Dash Lighting And Wiring Issues

[dfk]

I was recently troubleshooting a problem with my instrument cluster (unrelated) on my 96 LS400. I checked a few interior fuses, I think fuse 5 and 7, and I removed, repaired and re-installed my instrument cluster. Then the next time I started my car, it had all these problems.

• The shifter lights never come on
• the headlights wont turn on when switched to auto
• when the headlights are switched to auto the headlight turn off and the radio/climate control lights come on
• when the headlights are switched to on the headlights turn on and the radio/climate control lights are off
• the cluster light dimmer no longer does anything (the lights are always at their brightest)

There is a mystery wire with an unusual terminal attached (it looks like a fork terminal with only 1 long prong that is folded in half. Maybe it's from an old repair?) hanging near the fuse box which is currently not connected to anything. I recall this wire being inside the fuse box when I was checking the fuses because i though was odd that there would be a lose wire inside the fuse box. I'm wondering it may have disconnected from somewhere when I was pulling the fuses, but I can find anything to plug it in to and I'm not even sure if it was connected to anything in the first place.

This is the first time I've worked on the electronics in the interior of a car. Is it normal to have seemingly unaffiliated wires hanging around, because there are several others with different terminals on them. Also on the back of the instrument cluster bezel (the part with the instrument cluster dimmer switch and odometer buttons) some of the wires appear to be taped together. I'm wondering if the car underwent some makeshift repairs to the wiring.

Anyway, does anybody have any idea if these relays and lights that are malfunctioning are on the same circuit or if they are related to this mystery wire?

[Exhaustgases]

Funky wires added to the fuse box maybe the dealer install of the dealer optioned cell phone. Did your car ever have that?

Strange problems after fixing something electrical? Did you disconnect the battery before fiddling with the cluster? The only electrical fixes that can be done with the battery still connected are the lights.

If you didn't disconnect the battery then maybe one of the multiple ecu's for what ever isn't working right has been ruined.

[billydpowell]

I think I would recheck my plug in connectors also..

[dfk]

Thanks for the replies. It was indeed a connector in the back of the bezel that I missed when I re-installed the cluster. I found some wiring diagrams and it turn turns out all of the malfunctioning parts including the auto headlights go through the dimmer switch. I feel a little silly, but I'm glad it was something simple. Thanks again.

[sha4000]

That's great that it was something simple.