my 91 civic hatch is having a problem with gauge cluster lights...
they go off/on at their own accord...will stay out for days, even weeks sometimes, then suddenly they're working again. I have noticed sometimes they'll go on/off when I hit a bump, so thought it might be loose connection or something but sometimes just sitting at a light they'll go on/off. I have noticed that even if they're working fine for a couple weeks, they will not work once cool weather sets in until it warms up...strange. Also recently the lights near the heater controls (only part of them) sometimes work and other times don't???
do you think it could be a switch going bad or a short or what? Its been going on for about a year or more now, is getting worse though.

 

doesn't anyone have a clue? please?

 

it could possibly be a short in a wir oing directly into tha lights, but it could also be as easy as a loose wire or ground cuz even at idle there is still vibrations.

 

My 92 Civic started doing that again. I replace the dimmer switch because that a point where power comes from for everything that goes out. Sorry, not fimiliar with the 91 (although my kids 89 has a little knob for dimming) I don't know where the wiring patches through to the guages. Just look in a manual at the wiring diagram and you should find it.

 

Easy. When the lights go out, take your fist and slam it on the dash. The lights usually come back on. :chuckles:

I never have figured this one out, it's a wiring gremlin a lot of older Hondas seem to get.

 

i have the same deal with my 91 civic. i just hit on the dash and they come back on. as for the heater controls...i just recently figured out they were supposed to light up...the bulbs were burnt out from the time i got it.

 

I've had this problem in a '92 Integra, and have seen it in a couple 92-95 Civics... hell, I think my old '86 Accord did it too.

Wires came loose... the problem is which wire.

 

I have tried hitting the dash (and other areas around it) hoping for a quick fix and either I need to go to the gym and get buff 1st...or it doesn't fix the problem. I had my uncle who's a mechanic (not very familiar with Hondas though) take apart the top part of the dash to see if there was a loose wire and behind the plastic cover it doesn't seem that there are any obvious wires there, it looks like a grid (green with tons of little (circuits? dotty things) on it like when you open up a radio, but nothing seemed loose. Does anyone think it could be a switch? if so which one could it be? Glad to know I'm not alone but its still annoying not to be able to see the gauges at night :rant:...

 

That's a PCB... printed circuit board. The only thing that could really be wrong with that would be a cold solder joint, and I've never heard of such a problem in Honda cars. If you want to learn more about cold solder joints and electrical shit just plain not working, I invite you to buy an 86-91 RX-7. h:
It is most likely not a switch. My guess would be a loose wire in one of the clip connectors. I've seen an Accord's parking lights crap out because of something like that.Once upon a time, many years ago, I had a friend who's VW Cabriolet's cluster lights didn't work.

You know how he fixed them?



...he put a little flashlight infront of it. :chuckles:

 

now "cold" that I understand cause that seems to be the 1st thing that knocks out the lights, even when they've been working for a while, as soon as the cooler weather hits (even morning or cooler evening air and anything cooler than that) they don't work and then when it warms up sometimes they come on, sometimes they don't...so you mean a solder connection on the board is not connecting somehow? and how would I know if its the clip connectors, where are they? That "sounds" easier than the solder thing at least?


now that flashlight thing sounds pretty ghetto, but it may be my only option if I can't get this figured out...