Filly543

On my 2 door coupe, part of my guage cluster does not illuminate. Also, all my control ***** and hazard button flickers when I drive or park the car. Takes about a minute before they start flickering when I drive. Anyone have any ideas? I have also noticed, not always, then sometimes my HID's like to flicker but for a very short time. Also, when I went to jump start a buddies car, that night everything was working in top shape. All lights were working like they should be.

RIPSAW

Doubt jump starting another car did anything if you did + to + and your - to a good ground on his car so spark does not make gassing battery. I would start at your battery. Pull it, charge it 24 hours and then have it checked. Don't let the load test it in the car or check it and it not be fully charged. If it's OK, I would pull the dash and replace some bulbs that are out. Maybe ,all the actually lights that light up at night since it's a little work to pull the dash. I would not worry about the check lights if they are not burnt out. They will probably last life of car and those little bulbs coming from a dealer with the little base on them are about $5. What a rip I know.
Your sometimes my HID's like to flicker. Not sure what HID is but if it's your headlights, if battery is OK, maybe the plug or your alternator regulator or brush is going.

thornygravy

I've heard some funky situations with bad ballasts. I would try unplugging your HIDs and see if that changes anything. Hope you get it sorted!

Filly543

Yeah I was thinking that my battery was just going bad. But the car has surprisingly 37xxx original miles on it. Not sure how often batteries have to be changed out. And I'll try to unplug and plug the HIDS back in. Only happens Oh so rarely that I'm not too worried but the dash and cluster lights are ticking me off the most.

ezone

Has someone done a timing belt job on it recently?
Are the alternator bolts tight?

Filly543

no nobody has done a timing belt job. The car only has under 40k miles on it. I'd have to check on that when I get home. How would that affect the lighting?

ezone

No timing belt ever? That would make it over 12 years old, the belt was supposed to be replaced at 7 years. Better do it ASAP, the engine can bend valves if the timing belt lets go!


I only asked because the alternator has to come off to do the timing belt job....and leaving the bolts loose is a fairly common oversight that can cause lots of strange electrical problems like low voltage, high voltage, up to and including ruining the PCM from too high voltage.

I thought the flickering lights might be related to an alternator problem... If disconnecting the HIDs doesn't change the issue, have the battery and alternator checked?

Filly543

Oh sorry forgot to tell you I'm not the first owner. I got the car off an auction so I'll have to do some inspecting to see if it needs replacement or not. I thought you usually need tor Enlaces timing belts depending on the mileage like every 70k miles. Yeah ill check to make sure the alternator bolts are tight tonight

ezone

IF you have the owners manual (or you can probably get it on the Honda owners area of the Honda site) and check its maintenance section, it should say something like replace the timing belt every 7 years or 105k miles, whichever comes first. Rubber degrades not only with heat, use, and wear, rubber also degrades with TIME.


Also, check your VIN for any needed recalls at recalls.honda.com
Airbag recalls are extremely important!

HTH

Filly543

u
I know I was going to call honda tomorrow to check if it needs the recent recall. Maybe I should ask them about the lighting maybe they could take a look at it. They might charge me tho

ezone

The only thing free are recalls.

Filly543

Oh I was talking about them checking my light and see why they flicker and why one of my instrument cluster illumination lights don't work by the 80mph zone

ezone

Yeah, I know, that's why I wrote what I did.

Expect to pay (even if the answer is wrong).
Pull your cluster out and check if there are bulbs that can be replaced yourself? (some clusters are all LED, others have replaceable bulbs)

How rapid or slow is the flickering?
Can you check voltage changes with a voltmeter?

Filly543

I've pulled the cluster our plenty of times and all the bulbs are perfectly fine expect the one by the 80mph mark. I pulled that bulb out and switched it with another one and still that spot does not illuminate. I am no electrician so multi meter out of the picture unfortunatly. I'll post pics tonight. Wish I could upload a video. Can i? Anyways all the controls in the middle (temp., position, a/c, hazard button, etc) all blink rapidly after I start driving after about a minute.

Filly543

I forgot to say that I switched out the control ***** light bulbs with LED's does that matter? They weren't flickering for about 2 months and just now started

ezone

Youtube it and paste the link here?


Do all of the lights flicker together (at the same time)?
How about the park lights, they do it too?
Are HIDs on the low beams only...do the high beams also flicker?
How many other things in the car are affected the same way?

Remove bulb, Shine a bright flashlight into the hole and see if it lights the area in question?

Filly543

whats the best way to upload photos?

Filly543

Filly543

LAST PICTURE

Filly543

That was me after I've attempted to remove the led chips from the sockets and install the original OEM bulbs inside. Now i'm stuck with nothing. Look's like a trip to the dealer tomorrow...

Filly543

But the Cluster Illumination light has the OEM bulb in it, just not wanting to light up.

ezone

Forum Mobile version, IDK.

Regular forum site, hit 'go advanced' button under the reply box, then below the next reply box scroll down to find a 'manage attachments' button, I think you can upload from a laptop/PC there.

I use an image host site and then hotlink using the button, you can hotlink just about any image from the web that way.



I wonder if this video will automatically insert here or if you all just see the link?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5_oPyavUaw

Edit: damn, all I see is the link. Did not insert.

Filly543

I have posted 2 pictures. Check them out.

ezone

I don't see anything...do you? Did I miss it?

Filly543

right click, and click "open image in new tab"

ezone

Still can't see it here for some reason.....
Found ONE link to dropbox.com in the email notification but it takes me to a login page and I don't have an account to sign in.

lemmeseehere....hotlink the address into this post and it just shows me a broken image link. Something weird is going on. Again.

Filly543

Filly543

OK GUYS HERES WHAT IM DEALING WITH CURRENTLY

ezone

Now I can see it!!!!

Looks like a DX cluster?
Looks like the bulb behind the 80 isn't lit up. Voltmeter check for 12v on the two board contacts there?

Aftermarket radio FYI -- Most aftermarket radios can burn the dimmer circuit traces off of the gauge cluster circuit board..... If you used one of the DIY harness adapters you may want to make sure the illumination wires are not connected. Look like yours is working right though?

Heater controls aren't lit. Bulbs out?

Filly543

Yeah that't the thing, my illumination regulator doesn't dim the radio. I'm guessing whoever installed it didn't tap into the illumination wires.Yes it is in fact a DX cluster. I'm not familiar witha multimeter but own like 2 haha. Maybe a picture of my multimeter and an explination on how to use it from you EZONE?