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dash lights not working '96 200sx Forums > > dash lights not working '96 200sx dash lights not working '96 200sx
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Old 12-03-2016, 12:09 PM
Kevin2341 Kevin2341 is offline
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1996 200SX
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
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Default dash lights not working '96 200sx

I'm trying to fix the dash lights in my 96 200sx. Originally I had read that the first place I should check is the dimmer switch and so that's where I headed...

I pulled it out, got the module disconnected, and I started probing the dimmer switch itself to see if I could see a change in resistance with the switch (I figure it's probably just a rheostat). I am guessing that this was the issue initially, but now I have a bigger problem at hand (I think). I probed the voltage on the V+ and GND wires on the connector and initially it read the battery voltage. I don't know if I tugged a wire or broke the connector or something, but now this connector only reads a few millivolts rather than the battery voltage. Furthermore, probing continuity between V+, GND, and the output, my DMM is telling me that they're all connected. I figure something is shorted\grounded, but I really have no idea how to look around to fix it because I cannot find the schematic I need to be able to tell how this dog gone thing works.

Here's what I've done since, today I removed the connector from my turn signal\headlight switch. As I would have expected, this caused my headlights to stop working, and it also causes the connector to the dimmer switch to read 0v all the time instead of 0.003v (3mV). So I know that this tells me that these wires must be

I was initially hoping to remove the cowling under the steering wheel to see if I could trace the wires, but there is just too much stuff in there to be able to effectively do this. I'm not really sure where to go past the headlight switch.

If I had to guess, I'd say that the dash lights are wired up as:
  1. Battery (+) --> headlight switch --> dimmer switch --> dashlights --> Ground
  2. Battery(+) --> headlight switch --> dimmer switch --> PWM Module --> dashlights --> ground

The first one being a simple lightbulb and the second being one with an LED. Speaking of which, I'm fairly certain that the lightbulb isn't out (it could've been the initial issue, but now I'm dealing with what seems to be a short to ground).

Anyone have any advice or suggestions for schematics? I've looked up and down the electrical system pdf but I haven't found anything in that that really shows me what I'm looking for.
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Old 12-04-2016, 10:15 AM
smj999smj's Avatar
smj999smj smj999smj is offline
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2006 Pathfinder
2003 Frontier King Cab
2003 Frontier KC SVE 4x4
 
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I believe there is a separate section for "lighting" in the factory service manual. If you do some searching, you should be able to find a full manual download. NicoClub.com has full service manuals for download, so you may want to check there.
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