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  #1  
Old 09-11-2007, 11:19 PM
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My lights are out that illuminate my instrument panel.

My lights are out that illuminate my instrument panel even when I turn on the headlights! The other lights work just the ones that illuminate the gages. Is all black when I am driving at night (because it is dark at night) except for the blue light showing the headlights are bright! The little push button on the headlight switch that will make the clock light brighter when the head lights are on also does not work. The clock light stays bright all the time. No bright dim control. On the transmission shifter the lights that show what gear I have it in also do not work. either This all happened at the same time. Could it be a fuse or relay or what and which one??? Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Keith
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  #2  
Old 09-11-2007, 11:21 PM
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It is odd that the "bright" control does not work.

However, when this happened in my car (that is, ALL the illumination lights stopped working), it was because the Time Control Unit was fried. I'm guessing yours probably died too.
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Old 09-12-2007, 12:47 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomake Wan View Post
It is odd that the "bright" control does not work.

However, when this happened in my car (that is, ALL the illumination lights stopped working), it was because the Time Control Unit was fried. I'm guessing yours probably died too.
What is a time control unit?
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Old 09-12-2007, 04:04 AM
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It's a black box bolted up behind the glovebox. Part 11, Detail E in the drawing here:



There was a whole huge thread where Trevor and others walked me through testing the unit.

http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=39165

Check that out, see if you can't get yourself some rigged-up illumination.
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  #5  
Old 09-12-2007, 04:59 AM
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It's possible the bulbs burned out or a part of the printing plates on the back of the instrument panel are bad....You really may have to remove the instrument panel and look at the back of it.....This has happened to me in the past and it showed I had a burnt circuit....If you can access my locker to view pics....I have pics in there.
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Old 09-12-2007, 05:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by msvx95 View Post
It's possible the bulbs burned out or a part of the printing plates on the back of the instrument panel are bad....You really may have to remove the instrument panel and look at the back of it.....This has happened to me in the past and it showed I had a burnt circuit....If you can access my locker to view pics....I have pics in there.

He said the shifter lights went out too....I'd go with the Time Control Unit
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Old 09-12-2007, 10:13 AM
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Yes, my shifter lights were exactly the problem in mine...PRND321 never illuminated...it was simply my printing plate, not the bulbs or time control unit.





Sorry bottom pic is blurry, but there was my problem.
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Old 09-12-2007, 10:15 AM
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You're thinking the wrong shift lights. He said that the illumination on the shifter itself does not come on, which is what happened in my car, which is why we're suggesting Time Control Unit.
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  #9  
Old 09-12-2007, 01:37 PM
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correct!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomake Wan View Post
You're thinking the wrong shift lights. He said that the illumination on the shifter itself does not come on, which is what happened in my car, which is why we're suggesting Time Control Unit.
Thanks soooooooooo much!!
Keith
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  #10  
Old 09-13-2007, 05:24 AM
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ok you mean in between the seats, those lights on the shifter itself? I read above he said instrument panel
Alright, mine above were the lights in between the speedo and tach.
Well if you ever have the problem I had, you know where to look....
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  #11  
Old 09-13-2007, 05:28 AM
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I believe there's also a bulb down there to light up the shifter? Maybe it's just blown out like it is on my car.
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  #12  
Old 09-13-2007, 05:49 AM
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There is...I believe I saw it on the diagram from subaruparts.com
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  #13  
Old 09-13-2007, 05:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Manarius View Post
I believe there's also a bulb down there to light up the shifter? Maybe it's just blown out like it is on my car.
Combined with the rest of his post, it's very doubtful that the bulb in the shifter AND all the bulbs in the backlight illumination blew at once.

Thus, again, Time Control Unit.
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  #14  
Old 09-13-2007, 06:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomake Wan View Post
It is odd that the "bright" control does not work.

However, when this happened in my car (that is, ALL the illumination lights stopped working), it was because the Time Control Unit was fried. I'm guessing yours probably died too.
Agreed, but to make sure check as follows:-

According to the diagram I have, the AT select lever illumination light and the combination meter illumination, is supplied via the same circuit as most or all of the switch indicator lights. This circuit is supplied with B+ from fuse No. 9, which is activated via the tail and associated lighting relay. The negative line terminates at terminal 20 on the timer/dimmer unit and this supplies B- to all of the dimmed lamps circuit.

This means that if this circuit is not energised due to a fault within the timer/dimmer unit, all dimmed illumination lamps will not be operating. If several of these lamps are working, the fault can not involve the timer/dimmer unit. This factor should therefore be investigated by way of confirmation, before replacing the timer unit.

P.S. In view of the fact that the timer unit is difficult to access, a good test would be to ground the negative line at some point, whereby all should operate when the tail lights are switched on. First check for voltage to ground, in order to identify the negative from the positive lines. The gear shift illumination may provide an access point.
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Last edited by Trevor; 09-13-2007 at 07:16 AM. Reason: P.S. Added
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  #15  
Old 09-13-2007, 10:07 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomake Wan View Post
Combined with the rest of his post, it's very doubtful that the bulb in the shifter AND all the bulbs in the backlight illumination blew at once.

Thus, again, Time Control Unit.
Ok if you like to argue just to argue...fine, I just explained what happened in my situation.

I would like to know what the problem turns out to be for Kwren.

Keep us posted Kwren
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