Cluster Illumination Is Gone

[ijreed]

Ok I have a 1996 ssei and about 2 weeks ago i would get in my car and the lights for my climat control and my guages were completely off. At first i could turn on my interior lights and cut them back off and my guages and stuff would light up, but now they wont light up at all can anyone help me please.

[myfirstbonnie]

Sounds like a worn or dirty dimmer switch.

[willwren]

It might also be the occasional melted connector on the back of the headlamp switch which plagued the 95's and some 96's. I'm afraid you're going to have to dig. The cluster surround just pops out, and you should be able to figure it out from there.

[ijreed]

i will check the headlight switch, but after i pop out the cluster where is it located and how do you check the dimmer switch.

[sonoma_zr2]

the dimmer is part of the headlight switch. look for a melted connector.

[willwren]

IIRC, 96 was also an odd year where only a 96 switch will work. You may need to go to a wrecker and cut out a connector and splice it in. Assuming it's melted anyway. Otherwise, try just the switch.

[skregal]

I just fixed this on my 95. I got the switch from a 99 at a junkyard.
It is fairly straightforward to swap them out. You could see a burnt
connector on my old switch, but the harness and plug were still good.

The only difference is the twilight sentinal timer knob (that is
the inner button that spins but doesn't pull out) is different on the newer switches
and not interchangeble. So if you go to a junkyard get the knobs with the switch.

I found several 96's and 97's in the JY but looked until I found a 99 to make
sure I didn't get another bum switch.

[jpark09]

I'm having the same problem with my 98, when i took out the old switch i could tell that the back of it had melted and probably burnt up. When I put a new switch in it worked for maybe 10 mins then smoke started coming out from behind it and that one burnt up too. So my guess is that I have a short circuit somewhere, not sure if youre having the same troubles but I think ive narrowed my problem down to the wires in the steering column.