Help me. No dash or tail lights!

[tlikethedrink]

so i have a huge problem. just a few hours ago i installed the SPYDER fog light kit from clubep3.com only to having to uninstall it to be worse off than before.

the kit was pretty simple to assmeble. but fell apart during the process. i started from the inside out.

long story short i had no dash lights when the kit was on. they flickered and such when i played with the relay and the switch on the kit and only lit 1/2 at a time. when i had the switch on the right side would light up and so on... also the fog lights would stay on as long as the battery was connected.

i completely removed the entire kit and replaced every fuse. everything else so far seems normal. but i cant say for sure, i havent driven the car. i did check the blinkers hi/lo's tried the dimmer control knob... the radio works too. I checked and sure enough i have no tail lights. blinkers and brakes work. but no running lights.

i need help bad. any ideas anyone?

[tlikethedrink]

Under the hood fuse that reads SMALL LIGHT was blown.

but only half of my dash lit up. the other half (right side) is real dim. i cant tell if the light from the other side is illuminating or if the bulbs underneath are dim themselves. last night when i had those stupid fogs in, the on off switch would alternate which side lit up. that leads me to believe the bulbs are good. but who knows....

i had put in one of those glow when they blow fuses... bastard didnt glow.

anyone have ideas for the dash? im hoping i hit a bump and they kick on or something like that...

[Chad]

did you burn the cluster up?

[tlikethedrink]

only half? and i noticed while i was driving tonight that the ac controls and hazzards werent lit either. this really sucks bad.

im too scared of a big bill to take it to an auto electric place just yet. but at the same time i really dont wanna hack up my car anymore than it is now...

anyone got any ideas. im thinking of testing pins on the fuse box again to see if i can get lights on the right side and ac to come on.

it may be a long shot, but i may undo the battery. i was thinking, what if the switch turned off the half off the dash when i was testing it(made it alternate). but i really doubt it. more hope than anything.

what most likely happend is a line in the circuit got too hot, toasted, and ended the juice there. fml.

[Chad]

long story short i had no dash lights when the kit was on. they flickered and such when i played with the relay and the switch on the kit and only lit 1/2 at a time. when i had the switch on the right side would light up and so on... also the fog lights would stay on as long as the battery was connected.



Something tells me that you wired the relay wrong, you wired the battery to the coil, it's always energized now and then you wired the fogs to pull from the cluster (you got those backwards) therefore your fog lamps presented a 110W load to said cluster and there's a chance you nuked it.

This is a pic pulled from someone else that didoi the same thing (nuked the cluster)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/cwahls/civic/RSX%20foglight%20switch/gaugeboard-1.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/cwahls/civic/RSX%20foglight%20switch/DSCN2468.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y231/cwahls/civic/RSX%20foglight%20switch/IMG_0317-1.jpg

[tlikethedrink]

yep. thats what im thinking too. so much for plug in and play....

so new cluster or jump it?

[Chad]

did the relay come pre-wired?

jump it.. there may be a DIY on here. hopefully it did not get lost int he crash. if you don't ahve dimming you have a shorted transistor in the cluster. if there's anything black, that's carbon, carbon is conductive, remove it with denatured alcohol... remove all traces of carnage.

[tlikethedrink]

i have the kit removed. i hadnt cut the bumper yet. so it was just pulling the wires.

i was looking at the kit. the big (6pin connector) is actually a 4 on the fog harness. so i looked in the socket on the fuse box and saw some bent pins which could have very well cause the short if they made contact.

is there a DIY to remove the dash/cluster? i dont just wanna jump in yanking on stuff. ive only had the car for about 2weeks! ill check the back of the cluster and clean/patch things up accordingly. im really hoping it can be fixed as a new cluster is about 350(honda dealer)
"you don't ahve dimming you have a shorted transistor in the cluster" are you talking about dimming of other lights or by control of the dimmer switch? im assuming dimmer switch. it works fine on the 1/2 of the dash that lights up.

[03civichatch]

a guy on the forums is selling a type r cluster for 80 shipped...

sorry about your luck man

[tlikethedrink]

ive thought about it. just not what im looking for... i just want mine to work. im gonna see if i can get mine fixed before i replace. i would try to get a replacement instead of a type r. thats for looking out tho.

[2004ep3hatch]

I just made my own wire harness. I posted a diagram a while ago.

[thehulme]

the DIY cluster removal might have been lost in the crash. But basically, gently pull of the black plastic ring that sits in front of the cluster in your dash, it will pop out. Then you can see i think 2 or 4 screws holding the cluster into the dash. Take them out, and the cluster will be free to move. Maneuver it around a little bit and you will see the two wiring harnesses that connect to the back of the cluster, you can remove them they just unclip and pull out. Tilt the cluster and it will come fully out of the dash (takes a little time to get the angles right).

To disassemble the cluster and check if its "fried":
Once it is out of the car, the clear plastic cover on the cluster can be unclipped from the black portion. Take it off. Then CAREFULLY pull directly upwards on the gauge needles, pulling on the base of the needle where it mounts to the cluster. They will pop off the cluster face. set them aside. Then there is another back cover on the black portion which also unclips. Take it off. Carefully remove the computer board from the cluster "face" by releasing a few clips that keep the computer board from moving. Then you have the computer board you see in the pictures in front of you. Check for what you see in the pics. Any broken traces, clean them up and then just jump them with copper wire and some solder. Then you can put it all back together and it should work. You will have to recalibrate the needles once its back together, PM me if you actually need to do and I can explain.

[tlikethedrink]

the DIY cluster removal might have been lost in the crash. But basically, gently pull of the black plastic ring that sits in front of the cluster in your dash, it will pop out. Then you can see i think 2 or 4 screws holding the cluster into the dash. Take them out, and the cluster will be free to move. Maneuver it around a little bit and you will see the two wiring harnesses that connect to the back of the cluster, you can remove them they just unclip and pull out. Tilt the cluster and it will come fully out of the dash (takes a little time to get the angles right).

To disassemble the cluster and check if its "fried":
Once it is out of the car, the clear plastic cover on the cluster can be unclipped from the black portion. Take it off. Then CAREFULLY pull directly upwards on the gauge needles, pulling on the base of the needle where it mounts to the cluster. They will pop off the cluster face. set them aside. Then there is another back cover on the black portion which also unclips. Take it off. Carefully remove the computer board from the cluster "face" by releasing a few clips that keep the computer board from moving. Then you have the computer board you see in the pictures in front of you. Check for what you see in the pics. Any broken traces, clean them up and then just jump them with copper wire and some solder. Then you can put it all back together and it should work. You will have to recalibrate the needles once its back together, PM me if you actually need to do and I can explain.

recalibrating the needles? whoa, doesnt sound like fun. yea ive had to jump traces before on slot machine cpu's. so just the tearing apart of my car should be the toughest. ill possibly try this weekend.

[thehulme]

recalibrating the needles? whoa, doesnt sound like fun. yea ive had to jump traces before on slot machine cpu's. so just the tearing apart of my car should be the toughest. ill possibly try this weekend.

haha well its basically just making sure the MPH and RPM needles are on zero when the car is off with keys in accessory position, the temp gauge is at its lowest when the car is off and engine cold. The gas one is the only tricky part, you have to have a full tank of gas, then make sure the needle is reading at the full mark when you keys are in the ignition/car on. you can take the needles off and on in the dash if you leave the clear plastic cover off the cluster while you make adjustments.

[tlikethedrink]

LET THERE BE LIGHT!

exact trace was burnt. i brought my soldering iron home from work. was actually pretty easy... i got the gauges "calibrated" too. i left the clear part off like you had said. worked perfect.

glad this finally got taken car of. i appreciate all the insight. now i can move on. ive been thinking of installing the fogs again. with a universal kit from autozone or something... i would like to use the switch that came with the Spyder kit tho. any suggestions?

[thehulme]

most people say to rewire it yourself directly to the battery so electrical problems like the cluster issues are avoided. Thats what i ended up doing after I fried mine. I'm not sure what switch came with your kit, but I think there is a write up on rewiring the ebay/OEM fog switch to work with other aftermarket fog kits in the DIY section. The universal kit from autozone might also be a good choice and easier than rewiring what you have now.

[Chad]

i would like to use the switch that came with the Spyder kit tho. any suggestions?

Buy a fog switch for a RSX.