dash light and marker light help

[89s13silvia]

ok so heres my problem..

when i start my car, my aftermarket guage lights will do their warm up of the entire guage (defi) then turn off. They will still work giving me the readings but won't lights up. As for my dash lights, they won't light up at all and my marker lights as well as reverse and license plate lights won't come on at all either. Also my hud will not turn on at all because of this problem.

I have searched and have come up with the 240sx capacitor problem that affects many of these cars and wonder if that could be the case. I have heard that the lights sometimes turn on when the capacitor warms up but that has ever happened to me. But i haven't found any good instructions on what i have to do to try and fix that problem. Am i able to do anything then paying to have that capacitor fixed as i know they can be sent in.

which fuse are those lights connected with becuase my car is from japan so all fuses and labels are in japanese. Also i do not have a wiring diagram so i don't know what goes where.
If anyone can help me out at all with this problem it would be greatly apreciated.

thanks
chris

[projectRDM]

Check ALL fuses, inside and out. Then check the TCU, it's the white box located in the driver's kick panel. Look for damage to the plug, burn marks, or any weird odors. Replace it with a known working unit if you don't find anything abnormal.

[89s13silvia]

what does the TCU control? and also i was looking at it and was wondering how i would test that

stick a test light where the wires go in? should be getting power when the lights are turned on or constantly?

[89s13silvia]

k i found out about the tcu and the more i read about it the more i read up about other peoples symptoms i think thats the problem

im wondering though..
will a usdm tcu work with a JDM car?
also does it matter if it i get one fomr a car without hud? will my hud still work?

thanks
chris

[projectRDM]

They're all the same as far as I know. Testing one would require a pinout from the FSM and checking each input/output individually. Way easier to just plug another one in.

[89s13silvia]

ok so i got a new tcu and went to put it in but don't think i have one....

i have a weird 12v thing that i get power going into but nothing coming out... from the looks of it it converts power to 12v or vice versa but im not sure

also there are some other plugs that i am unsure of

anyway i've attached a few pictures

sorry for so many but im trying to figure this out
any help would be great

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0049.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0054.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0055.jpg
12v thing on driver's side where the tcu would normally be

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0057.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0058.jpg
driver side

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0059.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0063.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0062.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/lude_a_chris/DSCN0064.jpg
passenger side
what is that small plug hanging down with the 2 wires?

thanks again
chris

[projectRDM]

No clue what that is, never seen one. What color are the wires going into it?

The 2pin plug is for the footwell light.

[89s13silvia]

green with white
red with blue

[projectRDM]

Key warning buzzer, must use a different piece in Japan. Weird.

[89s13silvia]

that explains why i don't get the buzzer when my key is in

what do you think about the lights?
its driving me nuts, i want to figure it out
would any relays have anything to do with it?
anything you think it could be
thanks
chris

[89s13silvia]

there is a black box on the driver side saying "door lock timer", 12v, don't drop i doubt thats it

i just have no idea what else it could be

would i be able to wire it up so that i would by pass everything like the dimmer switch
it would light up full everytime but its a hell of a lot better then no lights at all.

its odd that the markers and rear plate lights and hud are out as well

ideas?
thanks

[projectRDM]

Does your car have a dimmer? Most JDM cars do not.

[89s13silvia]

yes my car has the dimmer switch located next to the pop up light button

[oneleg180]

Check your headlight switch. Use a voltmeter or your select device to test the blue/ red wire for the audio. If you don't have 12v+ there, yeah. Make sure your gauge illumination wires are connected to this wire. Also, make sure your bulbs are not out. HUD clusters are known for failing, try an analog cluster.

[oneleg180]

ps, does that car have an s14 sr20de?

[89s13silvia]

yes the car has the blacktop s14 sr20det motor

the climate control still illuminates when i turn the headlights on, the clock on the dash however doesn't light up anymore when i do this

so i makes me think that it might be getting the 12v but i will check anyway

only one wire goes to the switch form all these components correct?

also i've been trying to find a wiring digram/colour codes for all these wires so i have a better understanding of what everything does under there, instead of a spiderweb of wires

thanks