I know this has been covered before, but I can't find any problems with the fuses. I started the engine today and when I went to turn on my lights, they came on for a second and then blinked out. Everything except the clock, including the stereo is out when I turn on my lights, but when I shut them off the stereo display comes back. The clock dims/brightens accordingly when I turn the lights on and off. I checked all the fuses including interior illumination and parking/tailights. Any ideas? Has this happened to anyone else?

 

You are taling only about the interior lights correct? If so the dimming **** next to the steering wheel (LH side) may be the problem. Not sure if there is a way to check it other than turning **** back and forth.

 

My dimmer switch is on the right hand side... and no, its not the dimmer switch. This is very peculiar... I've never seen this happen before without a blown fuse.

 

Did you actually check the taillights though? Make sure that they all work, including the CHMSL.

 

Yes all my tail/exterior lights work, including the one on my spoiler. Its only the lights inside, except the clock and dome/door lights. I really don't want to take it to the dealer because my local nissan dealership is especially shady... I want to fix this myself if at all possible. I know this is a pretty weird instance, any other ideas are welcome... maybe some fuse that I didn't think of that would affect the interior lights?

 

jMax, have you solved the problem? My '96 just came down with the same. All fuses check okay, all other electrical okay. Instrument cluster lighting doesn't work, digital displays for climate and stereo controls go dark when headlights go on. I did tear the dash apart and put in a new dimmer (P/N 25980-70F00), wasn't easy or cheap and didn't help. I'm on the hunt for an answer and will post again when I solve this.

In the mean time, I pulled the dash illumination fuse (7.5 Amp, slot #18 in the under-dash panel). That, at least, allowed the digital displays to operate (at normal daytime brightness) when I drive with the headlights on.

 

Have either of you guys recently done any DIY modifications to the car's electrical system, such as installing a new stereo, headlight wiring harness, or foglights? I'm wondering if the wiring has been compromised somehow. Maybe a relay has gone bad. I can't imagine it would be a fuse problem--if a fuse is blown on something it will not work under any circumstances until replaced.

 

No mods with mine, everything factory. Like you, I wondered about the possibility of a relay problem too. I noticed that, just to the left of the fuse panel (under-dash), there are 3 of them, all the same part number, etc. So I tried a systematic rotation of relays from socket to socket with testing at each step. This didn't produce any change in behavior.

Two posters on the following thread:
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=36707
indicated that the taillights and dash illumination share the same circuitry, I haven't verified this yet. My taillights DO work and the fuse known as "INT ILL" checks out good, but I will look into it and report.

redcloud

 

I have a similar problem....all of my lights on the climate control and and the light on the ash tray are out....all the fuses are fine....

 

Well, well... now it looks like I may be suffering from the same problem! I have my Bose stereo and ash tray out of the car for now, as I wait for the new stereo head unit to arrive. Last night, I took my car out for a drive, and fumbled to find the controls of the automatic climate control system--all of the buttons aren't lit. The LEDs for recycle and defrost function, as well as the display for the digital temperature selector and clock. I haven't tried hooking up my ash tray back to see if it works, but I'll do that tonight.

All of my other interior lights are working, including the door switch LEDs.

Have any of you guys figured out what the problem is yet?

 

Well your problem seems to be because you don't have something hooked up...mine was fine before I did the sterio and after for a while...then the started to go out first just a couple of them and now all of them....

 

Could you be more specific? Was it one or two bulbs, then all of them, or was it complete sections at a time?

Mine should still be lit, even though I have some parts disconnected. The Bose stereo and ash tray light have nothing to do with the climate control. They should function independently. Based on what you're saying, they should definitely work without the Bose head unit or the ashtray.

I'm wondering if there's some lose connection with the DIN plugs? Did you try reseating them?

This is a very perplexing problem... I haven't done anything out of the ordinary with this part of the car. I did replace the door switch LEDs, but that didn't stop the climate control lights from working. I only noticed it after removing the Bose head unit.

 

Well it started with all of the climate control ones(not the actual led part but the buttons), and then my hazard button does not glow anymore, and then me ash tray light went out.....I have not yet had time to check it out, but I have heard something on one of the forums on here about this and that the maximas have a problem with this, I just can't recall the solution to the problem...

 

Are you from Australia or England? "then me ash tray light went out".

In my case, all of the lettered buttons on the climate control don't light up, and the rear defroster icon doesn't either (the yellow "on" light does though). I hooked up the ash tray and the light works. Hazard light, digital indicators, and green LEDs are all lit.

I can't try hooking up my Bose unit again--it causes a strange relay clicking noise from behind the dashboard, so I don't want to risk damaging anything. I doubt all the bulbs burned out--they're just not getting juice. There must be a fault somewhere in the wiring, given the fact that all fuses are good.

Did you find it very difficult to remove your DIN plugs? I had a hell of a time getting mine off. Maybe during that process, some wires get pulled enough to compromise the connection? Also, do you still have your original Bose stereo head unit? Maybe when you remove it you have to do some rewiring to get the lighting back.

 

Well I'm actually from Brazil but thats ok.....Well I was looking at it last night I well mine is got the exact problem yours does...its not my hazard light its my defrost like yours....we need to figure this out, its bugging me now that we are talking about it..

 

I plugged my old Bose head unit back in, just to check something out. The head unit lettered buttons all lit up. And this did nothing for the climate controls--still dark.

This really peaks my curiosity. I have an early 4th gen, you have a later 4th gen, and yet we both have the exact same symptoms. I'm betting the cause is the same for both of us. We just have to figure out what it is. My suspicion is that is has something to do with either improperly fitting DIN plugs or loose wiring.

You don't have a stock stereo, and neither do I. I noticed my symptom shortly after taking apart my center console and putting it back together "exactly" as it was before. What was the last thing you did to your Maxima before you noticed your lighting problem?

 

Same as you I guess..I don't really remember, but I know for sure that it didn't all happen at once...well I have not yet had time to take mine apart to check it out. Hopefully I will have time next week...(I'll be off)and hopefully we will have it solved by then..

 

Same as you I guess..Changed the head unit.I don't really remember, but I know for sure that it didn't all happen at once...well I have not yet had time to take mine apart to check it out. Hopefully I will have time next week...(I'll be off)and hopefully we will have it solved by then..

 

I had posted before that installing a new dimmer switch did not solve my dash lighting problem. Before tearing into the electrical system any further, I bought a HAYNES repair manual for 93 thru 99 Maxima and studied the wiring schematics. I gotta tell you, the dash lighting system is pretty straightforward. I refused to believe that ALL of the bulbs controlled by the dimmer switch had burned out simultaneously, not to mention loss of stereo and climate control fluorescent displays with headlights on (no offense intended dmbrazilian, sounds like your situation was different), and measurements I made confirmed that. So...

... I bench-tested my original dimmer switch and it really was bad. The way it's supposed to work is: the "low" side of all the (dimmable) bulbs are ganged together and connected to the middle terminal (red/yellow wire) on the dimmer. When you turn on the headlamp switch, 12 volts gets applied to the "high" side of all of the (dimmable) bulbs AND an exitation terminal (blue/yellow wire) on the dimmer at the same time. As you adjust the dimmer it modulates the voltage available to the "low" side of the bulbs between 12 volts and ground (black wire), thereby changing the apparent brightness of the bulbs. My dimmer did NOT modulate the center terminal (stayed at 12 volts regardless of thumbwheel position), so I took my dimmer apart, and this thing is pretty wild. There's a small printed circuit board inside with digital circuitry which processes instructions to a current carrying high speed MOSFET switch. The board is labeled T1 where it's located and, with a low power iron and a "solder-sucker", it came out pretty easy. The transistor is an International Rectifier P/N IRLZ34, on the street, the cross-reference is NTE2985, I bought a few for $2.32/ea. I reassembled the dimmer with a new MOSFET soldered into the board, and voila, it worked!

So far, everything in the car is back to normal. I can't explain why the thing failed in the first place, and the new one I bought from Nissan (which, out of the bag, did not work, at all, ever) now works perfectly after replacing it's MOSFET as well. I won't be able to return the new one, being special ordered and electronic parts, yada yada yada. Anybody interested? Nissan part number is 25980-70F00, cost 75.13 plus tax, which in CA, was $80.76 out the door. I don't expect to recoup all of that, but let's make a deal.

If one has the wherewithal, you can run the basic checks on your dimmer in the car, and I recommend you do so before tearing into other areas of the system. Make sure that Fuse 18 (7.5 Amp) is good and that you get 12 volts at both ends of this fuse (with respect to ground) with the headlight switch on (parking lamp position is okay) and 0 volts with the headlight switch off. If this checks out, you need access to the rear of the dimmer where the electrical connector is, so it has to come out of the instrument cluster bezel. HAYNES says to pry it out from the front using a flat blade screwdriver, wrapped in tape to avoid scratches. I, however, ending up removing the bezel altogether to gain direct access the one-way dogs on the sides of the dimmer because they were very stubborn and it felt like I'd end up breaking something otherwise. The procedure for removing the bezel exists elsewhere in this forum. HAYNES also cautions that, when working on the electrical system, especially in and around the steering wheel, that the airbag system should be disabled. If this sucker gets triggered, it could hurt you, starting with your wallet and going from there. I didn't take this step myself, but it definitely made me pay attention to what I was doing.

First, using a DVM, check that the black wire at the rear of the dimmer indicates 0 Ohms to a good, solid ground. Next, check for voltage between the Blue/Yellow wire and ground. With the headlight switch on you should get 12 volts here, and 0 volts with the headlight switch off. Assuming this is okay, check for voltage between the Red/Yellow wire and ground (with the dimmer connected). With the headlight switch on, read this voltage while adjusting the dimmer through it's range. If the reading varies between 0 and 12 volts, then the dimmer is okay, if you get 12 volts regardless of thumbwheel position, the dimmer is dead. By now, you know what you need to do.