# Dash lights problem 98 sentra



## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

we went on a road trip and upon returning the dash lights no longer work, i dont know if the 600mi road trip has anything to do with it or if its just coincidence...but ya know. well, the headlights come on, all indicator lights (CEL, etc) work, but the dash lights and shifter lights do not come on. 

i searched and came up with some threads, including this one about the dimmer switch. 

well i bypassed the dimmer switch and no dice. what else could be wrong? i dont see any dashboard fuses or anything. help me out please


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## xbrandonx (Mar 27, 2004)

check the fuses by your left knee in the dash. There is a little panel there. Just go ahead and check them all, not just looking for a gauge cluster fuse.


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## Bbc84 (Sep 5, 2004)

have u tried just banging on the dash very hard?

mine was like that, everything wored but no lights, so i just banged on the dash and the steering wheel and it all lighted up.


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## 200sx_guy (Nov 13, 2004)

mine always turn off on me and then i mess with the dimmer switch and it starts working again. but i guess if you tried to bypass it and that didn't work i dunno then


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## sperks (Jul 3, 2005)

Check your tail lights!!! I had similar issues with my Altima '97 and after about 600 miles of night driving I desided to search the net and found a thread that mentioned this. Woe and behold mine were out and I've since sidelined my car for night driving until I've had time to take it the mechanic. That is unless someone can tell me one or two things about what might be blowing my rear lights' fuse (replaced one blew instantly).

Symptoms:
Recently had a flat battery and got a 'jump' from someone while my lights were still on (could have blown something there I suppose).
Recently had a flat and switched out my spare. I read somewhere that the metal box under the spare has something to do with grounding?
Recently had my back end hit, fixed then hit again (both times very lightly) but all my other lights work fine and the dash lights didn't go out until a few weeks after the work so although this sounds like a culprit, I'm not too convinced.




200sx_guy said:


> mine always turn off on me and then i mess with the dimmer switch and it starts working again. but i guess if you tried to bypass it and that didn't work i dunno then


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## conquest49 (Sep 7, 2004)

Actually checking the tail lights is a very good idea. I have a 98 Sentra and the the connectors for my tail lights were not grounding properly, this caused shorts and my lights to work improperly ( lights staying on when brake pedal was pressed, dash lights would flicker after they were turned off). So check your connectors and grounds, they could be the ones causeing trouble.


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

i checked every single fuse in the car and only found one broken, the tail lights fuse... 

i replaced it and they work except the center lights(one bulb burned out and i suspect the burning of the other one caused the fuse to break). but i will check my grounds to be sure. 

however, i dont do electrical stuff ever...what grounds am i looking at? where are they? how do i check them?


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## drock (Apr 18, 2004)

Tavel said:


> i checked every single fuse in the car and only found one broken, the tail lights fuse...
> 
> i replaced it and they work except the center lights(one bulb burned out and i suspect the burning of the other one caused the fuse to break). but i will check my grounds to be sure.
> 
> however, i dont do electrical stuff ever...what grounds am i looking at? where are they? how do i check them?


do you have a dimmer switch to the left of the dash near the door ? I had the same problem and that was it. I always used to insert my fingers into the space above the dimmer switch and light generally comes back in a couple of tries until one day when it never stayed on.. So then I put a thin metal wire's 2 ends into 2 wholes (out of 3) of the white female plug (like a U) and bypassed the black male plug... the light is now on.

http://nissanforums.com/showthread.php?t=92556 (i should update this post)

But again.. if you don't have the dimmer switch, then your case is not same as mine.


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## 2nrguy (Feb 18, 2005)

the fuse that they list as no 36 is the tail light fuse in the engine bay, all the fuses by the knee bolster have little numbers next to them to help you but not the ones in the engine bay


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## Tavel (Aug 21, 2004)

bumpity bump



> Actually checking the tail lights is a very good idea. I have a 98 Sentra and the the connectors for my tail lights were not grounding properly, this caused shorts and my lights to work improperly ( lights staying on when brake pedal was pressed, dash lights would flicker after they were turned off). So check your connectors and grounds, they could be the ones causeing trouble.


what grounds do i check, how do i check them? i dont know car electronics very well, i need help.


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