Hey guys, I bought my Max with an aftermarket blue dash light already installed, and it's put right in front the glass that covers the guages. It's not behind the actual guages to illuminate them. Whoever put it in didn't seem to do it right. (I'll take pics in a few hours and upload if that description didn't make sense)

The issue is that it seems to have taken almost all lighting from inside the car. The ceiling and door lights work fine, as well as the indicator lights and other dash lights (check engine, gas light, etc). However the gearbox lights and AC lights don't work, so it's pitch black on those parts when it's nighttime, making me have to change gears simply on knowing where they are. Also when I turn up the brightness on the guage lights, they don't brighten. That makes some sense since the aftermarket light shines blue on the whole dash instead of using the factory guage lights, but that still doesn't explain why the gear shifter and AC controls have no light.

Is there any ideas as to what the reason might be for this, without prying the whole housing apart? I'm guessing that aftermarket light is either taking too much power or the other lights weren't reconnected properly when it was installed. I was thinking of going to BestBuy and having them check it out when they put in my new deck... but I don't know if they do electronic work outside of audio/video/alarms. And no I can't contact the seller to explain to me how it was wired. Thanks for any tips and ideas


Oh, also forgot to add the heated seat lights don't come on when the switch is pressed either... not even sure if they work or not all together

 

It would be my guess that the PO installed a cool blue Fast & Furious light because the lights were already not working. Have you checked any fuses? Download the FSM, and troubleshoot the circuit.

 

Hmm didn't think about that possibility... here are some pics btw:

http://i50.tinypic.com/2v9pweb.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/17bvwp.jpg

as you can see, crappy job installing it -__-

 

none of the dash lights work, none of the climate control lights either? Dollars to donuts your interior lamp illumination fuse is blown. Look in the fuse panel to the left of the steering wheel, find the one marked INT LAMP or something like that, I think it's a 7.5A or 10A iirc...replace.

I blew that fuse once when I accidentally shorted the leads in the cig. lighter light, and none of my interior lights would come on save for doors and overhead dome light iirc.

 

Haha yeah I just googled around and read that that is probably the fuse that's blown. Trying to get it out without a fuse removal tool sucks

edit: just got it out. yup, blown right down the middle! looks like the PO didn't know anything about how to fix it and decided to waste x amount of dollars on a dash light. now to figure out how to remove the dash light after i get a new fuse (assuming it works)......

 

What I would do, since you don't know what the hell the PO did, is remove the hack job FIRST. Then throw the fuse in and try it. That way if the hack job is the culprit you won't blow the fuse again.

The gauge cluster trim is super easy to take out...put your wheel as far down as you can, pry the dimmer/security/cruise switches out and unplug them. undo the 4 or 5 screws holding the cluster trim and finagle it out.

no need to undo the trim around the steering wheel area unless you want a little extra room. You don't NEED to.

 

Alright I pried out the lights but they're connected to a flat grey wire that reaches behind the hvac controls.. How would I get to the other end?

 

Easiest way is to remove the top portion, vents, clock, hazard/defrost. Lightly pry around the right and left sides with tiny flathead screwdriver wrapped in keenex or something soft. once the bottom part is up, pull down and towards the middle of the car, the clips around the vents will come loose and you have it out. You may be able to get it from above.

If you need to go further, remove the shifter trim, ashtray, and the 4 bolts (10MM head) (2 under and two over the radio/hvac area)




Since we don't know how this guy hooked up the wiring, or even if that flat gray is a stock wire, trace it until you see it connected to something. HOPEFULLY, it's grounded to the center area and spliced in to another wire that is easy to remedy.

 

Alright it's gotten dark out so i'll do that tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

In the meantime I got a new fuse and tested it out for a few seconds and then shut it off incase the aftermarket lighting wiring was going to blow it. The dash lights work and the clock dims when the headlights are turned on as it should (also got a new fuse for my heated seats , however the gearbox still doesn't light up... can't see what I'm shifting into at night. also, is the blue and yellow arrows and white text on the hvac controls such as "OFF" supposed to illuminate too? because those don't either.

 

if SOME of them work, then you may have burned out bulbs. There is one under the PRND21 part, immediately under the N. Once you get the base out, it's easy.

If the fuse didn't blow immediately, you're likely ok.

 

thanks! i'll post back tomorrow

 

Alright I got the aftermarket lights disconnected and removed. (they were spliced). I figured I'd try to get my bose stereo put back in (not sure why it was removed by the PO, I'm guessing that probably doesn't work either.. smh)

 

One thing at a time. Make sure the lights work...

If there is a factory bose system, then you can put it back in easily if they kept the harnesses intact...more "interesting" if they haven't...