Today's lesson, boys and girls, is: never overlook the obvious.
Yesterday I removed my Aspire SE instrument cluster in order to paint the needles with luminous paint. I also removed the blue rubber covers on the light bulbs, for more brightness. Especially useful for the odometer and trip odo.
Upon reinstalling, first I checked the lights by plugging in the black plug on the rear of the cluster. Good lights. I then finished installing the cluster.
Yesterday evening I went to my mother's house for a good dinner. I drove there during daylight, so the lights weren't on. When I left, my cluster lights were super-dim, basically useless, and also HVAC and radio lights were not working.
I got home anyway, and this morning pulled the cluster and checked the individual bulbs and fuses; all good of course. Stared at the rear of the cluster for awhile, then went to the forum and did a search on the problem. This led me to the dimmer switch, but that seems way too coincidental that it would have gone out yesterday of all days.
I plugged the black plug in, turned on the parking lights, then turned the dimmer switch. Cluster lights! Also HVAC and radio. Apparently after checking that the lights were good during the initial install, I must have moved the dimmer switch to the off position with my arm, while wrestling the cluster back in.
I hope you all enjoyed today's lesson and had a good laugh with/at me.
Yesterday I removed my Aspire SE instrument cluster in order to paint the needles with luminous paint. I also removed the blue rubber covers on the light bulbs, for more brightness. Especially useful for the odometer and trip odo.
Upon reinstalling, first I checked the lights by plugging in the black plug on the rear of the cluster. Good lights. I then finished installing the cluster.
Yesterday evening I went to my mother's house for a good dinner. I drove there during daylight, so the lights weren't on. When I left, my cluster lights were super-dim, basically useless, and also HVAC and radio lights were not working.
I got home anyway, and this morning pulled the cluster and checked the individual bulbs and fuses; all good of course. Stared at the rear of the cluster for awhile, then went to the forum and did a search on the problem. This led me to the dimmer switch, but that seems way too coincidental that it would have gone out yesterday of all days.
I plugged the black plug in, turned on the parking lights, then turned the dimmer switch. Cluster lights! Also HVAC and radio. Apparently after checking that the lights were good during the initial install, I must have moved the dimmer switch to the off position with my arm, while wrestling the cluster back in.
I hope you all enjoyed today's lesson and had a good laugh with/at me.
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