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Car Forum / Honda Cars / February 2005Dash/gauge cluster lights
Can anyone direct me to an illustration that shows what lights should be visible on the dash and instrument panel on a '94 Accord EX? I can't see the needles on my speedometer or tach at night. I don't recall when I first noticed it, but it's pretty annoying. If it had been like that all these years I do believe I would have noticed. Also, I have the radio, CD eject, ashtray and green LEDs on the A/C buttons, but I can't see the heater control knobs at night at all. I think I'm getting senile, because I can't remember if they were ever there in the first place! The whole thing just seems to be getting darker and darker as time goes on. You can level with me: It's age, isn't it? (Mine, not the car's.) You don't mention the dimmer control. Are you sure the dash lights haven't been turned down? Dan (This account is not used for email.) > Can anyone direct me to an illustration that shows what lights should be > visible on the dash and instrument panel on a '94 Accord EX? I can't see the [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > You can level with me: It's age, isn't it? (Mine, not the car's.) Sorry - forgot to mention it's turned all the way up. I have to switch on my dome light sometimes to peek at the needles. > You don't mention the dimmer control. Are you sure the dash lights haven't > been turned down? > Dan > Sorry - forgot to mention it's turned all the way up. I have to switch on my > dome light sometimes to peek at the needles. > > > You don't mention the dimmer control. Are you sure the dash lights haven't > > been turned down? > > Dan Several things come to mind. The light switches on older Hondas go bad every so often. Turn on your parking lights and walk around the car. Are the parking lights working? If not, the light switch is probably your problem. Parking lights and head lights are on different contacts on the switch, so even though the headlights do come on, the switch could be bad. Fuse #32 is for parking lights and dash lights, but a blown fuse would be too easy.... Next it could be the dimmer circuit. To test, you can pry the dimmer circuit out of the dash board. At the back there will be a 3-pin connector, with a RED/BLK wire (supply voltage), a BLK wire (ground) and a RED wire (to dash lights etc.) going to it. Unplug the connector and short the RED wire to the BLK wire with a paper clip or something similar. Then turn on your parking lights. Do the dash lights come on now? If so, the dimmer circuit is bad. It could also be a broken wire some where, good luck finding that :-( Last thing I can think of is that a boat load of dash light bulbs are broken. Having the mall break at the same time seems weird, and if they broke one by one you would probably have noticed fewer and fewer things in the dash being illuminated. << if they broke one by one you would probably have noticed fewer and fewer things in the dash being illuminated. >> Thank you for all the great info. I'm afraid this is exactly what has happened. It's happened so gradually that now I can't remember what all is supposed to be illuminated! If it weren't for the gauges I'd swear I was imagining it, but I can't see the needles (speedo, tach, fuel, temp) at night at all. Any advice? Is there a list somewhere of instruments that are supposed to be illuminated? Thanks again. > << if they broke one by one you would probably have noticed fewer and fewer > things [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > night at all. Any advice? Is there a list somewhere of instruments that are > supposed to be illuminated? Thanks again. Looking at the service manual for the '94 Accord coupe, I see at least 7 bulbs for the instrument cluster illumination. All your instruments should be visible in the dark. You sure your parking lights work? Unless you drive with the lights on an awful lot, or your voltage regulator is broken, it seems strange that *all* of the instrument bulbs would have burned out. On my '94 Civic (105 k miles) none of the instrument lights have ever burned out. << Unless you drive with the lights on an awful lot, or your voltage regulator is broken, it seems strange that *all* of the instrument bulbs would have burned out. >> I checked, and my parking lights are fine. I do have *some* lights on the dash; I just can't see my needles at night. The area to the right of the dash where the a/c controls are looks dark, too. This is a drag. > << Unless you drive with the lights on an awful lot, or your voltage > regulator is broken, it seems strange that *all* of the instrument bulbs > would have burned out. >> > I checked, and my parking lights are fine. I do have *some* lights on the > dash; I just can't see my needles at night. The area to the right of the > dash where the a/c controls are looks dark, too. This is a drag. Typical night lights for Accords taken from a service manual. Dimmable: Dashboard panels Sunroof switch Rear window defogger Cruise switch Shift lever position AC/Fresh/Recir (not led) Heater control panel Safety indicator Instrument Gauges Etc. Non- dimmable: Glove box Ashtray Dimmer etc. The problem could be a fuse, ground or a bad dimmer. To solve, 1) Check fuse, if okay go to step 2. 2) Disconnect the dimmer then short RED wire at connector to the BLK wire or chassis ground to get illuminations. If still no lights then check for voltage at the dimmer RED wire and BLK wire or chassis ground with the lights on. If no voltage found on RED wire then there's a short, blown bulbs or a bad fuse terminal. Finally, if you notice fewer and fewer illumination in the future but have only ashtray lights then avoid turning the dimmer all the way up to help increase the life of the bulbs. Thank you for the excellent information! I think this is going to be very helpful. > Typical night lights for Accords taken from a service manual. > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > only ashtray lights then avoid turning the dimmer all the way up to help > increase the life of the bulbs. I have the same problem, and found a PDF wiring diagram at http://www.hondahookup.com/manuals/ download the CD7_CD9.zip file and look at page 23-208 (adobe page 1228) to see a diagram and the same info as you were given by other members. ME? I am going to add a switch between the red and black wires, so I can enable my dash lights, due to failed controller. 1.77amps flow here, that is the total current draw of all the lamps, shown by my meter. Hopefully I'll find an abandoned accord ands be able to replace this. Nick |
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