Center dash panel lights out

[keymaster]

I have lost the lights on the center dash, including the lights on the radio buttons and climate control. It's probably related to the boost gauge that I wired in; I tapped the line for the dimmer switch to do that. When I remove the tap, I don't get the lights back. I haven't found a blown fuse yet, but I may just not have found the right fuse. Everything else seems to be working except my auto dimming mirror, and I think that is also due to the tapped boost gauge wire...I'm going to have to tap a different wire for this and look at everything. It's a bit disturbing that nothing comes back when I unplug all the wires though, that makes me worry a bit.

Anyways, any advice is welcome. Thanks.

 

[SteveJ]

What was the color of the wire you tapped, and exactly where did you tap it?
I have the 2006 wiring diagrams. I don't think the 2007 varied that much.

 

[keymaster]

If you look in the how-to section, there is a post that I put up about the auto dimming compass mirror I added in. I tapped off of the power wire in that (a blue with red stripe), and off of the ground wire; I figured I might as well just use the same wires again. For the dimmer switch, I could only use the green wire, on the voltmeter that was the only wire that came up with power when the ignition was on. The boost gauge works fine so that was the right way to wire it, but it's messing with the center dash lights, and the auto dimming and compass on the mirror don't work anymore (though the Homelink function still does). I'm out of town right now, when I get back and some time I'm planning to strip it all out and run a new wire or two out of the fuse box, and find a better ground spot, those two things right there will probably help some.

I'd still like to understand why it doesn't all go back when I unplug the tapped wires, that makes me think I just haven't found a blown fuse yet...

 

[SteveJ]

You may have blown a fuse. I see two going to the microcomputer. You might have damaged a wire depending upon how you tapped into it. I couldn't find a green wire on the instrument cluster wiring diagrams. That means it changed for 2007, or it doesn't go to the instrument cluster.

 

[keymaster]

Finally fixed this today. I did blow the dash illumination fuse (it's in the fuse box in the engine bay). The wiring issues that I was having all went away when I used a higher quality wire tap, the first ones I used were crap and only making intermittent connections because they didn't break through the wire case completely. It all appears solid now.

 

[Mortarman3172]

is the fuse that goes to th auto dimming mirror also in the engine bay?

 

[keymaster]

Heh, I saw this after your other post on the topic...I don't know, and I'm not at home so I can't check the manual. Look in there for the fuses, it should list which one goes to the auto dimming mirror. If you didn't find it in the kick panel then it's probably one of the ones under the hood.