dash lights and tail lights dont work! I need your help!!

[shockerman10]

i have a 1994 Eagle Summit ES, and the other day i was wiring in new rear speakers. nothing noticable happened when i wired them, because they worked fine. but i turned my head lights on and i didnt have tail lights or dash lights. when i push the breaks they work, and the revearse lights work. but my running lights dont work eather. i tried unhooking everything i did, and they still dont work. i checked all my fuses, even the ones under the dash, and none were burnt out. please help! i dont know what to do!

[slideways...]

uh oh. if no fuse is burnt then its a wire thats burnt. how did you wire in your deck? jesus i repeat this so often: DONT USE THE ILLUMINATION WIRE FROM THE CAR'S HARNESS! aftermarket decks have their own illumination powered through the deck's power wire, and if you connect it or any other wires you dont need you will burn out the tail light/dash light circuit. they should both be on the same fuse on most cars, rewire the deck, replace that fuse even if it doesnt look burnt, and if you still are having issues you then need to go wire searching.

[shockerman10]

Well where would i find that fuse? Whats it called? I dont understand what your talking about, my deck works fine. and when i installed my deck, i still had tail lights and dash lights. its when i put in new rear speakers that it went out. Which wire is the illumination wire?

[HeWhoKillz]

I have the same issue with my 93 sentra. The fuse keeps blowing when I put one in a turn the lights on. Somewhere in all the wiring there is a short or something is crossing.

[shockerman10]

well what fuse is it that keeps blowing? i cant even find a fuse that is out in my car. I'm not sure, but i dont think its a wire. I've never tracked wires before. where do i start?

[Selectron]

You'll need a wiring diagram for the vehicle, and either a basic multimeter or a 12V test lamp. If you don't have a wiring diagram then go to this thread, follow the instructions, and select your vehicle. There's a 1.5 and a 1.8 listed for the '94 ES:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=890909

Then click through to the wiring diagrams, and select the diagrams for the faulty circuits. Your dash lights are out, and some of your exterior lighting, so look first for a common factor. If you don't see one, then choose a lighting circuit - tail lights would be good, but choose whichever circuit has the easiest access.

Check first for voltage at the fuse - if that's ok then check for voltage at the lamp. If you have voltage at the fuse but not at the lamp, then start checking the points in between, to see at which point the voltage disappears.

You may find you have voltage at the fuse and also at the lamp but it still doesn't illuminate, in which case that would indicate a problem with the ground side of the circuit, so start tracing onwards through the ground side of the circuit until you find the point which has gone open-circuit.

[shockerman10]

Is their an easier way of checking this? I looked at the diagrams, and they make no sense to me. I don’t know where to find the wires, to test them for current going through them. Where can I find out where the wires run in my car?

[J-Ri]

That's the only way to do it. There are people who do this sort of stuff all day, and are so good at it they make money doing it. You amy have to give up and take it to a professional. Reading a wiring diagram is like reading anything else. You need to know how to read it to use it.

[Selectron]

Yep that's right - that's the only way to do it. If you aren't going to be able to use the wiring diagrams then you're kinda stuck. You've already checked all the fuses and, I assume, restored the speaker wiring to its original configuration. The only option left now is to go to the area where you installed the speakers, and check carefully to see if you've disturbed any other wiring. That won't necessarily be right where the speakers are, but it might be behind you where you've snagged something with your foot, or kneeled on something or pushed a toolbox aside and snagged something, etc. I think you may have pulled the main rear ground connection adrift.

If you don't find anything amiss, then as J-Ri said, you'll be looking at getting help from somebody who knows how to read a wiring diagram, and trace through a lighting circuit.

[shockerman10]

is their one wire that would run to the tail lights and back up to the dash? arent they on separate fuses. will those diagrams tell me which color wire is which? thank you for all your help. if you have any other info for me, please let me know. thank you

[J-Ri]

Originally Posted by shockerman10

is their one wire that would run to the tail lights and back up to the dash? arent they on separate fuses. will those diagrams tell me which color wire is which? thank you for all your help. if you have any other info for me, please let me know. thank you

Probably not. Dash and tail lights are almost always seperate wires, but do usually get power from the same source (headlight switch). Some are on seperate fuses, some aren't. The wiring diagrams are the best way to tell. Sometimes the owners manual or a shop manual will say what is on each fuse, but it's usually just a general label and doesn't include everything that is on the circuit. All wiring diagrams will tell you the color of the wire. They may be in black and white, but should have a label next to the wire saying what color it is. A box of crayons or markes can help if you get to a spot where there are too many wires to trace. If you find and post a wiring diagram, I'd be glad to tell you what to check first. If not part of the diagram, you'll also need a component locator unless you want to physically follow the wires to where they go.