# wont anyone help me with my dash panel lighting panel :(



## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

i posted a thread about a week ago about my dash panel lights going out. can any one please help me? any suggestions will do. like i said, in my 92 sentra-se, my dash panel lights are out. all the fuses underneath the steering wheel are ok. i took the dash panel apart complete, replaced all the little light bulbs and still they entire panel wont light up. all my warning lights do work though. please help...


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## metro273 (Sep 16, 2005)

Did you check the dimmer switch?


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

the dimmer switch its at brightest.


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## 92B13 (May 25, 2008)

Umm... Maybe the Ignition switch?


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

ignition switch? how is it related. i've been told (cant remember the source) that there were more fuses under the hood and that one of those might be it. its just that my fuse covers are so old, the labels and letters are all faded out. i cant tell what fuse is for what. any ideas? thanks.


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## 92B13 (May 25, 2008)

Sometimes if some lights don't work, It could be the ignition switch. I'm not sure about Nissans, But my Ford Thunderbird had a light problem, And I replaced the ignition switch and the problem was solved. And yes, There are fuses under the hood on the right side of the battery, Here is what they are:

Twords Firewall
-----------------------
HORN
HL/R-HL/L-HORN-ABS

GLOW-------RAD FAN
HL WIPER-----ABS MOTOR
---------------PWR WINDOW
DIESEL--------IGN SW
---------------ENG CONT
------------------------
TWORDS HEADLIGHTS

Hope this helps.


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

so maybe i could try changing the ignition switch fuse? could that be it? i've noticed that unlike the fuses under the steering wheel, these fuses are like little blocks, is there a way to tell which is working and which is not working just by looking at it? like you would on the clear plastic fuses under the s/w?


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## 92B13 (May 25, 2008)

Which side are you looking on? There are 2 fuse boxes under the hood, One has Relays in it, Which are the "little blocks" I believe you are describing, And then there is the one on the right side of the battery beside the drivers side fender, That has some relays in it, But it's mostly full of fuses.


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

yeah, you're right, there are two little panels, they are both on each side of the battery. one on the right side of the battery and the other hidden on the left side of the battery by the left fender. which one am i looking at?


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## 92B13 (May 25, 2008)

When I said the right side of the battery, I meant when you are standing at the front of the car looking into the hood. You are talking about when you are sittng inside the car. It is the one beside the fender that has the other fuses in it.


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

ok, thank you very much. ill take a look at it and hopefully that would solve it. ill keep you updated. thanks.


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## IanH (Feb 11, 2003)

try moving the dimmer rheostat off brightest and move it around, these go bad, pretty common


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## metro273 (Sep 16, 2005)

92B13 said:


> Umm... Maybe the Ignition switch?


Don't think so. Not even remotely connected at all!


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## slo94b13 (Aug 5, 2007)

prolly dimmer switch ! mines bad ... i wiggle it back and forth and it works so i got some LED pods from a truck stop and damn i can see my stuff at night


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## M.J. (Aug 29, 2002)

*Before replacing that dimmer switch, try repairing the old one*

A year and half or so ago, my dash lights stop working, I took the dimmer switch out, brought it in the house, cleaned it with a little bit of alcohol.
Then I visually inspected it with a magnifying glass and found a real fine fracture around one of the circuit board soder joints. I took a pencil type sodering iron and heated up the joint, then added a little amount of soder with flux core, heated it just a bit more after adding it, then let it cool.
I reinstalled the dimmer switch, and its been working since. My guess is that over time, vibration will loosen or fracture these connections.
It saved me the cost of a switch, however it was a real fine fracture, I visually inspected the whole switch real good, and also carefully tried to move the connecting parts around to see any movement.
There was nothing burned on the whole switch, it just simply lost a circuit connection with in the switch.


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

Thank you for your suggestion M.J., i will try that. I have a quick question though, the dimmer switch controls the entire control panel lighting (dash panel, a/c, radio), did your dimmer switch only affect the dash panel or did it also affect all the rest of the control panels? If the dimmer switch is the problem in mine, my dimmer switch is only affecting my dash panel, all the other panels light up and dim using the dimmer switch. Is that possible?


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## M.J. (Aug 29, 2002)

*In reference to your question, I can't remember*

I'd say if those other things are illuminating and your dimmer switch is dimming and brighting them: ( looking at my factory shop manual electrical, interior lamp scemematic)
Then its possible that you've got to have either a bad power source going directly to the dash (cluster) Blue wire coming from fuse block with a 10 amp that is hot when ignition switch key is in acc or on position
OR
Bad connection coming from the dimmer switch to the instriment cluster, either at the connectors or in the wires it self, or theres a problem in the cluster circuitry itself.

There is also a green wire/red stripe that comes out of fuse block, 10 amp (that shows battery or hot at all times) that goes into light switch.

Then that circuit comes out of light switch as a red wire/blue stripe and goes to instriment cluster, dimmer switch, radio, heater control, cig lighter, and other places for illumination (all hooked in parallel, meaning if one lost connection, all the others would still have connection to power source or dimmer control)

There is also a red wire/yellow stripe that comes out all the same mentioned illuminations above,( other side of lights that red wire/ blue stripe goes into ), and goes into dimmer switch as pointer of the varible resister that controls brightness as it slides across the resister that is connected to black wire which then goes to ground (after coming out of dimmer)

So there's 2 wires that go into cluster that should have power when ignition is in ACC or on, and light switch is on, 1st or 2nd positions : blue wire and the red/ with blue stripe.

With the cluster connected the Red/ with yellow stripe wire should have power in it, after it came out of the lights on its way back to the dimmer, to regulate brightness then go to ground.

I hope there's something in there that you can use, let me know, I'll see if I can find you some exact fuse locations.................M.J.


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## sentra727 (Feb 28, 2009)

Extreme thanks to you, M.J. Your help is really appreciated and it makes a lot of sense. I've yet to look at the wiring since work's been heavy lately. I will defenitely look into those wires. Stand by for results. Once again, major thanks!


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## gottarex (Mar 16, 2009)

sentra727 said:


> Extreme thanks to you, M.J. Your help is really appreciated and it makes a lot of sense. I've yet to look at the wiring since work's been heavy lately. I will defenitely look into those wires. Stand by for results. Once again, major thanks!


I think we have the same issue. I cleaned and inspected my dimmer switch and it seems to control everything fine, dims and brightens the lights EXCEPT, the dash lights. Let me know if you've found a fix


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