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Anyone knowledge-able about 1998 Nissan Frontier wiring

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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
A few days ago the instrument lights quit working in my 98 Nissan Frontier. It was awesome considering this happened at about 11PM and I was about 60 miles from home. Anyway, since then I checked every fuse under the steering column and under the hood. I don't know of any other fuses to check. All the fuses were fine. I refered to my Chilton's manual and it said the next step would be to remove the instrument cluster and check for proper grounding. I'm afraid that removing and replacing the instruments will take me the better part of a day, time I don't really have right now. Anyone have any other ideas or advice before I start in on this endeavor?
May 13 2010 7:07PM
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pomme-de-terre
Posts: 3915 - Karma: 703
did you just check the fuses to see if they were blown? or did you actually try a new fuse in the spot for the dash lights to see if it worked or not?

you probably just blew a fuse and cant tell by visually looking at it.
May 13 2010 7:53PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
I just pulled the fuses and visually inspected them. The other problem I ran into is I'm not sure which fuse it would be, there is no fuse labeled instrument panel cluster or anything like that so I checked every fuse that I wasn't sure what it was for. I would also assume that the gauges and light would be on the same fuse and the gauges still work so maybe there is a burnt out light under the dash?
May 13 2010 8:08PM
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Click_Here
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 14

step 1. disconect the negative side of the battery

2 wait 5 minutes,

3 hook it back up

disconecting the battery basically resets the vehicles computer system. if that doesent work youll havwe to look for breaks in the wiring harness. try that and see if it works, if not pm me

May 13 2010 8:31PM
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pomme-de-terre
Posts: 3915 - Karma: 703
i know on my truck there is a cover over the fuse box, and on the inside of that cover there is a diagram that shows what each fuse goes to. its printed in reverse so you just hold up the cover next to the fuse box, and everything corresponds.

you may/may not have that, but couldnt you check in the cars manual or something to find a fuse diagram?


it could also be a burnt out bulb. but i think most cars have more than one bulb back there to light the whole panel. i highly doubt that it is wiring harness break or something of that nature unless you have taken the dash/instrument panel apart and moved shit around before.
May 13 2010 8:39PM
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Click_Here
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 14
loose connections happen man.  depending on where he lives, beleive it or not, salt on roads, corrodes the insulation on wires, no matter where they are.
May 13 2010 9:06PM
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toominator
Posts: 4792 - Karma: 120
Have a look around here for your specific model, might be able to find the wiring diagram or fuse box diagram.

http://nissan4u.com/parts/frontier/
May 13 2010 9:15PM
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
just a thought but did you check to make sure you didn't accidentally hit the dimmer all the way down? that would at least explain no lights and no blown fuses
May 13 2010 9:26PM
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Click_Here
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 14
if thats the case, i will be giving a facepalm
May 13 2010 9:29PM
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
i know i've switched the dome light on in my truck (which is a part of the dimmer switch) at night and when i switched it off i just slammed the thing to the bottom, took a minute like "wtf my lights are off" and then realized why. shit can happen to the best of us, or just idiots like me
May 13 2010 9:31PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
The dimmer was the first thing I tried. I have a schematic of what fuse controls what, like I said none of them are labeled anything like "dash lights, instrument panel cluster, etc..." I think its a bulb within the panel that is burned out. I asked a guy at the auto parts store and he said usually that light is on the head light circuit because when you turn your headlights on the dash light comes on. Makes sense, and the headlights work, the fuse is fine so I think something is burned out under the dash. Whether its a bulb, a relay, or a loose ground I don't know but Im not at all stoked about pulling the dash apart.
May 14 2010 12:53AM
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Click_Here
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 14
it actuall not that bad. i used to do body work for a big construction company. heres the trick. when you take out screws, put them in a ziplock and label them wherever they came from, i.e top of dash. and lay the pieces on the ground in the order you took them out. good luck though
May 14 2010 8:51AM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
Thanks for the advice everybody. I just talked to a guy I trust who owns a wrecking yard, I buy parts from him and he has worked on my pickup before. He told me that usually there is a circuit breaker built onto the light switch (dimmer switch or headlight switch). Makes sense that I couldnt find the fuse because there isn't one. He said to check the dimmer switch first, hopefully I can get it out without tearing my dash apart.
May 14 2010 12:04PM
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toominator
Posts: 4792 - Karma: 120
circut breakers usually reset themselves though. I'm pretty sure there is a fuse for the dash lights. Its not that big a deal to take the dash out though. Have you tried replacing all the fuses with one that you know works? ie take a working 15A fuse and put it into all of the 15A locations. Sometimes you won't be able to visually see if the fuse is blown. Happened to me a couple of times before and it's a pain in the ass, but better than pulling the dash off
May 14 2010 9:03PM
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Caveman.
Posts: 9067 - Karma: 330
I already pulled the dash off and all the lights behind the instrument panel are fine. I'm pretty sure its a bad circuit breaker or bad connection somewhere because my tail lights also don't work. The way it was explained to me, the headlights, instrument lights, and tail lights are all on the same circuit with the dimmer switch for your instrument lights inline. That way when you turn your headlights on the power goes through the whole loop. I have a wiring schematic and a multimeter, it looks like I'll be spending my Saturday trying to figure this out. I drove 50 miles out to my girl friends last night with no tail lights and I duct taped my headlamp to my steering console so I could see the speedometer. Good temporary fix and if I had tail lights I would be tempted to leave it like that.
May 15 2010 11:14AM
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