I only recently started driving at night since we have turned back our clocks. The lights around the ashtray, heater controls (fan switch, temperature control, front and rear defrost) are not lighting up.

I have yet to get a owner's manual for this car so I don't know where to start and I have forgotten where the fuse boxes are all located. Do you have any idea where I can begin looking at the problem first?

The year and make of my car is in my sig.

Thanks!

 

How about cigarette lighter and dash board lights?

 

Toyomho, yes, the cig lighter and my dash board lights work.

 

Cig lighter bulb branches off the same power source as ash tray. Check clock light, this circuit is on the same branch as the ash tray.

Check hazard switch bulb. This circuit connects to the ash tray bulb ground circuit. Both share the same ground as the cig lighter bulb.

If the above bulbs work the problem may be the ash try bulb, bulb connector or a bad wire connection where it joins the other bulb circuits.

Combination lights branch off the same as blower and heater. All bulb share the same ground junction box.

The problem could be the same as for the ash tray bulb.

The power wire color for all bulbs is Green, ground is Black.

 

I'm sorry to come back again and clarify what most people would know about these things. My housemate is elderly and I printed out your response to him, and he checked some bulbs and can't find others. He looked at the Haynes Repair Manual, because he has a 96 Camry and mine is a 94. He says the diagrams are very confusing and does not give much info.

So, he does not know how to check each bulb. Can you give maybe a diagram or at least a description of where to check each bulb?

My clock light works.
My cig lighter works.


How can we check the hazard switch bulb?
How can we check the ashtray bulb?

All fuses seem to be ok.

Thanks, plz stick with me, as you guys/gals here are the best with getting back to me soon and very thorough.

Thank you for your time and efforts.

 

I meant to say my cig lighter works and pops out, but does not illuminate. None of my lights work in that area. The functions work, like the heater, etc. My clock light illuminates, but that's it.

My housemate says he looked in the Haynes manual and says it might have something to do with the tail light relay but the diagram does not show where that is located. Can you help us out with this?

Do we need to take the dash apart to get to some of these bulbs to check them?

In the alternative, I imagine I can buy like a little map light that points to that area so I can see my flashers in case of an emergency and also want to see my rear defrost button (everything works, but can't see them).

Any ideas, please break it down more simple so my housemate knows where to start first.

Thank you so much in advance for any help you can help us!

 

The reason questions were asked in previous posts about specific bulbs working or not is to determine if a problem exists in the wiring or a junction box. ALL bulbs receive power from the same source, the taillight relay. After the relay the wiring splits up into many circuits to power the various bulbs.

If some bulbs work, others don't and the taillights work the taillight relay is working.

The problem could be a lot of bad bulbs or something in the wiring for the branch circuit the non-working bulbs are are on.

Power for the cig lighter, emergency flasher, etc themselves are on other circuits. There is no connection between the bulb circuits and circuits for item the bulb illuminates.

Send a private message with email address for info on this subject.