Ok, I got my EVO a couple of weeks ago and I havent really been driving at night til last night. I noticed that when I turned the parking and headlights on that the instrument cluster went dark, everything else is fine. The backlights for the mitsu guages came on. Everything else seemed to be working fine. I have had 2 different people working on the car since I bought it, Best Buy, who put my alarm in and my cousin who is a mechanic and he put the tt in and I watched him do it and he didnt even go near the area. I was wondering, am I just missing something or is this a problem?

 

i know its a silly question but do u know there is a dimmer switch? if that isnt it.... the dimmer function for the gauge plays with the grounding ... most likely the people who installed the alarm used the wrong grounding and now is messing with your gauge cluster.

 

Maybe I'm missing something..bt I don't understand what the instrument cluster went dark....the backlights of the gauges came on means....when you say instrument cluster are you referring to the backlights to like to other accessories like hvac, radio, cig light, etc?

Reason I ask is because when I was trying to hook up a backlight for a boost gauge, I originally tried to tap into the backlight wiring. A friend unintentionally bent a pin when trying to push a meter into part of the plug for the gauges. So because the pin didn't have complete connection (I think it was the power wire), the headlights would turn on but the backlights for the gauges/instrument cluster went out.

 

you know the main tech cluster is on whenever you have your car on. Doesn't matter if the headlights on or not.

just my input.

 

plokivos is right. It is set to a standard brightness all the time.
BUT when you turn on the headlights it reverts to the dimmer setting.
So do what mifesto said and check your dimmer switch..if that isn't it the installers prolly did somthn.

 

yea you have to tape off the dimmer wire from the aftermarket head unit. If this even touches anything it will blow a fuse that controls the dimmer. Check your back left tail light, i would bet that is off too.

 

My dimmer is not fuctional also and a portion of my gauge cluster is dark. I have an aftermarket radio.

 

Well I took it back to Best Buy, since they installed the alarm. I had them look at it and set up my alarm for passive arming. The guy who put in the alarm forgot to plug the harness back in. I have to wait til it gets dark to really see it but hopefully its fixed.

 

That would be the problem. If the harness is not pluged back in you will experience that type of problem

 

doh, the darkness comes at 9pm. It needs to get cooler... soon... can't take this 100%humidity and 95 Degree F+ heat...