I have an odd electrical problem that is driving me nuts. Everything is fine for a while, but if I kick on my bright lights and run with them for a while, my dash button lights will go out. Everything from the climate surround buttons down to the shifter selector lights go out. The climate still lights, radio still lights, and the selected lights still shine, but the backlight with the button name is totally dead. To get them back on is a mystery too. Sometimes letting the car sit will restore them. Sometimes I have to shut down the car, restart, and then kick the bright lights back on for them to show back up. I thought it might be a heat issue, but what is getting hot is still a mystery. Everything seems to check out electrically, but I've never been able to test things while they're out.

Any help or possible solutions are highly welcome. I tried searching the archives on the forum, but I haven't found much.

Chuck

 

Sounds like the dimmer module.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try replacing it and see if it helps. I'll post some results if I can get one installed soon. Maybe it'll make a quick fix for the next person that has a similar issue.

 

I have this same exact problem. It used to be an intermittent thing and they would come back on after the car sat, but now I have not seen a button light up in the last 3 months If you find anything out let me know. As for the dimmer module, is there a seperate unit that controls the buttons? Because my dimmer still works fine for the instrument panel....

 

Car and Driver will tell you that the dash lights will go out in the sc's - it's a fact. Check out their site, it might tell you how to fix it, but I can't remember.

 

Ok, the problem has gotten much worse, either that, or I have a new problem. Middle of the night, I'm driving down a country road with nobody around. I stop at a stop sign, kick on my brights, and my headlights go dead. I turn off the brights and headlights, try to turn the lights back on, and they're dead. Nothing. (running lights have not ever worked for me on this car yet, so no front lights at all, except hazard and turn signals) I found a place to pull over, let the car cool off for an hour. Restarted, still no headlights. Checked every fuse, under dash and under foot, nothing bad there.

Someone stopped to help me and they drove in front of me, with me having my hazard lights on. I followed them for a while, and I was playing with the switch again - all of a sudden, the headlights turned on again. I limped home. In the garage, I tried all combinations and right now my headlights don't work with the switch on, the pull in brights do work, and the push out brights don't do anything.

The only good news, my dash button lights stayed on the whole time. Anyone ever deal with something like this? Any suggestions? Does anyone think this is the same problem, with a new twist? or does it sound like a new issue?

Does anyone have the repair manual for the sc300? Does it have the wiring diagrams and diagnostic charts for this area of the car? I was planning to pick up a set of manuals anyway, but with these new issues I have to make sure I get the wiring diagrams and get this issue fixed asap.

Any suggestion is welcome.

Thanks,

Chuck

 

weird, this seems to have progressed. Heck it could be something as simple as the switch, but we are getting into electrical troubleshooting and you kinda have to be there to do it. Definitely something you wanna try to DIY, labor would be hell.

I'll sit on this and think.

 

sounds like a short to ground somewhere...

 

Not even close. If anything it is a lack of ground.

 

if it was a lack of a ground, it would only affect one system intermittently. the simple fact that it spreads says otherwise.

 

If it were a dead short it would not act like this. Not at all.