s13 Cluster lights and tail lamps dont illuminate

[chetacheese]

hey guys i have this issue and ive tried searching but havent found a solution.

i have a 1992 nissan 240sx and i hopped in my car one day and my cluster lights stopped working. i dont know if theres a fuse for it, i checked the kick panel. or maybe its there, i just missed it.

a couple days later someone is screaming at my saying my tail lights are out. i pulled over and checked it, ive been driving without rear lights for who knows how long.

first question is, is the cluster lights and the rear lights linked to each other? (do they share the same fuse or maybe have a few of the same wires? because i know that if i turn on the headlights, cluster lights and rear lights should come on)

any help is appreciated. thanks!

[MandTPhotography]

My cluster lights flicker on and off, lawl.

[chetacheese]

oo thats bad, found a fix for that yet?

[MandTPhotography]

No I'm thinking it's just a loose connection behind the dash, but I haven't pulled it to check. I have a digital speedo so it's okay, It just gets annoying sometimes.

[chetacheese]

i also have a digital speedometer. its the first time for this problem and i highly doubt my problem is behind the dash.

[silviaz]

I had a problem one day, very stupid problem but it was like 5 years ago.

I changed my oem radio for a cd player and inside the console, I had a wire that sparked on the body. My fuse was dead and I had no more light in the dash and no tail light. So yes, this is probably the same problem.

I don't know why nissan made this that way....:-/

sorry for my bad english.

[chetacheese]

do you remember what fuse was blown?

[silviaz]

I wish I could remember. Check your fuses... it's easy

http://forums.nicoclub.com/zerofile/21906/000_0165.JPG

[chetacheese]

I checked my fuses and my 15a "tail light" fuse keeps blowing. Where should I check for a short?

[spiderlone]

ok i got few stuff... pm sent out ...

[HPKMotorsports3]

check your fuses...

[wow-thats-a-cool-car]

try replacing the white box in the drivers side kick pannel. That little box will sometimes blow out before the fuse causing the cluster lights not to work.

[chetacheese]

Maybe this will narrow things down a bit. From what I recall, one day my subs go out and starts spiking. My amp power light is blinking slow as if it is losing power and regaining it repeatedly. Since you guys did mention that the radio may have a relation to this issue. Thank you guys very much.

[upsdude]

i had the same problem, only in my s14 which i just bought a couple weeks ago. the only thing that seemed to work was taking out the head unit. my tail lamp fuse kept popping too, so i'm guessing the previous owner didn't wire everything up properly, thus shorting out that fuse. lemme tell you i was scared driving at night w/no cluster lights...because i noticed that it also left my rear lights dead too, meaning the only time it would light up was if i hit the brakes! when that tail lamp fuse dies, it affects basically all your parking lights/cluster.
Oh speaking of which...the climate control is supposed to light up isn't it? i think i'm going to have to create a "what's this?" thread for all the plugs i found behind the radio...jeesh.

[chetacheese]

well my climate control has never lit up so i wouldn't know. ahaha. i disconnected my radio and my amp. its still shorting. i have yet to find where the short may be.

[chetacheese]

i also just opened up the white box on the drivers side kick panel, and it doesnt seem like theres any burn marks or broken leads. could it still be possible that this unit is faulty?

[chetacheese]

so i have read almost every thread about a "tcu", "cluster lights out", "tail lights out", "tail light fuse blows", and still i have not exterminated the gremlin.

everyone says it could be
1. TCU- No, i just replaced it this morning.
2. Radio Harness wires are exposed or not covered-Every wire has been taped.
3. Illumination wire- Nope, I tried grounding it, i connected it to the illumination wire.
4. Harness under the driver's side fender- it rubbed a little but i split it and taped it.
5. I even tried to ground the blue/red(ill sacrafice the dimming feature), red/yellow, and even the black/green at the radio harness.

im running out of places to check and I wish it was a simple as replacing the tcu since it seems thats the most common problem.

[S-Nation S13]

my bros s14 cluster light went out and front coners at the same time the fix on his car was thr dimmer switch try checking that if not check the cluster harness could be that

[chetacheese]

alright ill check the cluster harness. but i didnt even my dimmer switch installed when it went out. I just put it back on too see if it made a difference, and nothing! should i still change it out?

[chetacheese]

checked the cluster harness and nothing looks faulty. also checked continuity, and voltage and i got 0.4.

[chetacheese]

everytime i turn the headlights on with my radio playing, the radio shorts out then the fuse. anyone know about what may link to this? i really need some help!

[Norman95]

Sorry to bring this back, but did you ever find a solution for it? My 92 coupe I just bought keeps shorting out and blowing a 15amp fuse(3rd from bottom on right side) and I got a tcu from the junk yard and same thing kept happening