2017 Civic Si Coupe console, footwell, HVAC lighting not working..

[TonyTheTiger57]

It looks like I need to figure out how to test the Dash Light Brightness Controller. It does work, it dims the door switches, upper console, dash, radio. But the console switches, ambient lighting on the console and floor do not light up, in which the floor ambient lighting plugs into the console lighting. I bypassed those lights and plugged directly into the HVAC to eliminate any fault there. Looks like a taillight relay could be an issue after looking through wiring diagrams...but I don't have any issue of malfunction in the taillights or any other system on the car. I seem to have the issue on the LT Blue wire.. this wire seems to fall back to this Dash Light Brightness Controller, the black long knob that comes out of the cluster. If I turn this brightness all the way down, it goes to the tiniest possible light output barely seen to the eye.. That is what these malfunctioning switches are putting out.. so there is SOME type of light output, its just so minimum that you have to turn the headlight switch on and off in order to see the difference.

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[Doc_Mello]

Good traceback. But why would the dimmer suddenly go out? Seems like there are two circuits that tie into the dimmer, yeah?

 

[jayman84]

It looks like I need to figure out how to test the Dash Light Brightness Controller. It does work, it dims the door switches, upper console, dash, radio. But the console switches, ambient lighting on the console and floor do not light up, in which the floor ambient lighting plugs into the console lighting. I bypassed those lights and plugged directly into the HVAC to eliminate any fault there. Looks like a taillight relay could be an issue after looking through wiring diagrams...but I don't have any issue of malfunction in the taillights or any other system on the car. I seem to have the issue on the LT Blue wire.. this wire seems to fall back to this Dash Light Brightness Controller, the black long knob that comes out of the cluster. If I turn this brightness all the way down, it goes to the tiniest possible light output barely seen to the eye.. That is what these malfunctioning switches are putting out.. so there is SOME type of light output, its just so minimum that you have to turn the headlight switch on and off in order to see the difference.

Is the ambient lighting the stock one's from Honda? Not sure if you installed it or it was already on it when you got it but. You may have already done this but I would check over how it was installed to make sure everything is connected and tapped in properly, maybe something came loose and isn't connected fully causing it to be dim. Seems like all the lights that are dim are in close proximity to each other.

 

[TonyTheTiger57]

I installed it months ago. TO tell you the truth, the system worked fine for months, but I don't know when it stopped working, sometime recently. I did go through and check, but that system is plug and play, no special splices. I unplugged anything aftermarket that I did, OEM Footwell lights, & Door LED kit, nothing changed. The door LED kit works fine. the doors dim properly, bright and low, so does my upper center console. I do have a question, Does your little LED light in the upper center console go bright and dim when you twist the dimmer switch?

 

[TonyTheTiger57]

Does anyone know where drivers Junction A is located?

 

[TonyTheTiger57]

I fixed it! I had a bad connection in my gauge cluster! I feel like I have never seen my HVAC and VSA light up before… I’m not sure how long these lights were not working. Maybe they never worked since I owned the car..

 

[Doc_Mello]

Marathon dx!

What was your whole process? What led you to the gauge cluster? Seems like a really odd and rare issue.

 

[TonyTheTiger57]

The wiring diagrams that you recommended me to. I tested for power with my multimeter while switching on and off the headlight switch. The blue wire had voltage on it at every switch in the console. So it was on the ground side that I had some type of open. Well the plug for all of those wires ended up being the junction A. so I pulled the cluster, took the cluster apart plugged it in with the screen only in hand so I had more room to move the cluster around. When I touched the plug, my center lights came on. This cluster plug enters the female plug connection on the instrument cluster at a 90 degree angle and has a lot of stress on it. When I used a jumper wire and touched 15 and 16 together the center console lit up. I guess over time something came loose. I ended up soldering line 15 and line 16 together and bypassed the chipset. Everything works great. My OEM added on door lights, floor lights, and all works, goes dim and bright. I kinda feel like that my center console lights never worked... I can't recall seeing them on in the 6 months that I owned this car. i do have an issue with the BRAKE HOLD lighting up, when I wiggle the plug the light blinks.

 

[vzdragon]

Sounds like a grounding issue to me. Have you torn apart the center console to do any shifter mods?

This sounds like something that's happening to me as well. I just noticed my footwell lights aren't working either. I did take apart the center console for a shifter upgrade, but i just noticed it now, I don't know how long these lights have not been working. Is there a diagram I could look at or could you guide me on where i should be looking for a potential grounding issue? Assuming i dont have to take apart the gauge cluster like OP did

 

[SDAlexander8]

This sounds like something that's happening to me as well. I just noticed my footwell lights aren't working either. I did take apart the center console for a shifter upgrade, but i just noticed it now, I don't know how long these lights have not been working. Is there a diagram I could look at or could you guide me on where i should be looking for a potential grounding issue? Assuming i dont have to take apart the gauge cluster like OP did

I’m not a mechanic and my electrical knowledge is pretty crappy. But I did install fog lights on an LX I had back in 2016. I remember there being a couple places under the footwell where they had a bunch of grounding cables all coming together at a single bolt.

Contorting your body to get under there with a flashlight is not fun.

Oh, I also installed a wireless charger in that car. Everything was plug n play, but i think it did have a ground wire I had to shove under one of those bolts.

 

[vzdragon]

I’m not a mechanic and my electrical knowledge is pretty crappy. But I did install fog lights on an LX I had back in 2016. I remember there being a couple places under the footwell where they had a bunch of grounding cables all coming together at a single bolt.

Contorting your body to get under there with a flashlight is not fun.

Oh, I also installed a wireless charger in that car. Everything was plug n play, but i think it did have a ground wire I had to shove under one of those bolts.

Any other thoughts on what it could be? I installed the shifter and never saw any wires outside of the connectors for the buttons. Unsure if I yanked something out when I took out the ac panel.

 

[TonyTheTiger57]

This sounds like something that's happening to me as well. I just noticed my footwell lights aren't working either. I did take apart the center console for a shifter upgrade, but i just noticed it now, I don't know how long these lights have not been working. Is there a diagram I could look at or could you guide me on where i should be looking for a potential grounding issue? Assuming i dont have to take apart the gauge cluster like OP did

Is it only your footwell lights not working? Does your HVAC knobs light up still?

 

[vzdragon]

Is it only your footwell lights not working? Does your HVAC knobs light up still?

Yeah just footwell everything else works fine. Do you know where that light is located?

I tried checking the mounting spots for the OEM ambient light kit that is supposed to have a hole drilled into the under covers for the passenger and driver but there's nothing there. I looked all over and can't find any light. I might be going crazy but I have no clue where the light could be. I might never of had one.

Any ideas for me?

 

[TonyTheTiger57]

Do you have aftermarket footwell lighting or are the OEM? They are a simple system.

 

[vzdragon]

Do you have aftermarket footwell lighting or are the OEM? They are a simple system.

I'm guessing it's OEM? I have no idea where the light for it is. Do you mind sending me the fuse diagram or the part diagram for it? I looked all over tinder the glove box and driver dash and couldn't find a single light for the foot well

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