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Car Forum / Mazda / Mazda Miata / December 2004Dash illumination out! Fuse OK. 1997 626 LX. What could be wrong?
The 15 Amp fuse is OK. Looks fine, even swapped it out for another. It's fuse 11, "Tail". What can I check before giving in and visiting my mechanic? I've got the owner's manual and the Chilton, but couldn't find anything. Thanks!!! > The 15 Amp fuse is OK. Looks fine, even swapped it out for another. It's > fuse 11, "Tail". > > What can I check before giving in and visiting my mechanic? I've got the > owner's manual and the Chilton, but couldn't find anything. Thanks!!! Check *ALL* fuses - I've found from experience that the markings, such as they are, in the 626 fuse box (mine's an '82) seem to have very little, if any, resemblance to what the fuse is actually wired to - The fuse labeled "radio" in mine, ferinstance, doesn't connect to anything that gets anywhere near the radio - Instead, if my tracing of the wiring involved is even a little like accurate, that fuse is wired into the wipers, and the hot lead for the radio is wired into the fuse that (supposedly...) connects to the brake (not tail/running) lights. Tail and dashboard lights on mine are both wired into the same fuse, which is, according to the label in the fusebox, supposed to be wired to the A/C clutch, but isn't - The fuse that's actually wired to the A/C clutch is two positions down from that one. In other words, don't rely on that damned label for *ANYTHING* until you've verified with a meter that a given fuse actually connects to what the label says it does...  SignatureDon Bruder - dakidd@sonic.net - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004. Short form: I'm trashing EVERY E-mail that doesn't contain a password in the subject unless it comes from a "whitelisted" (pre-approved by me) address. See <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> for full details. :> The 15 Amp fuse is OK. Looks fine, even swapped it out for another. It's :> fuse 11, "Tail". [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] :you've verified with a meter that a given fuse actually connects to what :the label says it does... Thanks! I'll check EVERY fuse, and if they all check out I'm taking it to my mechanic this afteroon. ::> The 15 Amp fuse is OK. Looks fine, even swapped it out for another. It's ::> fuse 11, "Tail". [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] :Thanks! I'll check EVERY fuse, and if they all check out I'm taking it :to my mechanic this afteroon. I went in and chatted with my mechanic. He couldn't get to it today, but says bring it in Wednesday morning. I think now the odds are that a bulb burned out. I assumed that the whole instrument panel wouldn't go dark from one bulb, but now I bet it's just that. They don't have a separate bulb behind the tack, the speedometer, etc. do they? I could replace it myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. Is it easy or tough? I do have Chiltons, although as noted in recent post in this NG, Chiltonns for cars like this is kind of nasty - so many cars it's hard to find what you need. I think I may give it a try, though. The weather's improved around here - warmed and stopped raining. > I could replace it > myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. See the miata.net Garage for hints. SignatureLanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA '94C the alignment page: http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html :> I could replace it :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. : :See the miata.net Garage for hints. Couldn't find any relevant hints there. I asked my mechanic if he thought I could do it myself, and he tried to discourage me. He seemed to say that the hardest part was disconnecting the speedometer cable from the dash assembly prior to its release, which I'd have to do to be able to switch out the bulbs. Unless someone tells me I can do it, I'm bringing it in to him tomorrow morning. Dan > :> I could replace it > :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Dan If the '97 is anything like the '82, getting to the speedo cable to pull it so that the cluster can be pulled varies between "pain in the a.s" and "stone bitch" depending on the size of your hands. Pulling the steering wheel is definitely mandatory action - don't bother even trying without jerking the wheel off first. You'll accomplish nothing but turning the air blue otherwise. SignatureDon Bruder - dakidd@sonic.net - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004. Short form: I'm trashing EVERY E-mail that doesn't contain a password in the subject unless it comes from a "whitelisted" (pre-approved by me) address. See <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> for full details. :> :> I could replace it :> :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] :without jerking the wheel off first. You'll accomplish nothing but :turning the air blue otherwise. I figure odds are it's tougher than I'd like to mess with. The Chilton's made it sound easy enough except for maybe the complications: 1. removing the speedo cable, "if necessary" 2. getting the wheel out of the way, if necessary. How am I supposed to know from my vantage point? I'll ask my mechanic how tough it was once he's done, if he thinks I could have done it myself. :) > :> I could replace it > :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. > : > :See the miata.net Garage for hints. > > Couldn't find any relevant hints there. My apologies, I missed that it's a 626, not a Miata. I'd buy a shop manual. SignatureLanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA '94C the alignment page: http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html :> :> I could replace it :> :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] :My apologies, I missed that it's a 626, not a Miata. I'd buy a shop :manual. Umm. I only have Chiltons. A shop manual is something different, I take it. My mechanic has some kind of computer system for checking out how to fix various systems on the cars he works on. I guess a lot of that may be online stuff, or maybe it's on disks, I don't know. I just brought over the car and asked him if he thought it was wise to replace all the bulbs back there if he found any burned out. He said he decides on that generally based on how tough it was to get back there. He said he didn't remember with my car... he does so many different cars. I left it there and I guess he'll get to it this afternnoon and call me. thanks for the ideas and help, people. But, have you checked ALL the fuses yet as a previous post suggested? > :> I could replace it > :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Dan :But, have you checked ALL the fuses yet as a previous post suggested? Yes, I checked every single one. They all look OK. Thanks. Dan :> :> I could replace it :> :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] :> :> Dan But, have you checked ALL the fuses yet as a previous post suggested? > :> I could replace it > :> myself if I could figure out how to remove/replace the dash. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Dan My mechanic replaced all 3 bulbs he found back there but the ones he replaced looked good and checked out OK for continuity with a multimeter. My guess is that a connector wasn't doing its job and when the mechanic put it back together it was doing its job. The dash lights are working again as well as the illumination in the various front dash buttons. That's not a bulb thing, it's a question of juice getting to everything. > The dash lights > are working again as well as the illumination in the various front dash > buttons. Bet you're one happy guy, Dan. Congrats on getting the problem resolved. SignatureLanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA '94C the alignment page: http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html |
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