.

g6civcx · 07-06-2006, 01:51 PM

#1 in sig. EL section.

kandyflip445 · 07-06-2006, 02:41 PM

If you want to get down to trouble shooting then find the main power wire in the cluster and use a multimeter to check if you have power to the circuit that has the lights in it if you do look after were you checked power if you dont' have power look before that point in the circuit. Most likely you have a fuse blown. If that isn't it then you may have a wire somewhere in the circuit that is cut/shorted or otherwise not working as intended.

Good luck.

DJ8684 · 07-06-2006, 03:25 PM

thanx for the tips... im gonna check them out to see if i have overlooked the fuses then troubleshoot the wiring next

SANdisk · 07-07-2006, 12:56 AM

im having the same problem with my 90 coupe, the speedo and the odo dont work to, but it also has hud so i think the capacitor is bad because if my car is in sunlight for a long time the hud and speedo will work but othertimes not, i checked all the fuses, but ill double check today.

g6civcx · 07-07-2006, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SANdisk

im having the same problem with my 90 coupe, the speedo and the odo dont work to, but it also has hud so i think the capacitor is bad because if my car is in sunlight for a long time the hud and speedo will work but othertimes not, i checked all the fuses, but ill double check today.

Suspect a defective speedo/odo combo. They usually go bad around 150k miles on S13s.

DJ8684 · 07-07-2006, 10:57 AM

found out what it was and fixed it.... check out this article... i noticed that the previous owner did a hack job of installing and removing an aftermarket radio and found this to be my problem... all better now! thanx guys! :-) http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/158162

kandyflip445 · 07-07-2006, 11:35 AM

Good stuff! Glad you found out what it was!

SANdisk · 07-07-2006, 08:13 PM

Suspect a defective speedo/odo combo. They usually go bad around 150k miles on S13s.
mine only has 133,000

07-06-2006, 01:17 PM	#3
chlatboy Zilvia FREAK! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Somewhere Posts: 1,252 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	haha. Dude i had hte same problem that you did not too long ago. The problem is the fuse is blowing. On my car its called the meter fuse. I had put in a couple of them, each one of them blowing. Check to see if your taillights work. There may be a short there causing the METER FUSE to pop. Oh by the way meter fuse in on the drivers side kick panel. I didnt see anythign wrong with the tailghts so i checked the front. Found that i had shredded the corner light bumper lights and the two were touching. This basically shorted the fuse. All i did was to cut the wire, makling sure they did not touch and everything went back to normal. Let me konw if this helps. __________________ If you dont know SEARCH!!!

07-06-2006, 02:41 PM	#5
kandyflip445 Post Whore! Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Arden, NC Age: 40 Posts: 4,460 Trader Rating: (1) Rides Gallery: kandyflip445 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	If you want to get down to trouble shooting then find the main power wire in the cluster and use a multimeter to check if you have power to the circuit that has the lights in it if you do look after were you checked power if you dont' have power look before that point in the circuit. Most likely you have a fuse blown. If that isn't it then you may have a wire somewhere in the circuit that is cut/shorted or otherwise not working as intended. Good luck. __________________ My 240 vBgarage

07-07-2006, 11:35 AM	#10
kandyflip445 Post Whore! Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Arden, NC Age: 40 Posts: 4,460 Trader Rating: (1) Rides Gallery: kandyflip445 Feedback Score: 1 reviews	Good stuff! Glad you found out what it was! __________________ My 240 vBgarage

07-06-2006, 12:49 PM	#1
DJ8684 Leaky Injector Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cumming, Georgia Age: 40 Posts: 52 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Gauge Cluster Wont Light Up! :-( Please Help... Well i bought a '93 hatch not too long ago and im working out all the little bugs and problems every used car has. Right now im trying to work out my gauge cluster problem. Whenever i turn my headlights, the gauge cluster wont light up. Everything else on the cluster works like the needles work, the milage recorder, the red lights such as brake, seat belt, etc..., the clock works, just not the back lights. When u turn the lights on, u can see the clock dim when u turn the switch like it normally would do. So i thought maybe the little lights may all be burned out... so i pulled the cluster out and changed all of the little lights that would light up behind the cluster and still nothing. So then i figured maybe the fuses.... so i check them, found a couple blown ones and changed em but still nothing..... i wouldnt have thought the wiring would be an issue considering everything else on the cluster workss..... any ideas?

07-06-2006, 01:16 PM	#2
driftkid316 Zilvia Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: corona, ca Posts: 198 Trader Rating: (2) Feedback Score: 2 reviews	check the fuses under the the dash buy the pedals. its probably bad or maybe not even there. that was my problem.

07-06-2006, 01:51 PM	#4
g6civcx Post Whore! Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 5,764 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	#1 in sig. EL section.

07-06-2006, 03:25 PM	#6
DJ8684 Leaky Injector Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cumming, Georgia Age: 40 Posts: 52 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	thanx for the tips... im gonna check them out to see if i have overlooked the fuses then troubleshoot the wiring next

07-07-2006, 12:56 AM	#7
SANdisk Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 25 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	im having the same problem with my 90 coupe, the speedo and the odo dont work to, but it also has hud so i think the capacitor is bad because if my car is in sunlight for a long time the hud and speedo will work but othertimes not, i checked all the fuses, but ill double check today.

07-07-2006, 10:57 AM	#9
DJ8684 Leaky Injector Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Cumming, Georgia Age: 40 Posts: 52 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	found out what it was and fixed it.... check out this article... i noticed that the previous owner did a hack job of installing and removing an aftermarket radio and found this to be my problem... all better now! thanx guys! :-) http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerothread/158162

07-07-2006, 08:13 PM	#11
SANdisk Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 25 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Suspect a defective speedo/odo combo. They usually go bad around 150k miles on S13s. mine only has 133,000