bobbygolucky

So I'm an idiot. When installing a new aftermarket radio in a 2002 Civic EX, I wired up the illum/dimmer wire. While driving to work I heard a couple noises, then a puff of smoke and a nice electrical burning smell. Everything else still works fine (including the radio) but the dashboard and climate control lights don't work.

Looks similar to this post: https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...t-working.html

So I'm hoping someone can help me step through determining whether I can repair it or not.

First I need to check fuses right? I'm doubting they can create the smoke/burning smell, but I suppose I should start there. So which fuses do I check?

Then how can I proceed? I traced the illum and illum/dimmer wires as far as I could behind the radio, but didn't notice any burnouts.

Thanks for any help! (Or hey if anyone is in Denver area and would want to be paid to fix it with me in person, so I could learn, that would be awesome).

Best,
Bob

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

Correct, start with fuses. Check ACC and radio fuses along with back up and small lights.

If all fuses are ok then you will have to start removing stuff to see if there are any burnt traces or wires (like the guy had in that link you posted).

Usually fuses don't create smoke and a burning smell, sounds like its more then a fuse.

ezone

Pull out the radio, cut the wires labeled illumination so you don't burn up another cluster.

Sounds like it burned the dimmer circuit off of the cluster circuit board.


Pull the gauge cluster out of the dash.
Look on the circuit board for the burned trace.
Repair that burned trace with solder and tiny jumper wires.
Hope and pray that it works again.

If you can't solder, maybe you can take it to an electronics repair shop and have them try.

HTH

bobbygolucky

Thanks guys!

I've since capped off the orange (dimmer) cord. The aftermarket radio does have the illumination connection (orange white) so I left that connected. Should I even get rid of that?

When you say to cut them, I assume I would be fine just taking the orange (or maybe orange and white) out of the wiring harness I used?

Any good resources on how to do this you recommend? I'll google around, but if you happen to know of something that would be awesome. I can solder, but not a pro. I'll certainly take a look.

Appreciate the help!

Best,
Bob

ezone

I have no idea what the radio needs for its illumination to work.
Some might need a variable positive source, some might need a variable ground. I'm guessing you probably don't know which, and you probably don't know which version the car uses either.
It may not need to be connected to the illumination circuits at all.
Most aftermarket radios self-illuminate anyway.

All I know right now is having them connected is what caused the current problem. Disconnect both wires until this is figured out. (cut and isolate)

ezone

You would need a really fine tipped soldering iron.
I use a butane powered unit, and some fine 60/40 solder for electronics (0.080" dia.?) from Radio Shaft.

bobbygolucky

Yep. Boy howdy. I done did it.



Repairable? Or replacement?

Again, appreciate the help folks.

Best,
Bob

bobbygolucky

Also, where would one find a replacement part for this online?

ezone

Ooooh, I guessed right.


Time to hone your soldering skills. I know I'd try to bridge and jumper all the components in each trace back together. Hope it works.

Sure beats buying another cluster, and the odometer issues that go along with that.

Disconnect those wires from the radio harness so you don't do this again.

bobbygolucky

Yep disconnected. Lesson learned. Good guess.

Might take a stab at soldering, or chicken out and take it to a electronics shop. If I end up needing to buy a cluster, where would I look for that?

ezone

Dealer or junkyard? www.car-part.com
Be forewarned, there are probably more than a dozen different clusters possible for each year of car, and only one will be correct for yours.

EDIT: Glanced at a real parts catalog......between coupe and sedan, there are at least 26 listed LOL. I didn't check for duplicates.

You might check out a swap too, might take some effort. Different colors are possible.
Search here for cluster swap.

Odometer mileage will be another issue.

bobbygolucky

Amazingly my shoddy soldering seems to have things mostly working.

Lights are back on, but I don't think they are variable. Seem to be stuck at the lowest level. When turning the dimmer ****, more than the odometer is supposed to go up and down correct? Like the lights on the speedometer needle and the climate controls should change with it?

Well at least I'm functioning now. Thanks for the help! Maybe I'll browse around for a cluster.

Best,
Bob

bobbygolucky

How would I determine the exact part number for the cluster on my car?

xRiCeBoYx

iTrader: (22)

I think your best bet is eBay.
A quick 2 minute ebay search gave me this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/REMAN-HONDA-CIVIC-SPEEDOMETER-CLUSTER-INSTRUMENT-SPEEDO-FACTORY-01-02-2001-2002-/400435494908?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A2002%7CModel%3ACivic%7CSubmodel%3AEX&hash=item5d3bd0bffc&vxp=mtr

Also, here at CF, we direct people not to hook up the dimmer wire for this exact reason. Sucks you had to learn the hard way.

bobbygolucky

Yep agreed.

I saw that one. So a couple things, it says civic si, and no side air bags. How do I know if that will work with my civic ex sedan with side air bags?

Best,
Bob

ezone

Yes, they should ALL change together.
I don't have the answer for that one, can't say if you just missed a connection or what.

Looks like the odometer backlight is on a separate circuit from all the others, so you very well could have caused damage at the component level. (I can't tell from here.)

The dimmer circuit causes the ground side to vary (and is done through electronics. There is far more involved than a plain variable resistor.)
The positive side of the illumination lights are supplied a constant 12v, according to this diagram.

I might make an attempt to bypass everything and wire up all the lights at full brightness....I know I can make it happen on something older that used strictly light bulbs, and according to the wire diagram, this uses all normal light bulbs for illumination.
LEDs are harder to make run this way.



You only stated 02 Civic and EX. Now I hear it has the side airbags.
You didn't say what trans (board looked like it's for a manual?), or if it's a coupe or sedan, made for US or Canadian market, things like that.


Use a real parts catalog, and enter your VIN so the catalog can pick the exact version your car should have in it.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/

http://estore.honda.com/


That will probably leave an airbag warning light on that can't be shut off.
I know I have plugged in a wrong cluster like that at work. Oops.

Also, the SI cluster is a completely different configuration from the others. I have no idea if it could work or not, airbag light issue aside.

Some of the differences are
EX/LX/DX/GX/HX
Side SRS (airbag) or not
Build country
Sedan/coupe/hatch (Si)
AT/MT/CVT
Brand, NS or VISTEON (you can't normally tell this just by looking at it either)

And I'm looking in a catalog for USA. Other markets might have even more choices.


Swaps are possible, with careful selection. Different colors! Search this site.


HTH

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

What I did when I ordered my cluster was this.

Get the VIN # of the car from the cluster is coming out of.

Type it into a Honda Parts database. (Honda Parts website)

It will tell you all the specs of the car.
Then you can match it to your car.

Even if the number on the cluster is different it still may work.
Mine did with a different number, but it is still exactly the same one.

bobbygolucky

Cool thanks, will do.

Its a 02 Civic EX Sedan Manual w/ side air bags, btw.

04 Honda Civic

iTrader: (2)

One other thing worth mentioning..

I got a cluster off ebay. And I made sure it worked before sending it out to get the mileage programmed.

Not sure if you are going to reprogram the mileage or not..but it is pricey.

lito99

Sorry to revive a somewhat old thread...I have the same problem but it is after a cluster swap, not a radio install (stock radio) I checked and double checked all pins, cables, and fuses as well as a cluster diagnostic. After seeing this thread i thought maybe my cluster was shorted in the same manner, so I pulled it out, only to see nothing burnt like the one from OP. All I found was this:








Any clues? And is that white stuff and beads normal?

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

^^ to me that looks like certain solder connections have been touched up with a soldering iron... unless we are looking a something different ?

(2) condensation that has dried.

ezone

Since he didn't give the whole story, here's the clue: I said he probably needs to juggle some of the wires before it will work right, and provided a link to the cluster swap thread.

I did not do any research on this myself.

lito99

So to update: Ezone did give me a few suggestions, so I spent the better part of the day jiggling em around, specifically the red/black and white/red, to no avail. My last resort was that it was the cluster that was bad. Sure enough, went to a local salvage yard and plugged in an lx sedan cluster and VOILA, everything dims and works.

I picked it up since its pretty much brand new w/ 16k on it and will return the defective cluster. Preferred the red rings of the coupe but for now, this will do.

On a side note, i noticed the circuit board on my new cluster is a yellow-green/lime green color vs normal green, just thought that was interesting, thats all jaja. Thanks for the input guys!

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