McSlides

iTrader: (1)

Here's the story. Everything on my car when I bought it was(2005 Evo VIII GSR SSL)100% bone stock, minus a little amplifier or something that's wired into the radio. The only thing I've done is my brakes and exhaust. I started to do my gauges this past week, ad started by installing the radio relocation kit to move the radio to the lower din as I'm sure many of you are familiar with. As I was doing this, I had to move the radio harness down and when I pushed the radio in, it was a really tight for with the wiring behind it. Upon completion I went to drive my car (gauges not wired in at this point, only the fab work is done) and I noticed the RIGHT side of my cluster not working, and it's only the back lights that aren't working. Everything else on the cluster is fine as it has been except the back lights on the three little gauges on the right. The ACC signs still work, the gauges still work, just no lighting. Now I pulled the cluster out and all the bulbs are fine. The radio harness SEEMS fine (I haven't checked the pins for the plug yet). The only I haven't eliminated is the fuse panel, but it doesn't make since for there to be more than one fuse for the cluster lights.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I'm thinking now that I might have slightly pulled a wire out of the back of the harness because that was the only thing that was touched during the install. I'm not good with wiring diagrams so if someone can find out which wire sends power to the section of the cluster, I can try and find it. Thanks for any help.

Also, this probably has nothing to do with it, but I disconnected my battery during the install and my service engine light isn't on anymore (it was before due to no cat), however all the signals come on when I turn the ACC on. I'm thinking I haven't driven it enough for the ECU to read the o2 and notice there's no cat again.

superbovine

iTrader: (23)

Unhooking the battery clears the SES light faults.

The cluster lighting is all inclusive.... there is a single wire feed for the entire cluster lighting and it separates inside the cluster.... so there is no way you pulled a wire to cause half the lights to go out.
I would be more suspicious that you are mistaken about which lights do work maybe.... double check your TAIL fuses under hood. If you crushed the wiring pushing that radio in you'll pop one of them which will kill your cluster lighting.

McSlides

iTrader: (1)

That makes sense. However, all of my lights work. Te only lights that don't come on on the three mini gauges on the right. The speedometer and tach light up perfectly fine along with everything else in the car. Ill check that fuse under good and get back to you. Thanks

superbovine

iTrader: (23)

Double check it. Like I said before there really isn't much else that would be relevant to the work you did that would influence the condition. Nothing normal anyway. It should be fuse 21 IIRC.... definitely 7.5A (if no one replaced it with larger that is)

McSlides

iTrader: (1)

I checked every fuse in the car, they're all good.

superbovine

iTrader: (23)

Hmm. See if you have power on pin 38 of the cluster, a Gray wire.
See if you have ground of any degree on pin 40, a Black/Yellow stripe wire.

barneyb

Since the dash bulbs are on anytime the car is used they have high hours. Look at them funny and they are out. You need new bulbs.

McSlides

iTrader: (1)

I already checked the bulbs and they were fine. I'll give it another shot though. If that's not it I will check the wires next and let you know how it goes from there.

Also, when wiring gauges (boost, oil pressure, ect), which wire on the back of the cluster do I tap into in order for my gauges to light up when I turn on my lights? I was searching for diagrams all day and couldn't find anything.

superbovine

iTrader: (23)

Tap the lighting from anything that comes on with the stalk.
The wire I mentioned to check for power will work. You can pick pin 4 (green/white) from the radio connector. You can pick the black/yellow wire on the rheostat.

barneyb

I was all through this a while back. I always had trouble seeing the red dash and read that if you removed the bulb condoms the dash is much brighter. When I replaced the bulbs no light at all. The bulbs looked okay, the filaments appeared to be in place. Very carefully checking the bulbs with an ohm meter showed that they were open. So, just handling these bulbs is enough to finish them.

McSlides

iTrader: (1)

So you're convinced it's the bulbs? I'm about to check again now. Do you think I should just replace it anyways?

barneyb

Well, if I am wrong you are out $2.50 per bulb.

studioface

iTrader: (10)

Well this is a easy fix and it all comes down to process of elimination.What you should do in steps is:
1) locate each bulb in their gauge and remove them from their sockets and apply direct 12v to them.If bulbs are dead then thats the issue if not move on.
2) Use a multi meter and put it on DC volt and test the red,yellow and black wires going to all gauges.
(red +12v only comes on when key is on ACC)
(yellow +12v only comes on when you turn on park lights)
(I am sure you know that black is ground)
If all have power then its the lights in the gauges and if no power trace the gauge harness to the joint connection that is connected with butt connectors.You might have pulled it out by accident.Good luck.

McSlides

iTrader: (1)

Ok so we checked the bulbs again and they're good. The blue cluster harness is not getting any power on any wire. The red wire is reading .58v so that doesn't really count. All the others are reading 0.00v. The white harness is powered fine. What does this mean? I'm thinking a fuse or a relay at this point.

Edit: gray is getting power with the lights on. Yellow however is not. Everything else is the same as above on ACC whether the lights are on or not.

Edit 2: Back to my original analysis that it has something to do with me pushing the radio in. There's a yellow wire on the radio harness that's not getting power. Is it the same yellow wire that goes into the cluster? Because if it is then I need to find out why it's not getting power.

McSlides

iTrader: (1)

Well guys, it's gonna hurt my pride to say this but, I'm a dumbass lol. The retard in me was checking the wrong bulbs. I was checking all the ACC ones and not the three grey one on the back. It's blown. I swapped it with one of the others and it works perfectly fine. I just need to find a replacement now. Anyways sorry for the headache. Coming from a strictly Nissan background to an Evo is a big change. Thanks for the help guys