Doubtless

My dash lights are out, along with my sider markers and heater light ups. Checked the fuses and none of them are burnt out I even replaced them.

My tail lights still work and my blinkers as well, even the "shift up" light works.

Help?

LunchboxCritter

iTrader: (9)

Satch where are you?

satch

iTrader: (1)

I'm still trying to figure out what "heater light ups" are as well as if the car is an S4, S5 or S4.5

Doubtless

^ the gauges and stuff for the heater to switch it from warmer or colder.
S4

satch

iTrader: (1)

1. Are all the side markers out (both front and back)?
2. Do the front parking lights lights work?
3. Do the license plate lights work?
4. Does the glove box light work?
5. If you have the storage boxes behind the seats do their lights work?

Doubtless

All the side markers are out.
Parking lights are out too
License plate lights don't work
Glove box light doesn't work either
don't have a storage box.

satch

iTrader: (1)

When you say the tail lights work are you possibly confusing them with the brake lights? I say this because the tail lights, side marker lights, parking lights, license plate lights, and glove box light all feed off of the same voltage wire.

Doubtless

^ yeah haha, my brake lights work.

satch

iTrader: (1)

So your brake lights work but not the tail lights. Is this correct? If so, then your headlight switch and or harness for this switch is damaged.

Doubtless

^yeah tail lights don't work. Would it change anything if i said my headlights work?
How would I fix that?

satch

iTrader: (1)

Nope. If you disconnected the switch from its harness you would likely see burn marks at the contact points or a damaged harness somewhere along the wires. This problem is very common. The switch "might" be repairable.

Are you certain the 15 amp Illumination fuse is good?

Doubtless

^ what happens if its not repairable? how would i fix a very common problem?

yeah I'm pretty sure, we even switched out the fuse as well.

satch

iTrader: (1)

There's a relay inside that probably went belly up. There are a few members on this board who repair them, Pele is one of them. Purchasing a used one is an option as well as buying a new one. If the problem was limited to the switch a rewiring of sorts could provide power to the lights which are currently dark. Usually a faulty switch leads to a damaged harness so both are usually replaced.

The best way to check the condition of the fuse is via a continuity test. If the fuse is in the fuse box there are two metal nubs on the outside where the amperage size of the fuse is printed to help test for continuity. If the fuse is pulled then the pins could be used to test for continuity.

freemanrx7

I had smiliar problem a few years back. Turned out to be a burnt wire connector behind the dash.

Wire connector = 10 wires/connected together by white plastic piece. Pulling the connector apart I could see black burn marks. Replaced that with a used plastic piece from the junkyard. Just my exp...

Doubtless

[Edit] Oh shoot, I didn't even see your post^ yeah same problem?

alright i found my problem.
Looks like i need a new wires, a wire is also fried, its not shown in the picture. Whats this called?
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5857/dsc00208oy.jpg

and a new light switch thing. Whats this called?
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/6116/dsc00209mw.jpg
doesn't show it in the picture but the connector is fried too

freemanrx7

Yeah same exact problem. I just clipped the wires a few inches back and replaced the connector. You can find one in a junkyard for cheap. If the wire is burnt further just follow it till the next connector and replace if you can otherwise try just replacing the connector

I just replaced the connector and never had a problem again with that issue.

Doubtless

^the wire burnt out right next to the connector fortunately, but with my luck the connector thats on the switch is burnt out too, and to make it better, one of the screws on the switch is stripped so I need a new switch console thing.

freemanrx7

Junkyard is your friend. Replace the whole connector thats what I did.

Doubtless

^are rx7s common in junkyards? i feel like everyone would have gotten to them already, and we're having a blizzard here so its gonna have to wait sadly.

Pele

iTrader: (28)

And this is how I get advertisement without actually advertising for myself.

Yup, it is a common problem:
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/headlight-switch-plug-928274/
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/headlight-switch-harness-burn-help-878824/
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/dash-lights-died-did-research-found-issue-pics-included-850093/
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/burnt-out-headlight-switch-587102/
https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-gen-archive-72/heavy-duty-light-switch-operation-how-too-prevent-burnout-164931/

According to Icemark (RIP), the problem is due to corrosion in the exterior marker lights. The corrosion causes more current to be needed to light the exterior bulbs.

I've also run into overloaded interior lighting systems where someone has misused the stereo illumination wire or stuck a bunch of "mood lighting" under the dash.

Regardless, the increased current draw heats up a cold solder joint inside the switch and toasts the White w/ Green stripe wire.

The fix is two parts.

1.) Add the relay to the harness per the threads above.
2.) Repair the cold solder joint inside the switch.

Without doing BOTH of these, you risk damaging another harness and/or switch.

I like to use 4 wire relay sockets. Cleaner than using spade crimp on terminals and makes relay replacement easier. But they can be hard to find.

Sometimes a slightly burned harness can be saved too... Just make sure the white/green wire isn't burned to crap and holding on by one strand... Bend it around a little and see if the insulation is crispy or if it's still flexible like the other wires. You usually can't get the pin out of the melted connector, so that wire needs to be attached securely.

I've seen them where they burn so bad that they take out the adjacent wires.

Held on by one strand or completely separated are trashed harnesses, but if you're creative with heat shrink, you can make up for crispy insulation...

TeamFervor'sSavannah

Just did this two days ago, replaced the harness and the switch, turned out to be both =P

Harness burned, switch broken. After two months, I has illumination!

The only real trouble I found, was replacing the harness.

Be careful pulling your ***** out.

Pele

iTrader: (28)

^ Harness can be easily modified to take the load off the switch and off of that white/green wire. Check the threads I posted. One has a write up on how to add a relay to the harness that will preserve a good harness and good switch for years to come.

I honestly think that EVERYONE should do that mod if their switch is working currently...It's easy to do and it's cheap and it insures that your switch will NEVER have this problem.

I throw it in for an additional $10 when I do up someone's switch.

If your harness wasn't too crispy, you could have salvaged it.

TeamFervor'sSavannah

I haven't thrown it away. It looks like a typical electrical burn on one of the pins.

Pele

iTrader: (28)

Right... The wire that goes to that burned pin... It's white with a green stripe.

Is it still attached to the pin securely?
Bend it a little near the pin. Is the white/green plastic coming off?