Electrical Problem: Broken Interior Illumination -- HELP!
04-30-2002, 12:26 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 216
Electrical Problem: Broken Interior Illumination -- HELP!
Here's the situation:
About five months ago I installed an Intelliglo Needle Kit from Import Intelligence. To install the kit, I basically used the instructions from Cheston's site for indiglow guage faces. For the power source of the needles, I used the blue wire that feeds into the dimmer switch; I spliced the new wire for the needles into the blue one. (Go to http://www.seas.ucla.edu/%7Echeston/...loinstall.html and look at Step 13 to see what I'm talking about).
When I finished, everything worked perfectly. The dash lights were good, and the needles worked great. I did, however, detect a faint "burning plastic" smell, but couldn't locate it and didn't pay it much heed. It seems like the smell was not present when a) the lights were (and therefore the interior illumination and guage needles) not on, or if only one of either the guage needles or interior illumination was on, but not both, but I'm not sure. Anyway, things worked fine for quite some time.
Then, a couple months later, the interior lights died out bit by bit: first the Bose face flickered on and off, and then finally went out, and then the rest of the interior lights (except the window switches in the back seat and the intelliglow needles). A month or so after that, the lights came back on, but only sporadically, with no dimmer control, and instead of just turning "on", they faded slowly into almost full brightness after the lights were turned on. Now, they're dead again. I should note that this whole time, the intelliglow needles have worked absolutely perfectly.
When I finally had time to investigate and attempt to fix the problem, here's what I found: when I opened up the dash, the blue wire that I had spliced to connect the needles to was still connected to the needles, but not to the dimmer switch. The dimmer switch wire was just floating about. When I tried reconnecting the two, the interior lights WERE NOT restored. I went ahead and reconnected them because that's how they're supposed to be, but the lights are still not working. I also tried replacing the interior illumination fuse, but it made no difference -- apparently the old one was still good.
So, does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? I'm stumped.
About five months ago I installed an Intelliglo Needle Kit from Import Intelligence. To install the kit, I basically used the instructions from Cheston's site for indiglow guage faces. For the power source of the needles, I used the blue wire that feeds into the dimmer switch; I spliced the new wire for the needles into the blue one. (Go to http://www.seas.ucla.edu/%7Echeston/...loinstall.html and look at Step 13 to see what I'm talking about).
When I finished, everything worked perfectly. The dash lights were good, and the needles worked great. I did, however, detect a faint "burning plastic" smell, but couldn't locate it and didn't pay it much heed. It seems like the smell was not present when a) the lights were (and therefore the interior illumination and guage needles) not on, or if only one of either the guage needles or interior illumination was on, but not both, but I'm not sure. Anyway, things worked fine for quite some time.
Then, a couple months later, the interior lights died out bit by bit: first the Bose face flickered on and off, and then finally went out, and then the rest of the interior lights (except the window switches in the back seat and the intelliglow needles). A month or so after that, the lights came back on, but only sporadically, with no dimmer control, and instead of just turning "on", they faded slowly into almost full brightness after the lights were turned on. Now, they're dead again. I should note that this whole time, the intelliglow needles have worked absolutely perfectly.
When I finally had time to investigate and attempt to fix the problem, here's what I found: when I opened up the dash, the blue wire that I had spliced to connect the needles to was still connected to the needles, but not to the dimmer switch. The dimmer switch wire was just floating about. When I tried reconnecting the two, the interior lights WERE NOT restored. I went ahead and reconnected them because that's how they're supposed to be, but the lights are still not working. I also tried replacing the interior illumination fuse, but it made no difference -- apparently the old one was still good.
So, does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? I'm stumped.
04-30-2002, 02:00 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 1,277
It sounds like you put more load on the rheostat (dimmer) than it could handle. I would suggest that you beg, borrow, or steal a volt-ohm meter and check it. Either unplug the wires and check for a variable resistance as you turn the ****, or leave the wires connected and check for a variable voltage on the output side. You may have to get a higher wattage one from Radio Shack.
04-30-2002, 07:09 PM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 216
Originally posted by sinewave
It sounds like you put more load on the rheostat (dimmer) than it could handle. I would suggest that you beg, borrow, or steal a volt-ohm meter and check it. Either unplug the wires and check for a variable resistance as you turn the ****, or leave the wires connected and check for a variable voltage on the output side. You may have to get a higher wattage one from Radio Shack.
It sounds like you put more load on the rheostat (dimmer) than it could handle. I would suggest that you beg, borrow, or steal a volt-ohm meter and check it. Either unplug the wires and check for a variable resistance as you turn the ****, or leave the wires connected and check for a variable voltage on the output side. You may have to get a higher wattage one from Radio Shack.
Thanks for the help!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
tarun900
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
19
12-20-2021 06:57 PM
Unclejunebug
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
10
04-02-2016 05:42 AM