Dimmer Question

Okay, so I was going to bid on a dimmer on eBay to get my dash lights
on again, but I have a question. Is it really the dimmer? When the
car is in gear, the dimmer will make the gear its in... dimmer and
brighter, so it makes me wonder if that's really the problem or if the
bulb is out. Anyone have experience with this? And, can you tell me
where the bulb is so I can look at it. I have the instrumenation
portion of the dash open and took out the dimmer switch, but not sure
where to look for the bulb and what more I should take apart

(I like taking things apart.)

 

What kinda car is this?

Make?
Model?
Year?

If the lights actually dim and brighten when the dimmer is operated, then
the dimmer is fine.

 

I'm sorry. I knew I forgot something. 1991 Honda Civic 2-door HB.

 

My manuals only go back to '92, but this is something that is common to
most cars in general.

Gauge lighting is accessed from the back of the circuit board that makes up
the rear of the instrument cluster. You remove the bezel and the cluster
with by unclipping/removing a number of clips/screws. The bulbs are held in
their sockets with a bayonet-lock plug, like many other bulbs on the car.

Should be (/should/ be) obvious when you've got the cluster loose. Some of
the bulbs are for stuff like the parking brake light, and others are
general gauge lighting. The ones for specific lights are ordinarily
directly behind their targets.

If you can get the power connector plugged in, you can test to see which
ones are the ones you want, or you can just physically remove each one and
run current through each one to see if they work.

 

Well, my Midas Touch works again. When I first pulled the cover
completely off (getting the hazard light connector off was a bear),
there was a little board on top with two bulbs and two wires that
ran behind to a third. I thought that was the culprit and took
those out, cleaned contacts, inspected the solder joint and it all
looked fine. I put it back... nothing.

Before I gave up and put it all back together, I took the entire
instrumentation thingie (very technical term) off and looked at it.
I knew the alert lights worked, and the gear lights worked, so I
didn't mess with those, but there were four more bulbs on the
bottom--three large and one small. Took each of those out (they
wore little blue condoms) and cleaned them, checked the filament,
etc. and put them back. I don't have any real tools to check for
power or anything, I just blew at each of the connections and holes
with my computer airduster, pushed and puled on all the connectors,
jiggled all of the wire harnesses and tested it again. Nothing.

**** it. Did all I could do and I put it all back together. Now it
works!!! I "disturbed" the right thing, and I'll probably lose the
light again at the first speed bump, but for now, they work.

 

There might have been a skin of dust or corrosion that you broke when you
were messing with it. It happens.

 

Could be. I'm just happy with the light. It looks weird though. It's
been out for literally years.

 

I have a 99 passport.... Dimmer lites didn't work... Replaced bulbs... Same
problem.... Went 2 a salvage yard... Replaced dimmer control($10.00)...
Solved problem!