03 gts cluster illumination not working

Alexnik210 said:

Hey so can't figure this one out maybe someone can help. I got a 03 eclipse and my cluster lllumination isn't working.
The cluster itself works fine the guages, warning lights etc. But just the illumination on the cluster isn't working but the rest of the illumination in the car works fine. I changed the bulbs and checked what fuses looked like had something to do with the cluster but it's still not working. Anyone know what's up?

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UPDATE so I've been messing around with it more I had a spare brightness adjuster knob I switched that out nothing changed and I noticed that the window switches don't light up either.

It's not uncommon on these cars for a trace to burn in the PCB on the back of the cluster. Pull the cluster out and take a close look and you should find it.

I have this aswell, is there a way to fix it?

If a trace is melted and there's a gap, you can solder a piece of wire across the gap.

Silvertune said:

It's not uncommon on these cars for a trace to burn in the PCB on the back of the cluster. Pull the cluster out and take a close look and you should find it.

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i tried that first. i looked for a while and didnt see anything unusual, looked fine to me. would it be black or something from shorting?

Alexnik210 said:

UPDATE so I've been messing around with it more I had a spare brightness adjuster knob I switched that out nothing changed and I noticed that the window switches don't light up either.

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update after messing with the wiring to the illumination brightness knob all the illumination in the car stopped working. i tried a trick i saw on YouTube where you stick a paper clip in the plug to make a link too see if the lights kick on. to test the switch. but there was a little spark and now none of the illumination lights work. i have keyless entry installed by car toys. When i lock/unlock the car the illumination flashes with the blinkers but not the cluster. and only the lights on the right side of the car blink. at night the right side taillight and front marker/blinker doesn't light up when i have the headlights on but the brake lights work fine, and they are the same bulb, the blinkers work fine too... so something went wrong in the wiring. I'm lost.

Did you check your fuses after you created the spark? That would be my starting point.

jelazar said:

Did you check your fuses after you created the spark? That would be my starting point.

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I mean I checked the fuse panel on the side of the dash that looked to be like it was for the illumination but it was fine. And the illumination does work when I ur the key fob to lock it and the lights blink. Just doesn't turn on woth the headlightso

Electrical issues are the worst... As you mentioned, you got a little spark when you were doing a test and now nothing works. If I was you, I would just bite the bullet and have a professional look at it before you burn up your harness or the whole car. I'm sorry... I know this is not what you want to hear, but sometimes we just have to grin and bear it.

yeah i was thinking about it. just not in my budget right now. hopefully soon tho because i just got a new job and hopefully in a month or 2 ill be able to afford and take it to a shop or the dealer.

Check the foil runs on the cluster.