90 Accord marker/tail lights not working

[adrenalin26]

I have a 90 Honda Accord and can't figure out why the lights aren't working. I have no computer codes and all the fuses are good. The headlights, brake, turn signal lights, hazards and interior lights work fine but the tail lights, license plate lights, and all marker lights won't go on. I only noticed by a chance walk around on the car. I've checked every fuse inside and outside fuse panels. The hazards and brake lights going on makes me think that it can't be a ground problem.
I have spent a lot of time trying different things and checking wires andd fuses and can't find any problems. Is there a relay or something for the marker lights? Any help is very very appreciated. Not sure where to go from here.
Thanks,
Tony

[Greenblurr93]

i had that problem in my civic.... it ended up being a fuse.... what i did was pull EVERY fuse one by one and check them, is that how u checked yours?

[adrenalin26]

No I didn't pull them all out. I'll try that tomorrow morning. I pulled the likely ones out and switched them with new ones. Was it the underhood fuse panel or the one under the steering wheel that had the bad fuse?

[casperGSR]

if it's not a fuse problem you might try getting a wire diagram of the taillights and turn signals and see how everything is wired in and if there's a possibility of there being a short in the wiring.

[adrenalin26]

I pulled out all the fuses and they were all fine. I tried getting a wiring diagram too. My Hanes book has terrible ones and I couldn't fine much on the net. Any ideas of where to get one showing the lights? Could there be a short that would cause the lights to blink but not stay on with the switch? I thought that if they went on with the hazards and brakes that the wiring would be OK.

[casperGSR]

I doubt all the bulbs would go out at the same time but just in case check the bulbs... they're all dual filament so one of the filaments may have gone in each one though it's highly doubtful because usually when one of the filaments go in those bulbs the running lights will work but it won't get any brighter when you apply the brakes, I'll see if I can find a decent wiring diagram and see if a short is a possibility.

[adrenalin26]

OK, I'll try that too. There are 4 tail lights, 4 front markers, and 2 license plate lights that aren't working. The odds are pretty unlikely but I'll try anything. This is the weirdest car problem I have ever had and I've had some odd ones. At least with Honda the car still runs when something breaks.
I took out the relay or breaker that is in the Hood compartment fuse panel marked 'Lighting' and the headlights wouldn't go on. Is there a similar thing for the other lights that might have burned out? I figure that this has got to be something simple.

[AccordCodger]

My guess is that the ashtray light, glovebox light and passenger vanity light don't work either, right?.

The whole lot (including the ones you listed) are controlled (of course) throught he lighting switch, and fuse 23 (15 amp). All the ones you listed as working are on other fuses.

Right now, if fuse 23 is good, I'd say you have a bad lighting switch.

[BNR34_V-SpecII]

my best guess is that probably the fuses or the bulbs.

[adrenalin26]

Well, thanks for the help but it's not the fuses or the bulbs. I checked every fuse and every bulb and they are all fine.

[adrenalin26]

Fuse 23 is a good idea but the interior lights, ashtray light, glovebox light, vanity mirror light, dash board lights and cigarette lighter lights all work fine. The fuse is fiune too. I even checked the wires going to the fuse to see if they were loose. That's why I didn't notice right away. Car is totally normal in the interior, the headlights work fine and so do the tail lights. Only by fluke that I happened to notice that the tail lights weren't on. Then I noticed that the front 2 lights and the licence plate lights weren't on either.
Is there a lighting switch (in the fuse panel not sure what it's called. relay, switch or breaker?) for just the outside marker lights? I noticed one for the headlights and there are a bunch above the inside fuse panel under the dash.

[adrenalin26]

ACCORDCODGER, where is the lighting switch? Do you mean the turn signal arm that turns the lights on or is there on like there is for the headlights?
This car is killing me. 2 months and I haven't been able to figure it out.

[AccordCodger]

yes - it's the turn/light switch. But that energizes the astray and glovebox light circuits too. So it they work, it's not the switch.

My (Chilton) schematic shows no relays (which is the word you're searching for) for the side/marker lights.

[adrenalin26]

It was my daytime running light relay. Same problems with these as with the Master relays. The solder contacts aren't very good. I took it out re-soldered all the connections, put it back in and the lights were perfect again. The DRL relay under the dash, on the left side of the car, near to the door. Easy fix. Take it out re-soler it and put it back. If anyone has intermitent satrting problems with the Accords, you can do the same thing with the master relay. I did that too and it's been almost 2 years and no more problems.

[drjackcv]

Excellent thread. Right answer, I'm sure. My DLR has been intermittant since I bought the car a year ago. Last week a friend followed me home and reported that the tail lights were not working, though brake and signals were all OK. The next day the tail lights were working OK, and have not had a glitch since. I had to pull and solder the DLR relay on my last little Honda. Easy (once you had the little box out from under the dash - that was an ordeal to reach up to it, push it upward on its slider enough to disengage it. Probably not so difficult if you are a fit and trim little Japanese mechanic, but gruesome for this white boy lying on my back on the floor with my head hitting the gas pedal.) The board itself slid right out of its plastic box, and the bad solders were easy to spot and solder up. Thanks to all of you. I'll find that master relay, too, while I'm at it.