Hardcoresteve

This is very involved issue. I have an 05 civic vp em2 5spd coupe.
I just got done my 3rd engine swap in the car(vtec swap then a cracked block on the second one)
Ok so I hooked up my fog lights,two glo-shift gauges(vp has no tach, so tach and volts) and also a on/off switch for the amp
When I started the car everything was fine, gauges..subs..fogs, and all oem accessories.
Prob is the stock gauges didnt light up or the backlight for the a/c controls or heat control buttons!

Now my first thought was fuse or dimmer switch. I found that every bulb in the cluster(only the ones in the backlight circuit) and in the dials and buttons for a/c controls blew out. Fml. I checked the fuses, dimmer, replaced the bulbs in the gauges etc.
No luck! I am reading thru the haynes and thru the forums trying to figure out the path of the circuit. I kno its the "red" and "red/blk" wires at the connectors and that it leads back to the fuse panel under the kick panel.

My findings-get grnd from the red/blk wire, and the blk wire at the blue cluster connector.

Anyone have a better clue as to the whole path and direction of the circuit? Should I have grnd at the red/blk wire?

PS. All aftermarket accessories, cluster, and center dash/radio removed right now.

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Are your tails and markers working outside ? The dimmer circuit feed from it.

The dimable bulbs circuit is a bit strange the red/blk and red wiring can cause troubles if not careful.

05 coupe ? VP ?

Hardcoresteve

Yes the tail lights and everything else works(not sure if speedometer does as I havent driven it yet)
The fuse sayin "meter" looks like it got hot but it didnt blow out
The relay to the left of the taillight relay is ok, but no power to the red/blk wire or red wire
Im thinkin im not supposed to see ground at the relay(if im right about that one being for that curcuit)or at the red/blk wires at the connectors
I found that even the bulbs in the center dash were blown out too

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

The red/blk is 12 volts off of the contacts of the taillight relay (12 volts should present on red/blk when tails or headlights are on) The red is the dimmable leads through the cluster dimmer circuit.

The red/blk is the same red/blk that goes to the tails/front markers & licence plate bulbs.

You could briefly (very briefly) jumper 12 volts to the red/blk lead to see if the cluster bulbs light, Or investigate why the red/blk voltage is missing. DONT JUMPER VOLTAGE TO RED OR GROUND IT EITHER.

Hardcoresteve

thanks a lot! ur info was helpful n i think i got it figured out. i dont think that there was a short(maybe a temporary surge) but the fuse was not blown, but replacing it helped...idk
i think i mightve just touched ground on another circuit and it affected the dimmer circuit(this happened last year when i put the subs in n had a short...it kept the ingition from working and the gauges..this time it just blew the bulbs instead of the fuse)
Well all i gotta do now is replace the heater buttons, and the a/c controls. junk yard time. im so impatient to get this car done! just one prob after another... is that a bowtie or an H??????????????

Hardcoresteve

Ohhh it was corrosion in the fuse panel connectors....I love the humidity here in s/e pa!

lazlong

Use lots of dielectric grease. Won't protect completely but will help.