Instrument lighting

Not For Hire · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:44 pm Post subject:

Mark and Ron, thanks for the replies. Mark, you seem to be describing how the instruments are wired to the switches but that doesn't resolve my problem with the lighting of the instruments. On your 2004 Hondas are the tach and trim meters backlit with the nav lights on ? On my 2003, with the nav lights the instruments are not backlit. Should I be looking for additional wiring other than what you and Ron have described ?

>On your 2004 Hondas are the tach and trim meters backlit with the nav lights on ?

Yes, that is correct.

>On my 2003, with the nav lights the instruments are not backlit. Should I be looking for additional wiring other than what you and Ron have described ?

One possibility is that the light wires from the instruments were never hooked up to the light switch or have come loose. These lighting wires are independent of the other wiring to the instrumcents.

>Ron, you specifically describe an "instrument light" wire. Is that the red/white wire you both describe ?

Yes, these are the wires coming from the instrument, also the black/white wire. They are thin wires, 18 ga or smaller.

>Or does the red/white wire from the tach gauge provide power to both the gauge and the lighting inside of it ?

No the lighting wires are separate. The tach has to work whether the lights are on or not, eh?

>If so, then it seems that for some reason I'm getting power to the gauge but without any lighting.

Lights and power have separate wiring.

Regards, Mark

RonJr · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 3:45 pm Post subject:

I'm believe the red/white wires coming from the gages are specifically for lighting.

ssobol · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 6:08 pm Post subject:

The wire for the lighting in the Honda digital gauges is separate in the harness. The wiring diagram in the Honda owners manual (or online) shows this wire. It is the red and white wire. Connect it to 12vdc (either straight to the 12v bus or through the nav light switch). The ground is the common ground for the rest of the instrument.

In the digital instruments the lighting is an EL panel behind the display and it is not very bright. On a sunny day you will have a very hard time determining if it is actually lit up (even when covering the gauge with your hands). It is sufficiently bright when operating at night.

For the analog gauges there are two wires for the instrument lighting. Red/white for 12vdc and black for lighting ground.

hardee · Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2014 1:32 am Post subject: Re: Instrument lighting