So our car light switch has two turn clicks. First click for the dash/cluster and exterior front/rear lights. Second click is for the headlight to be turn on.

To make thing specific the problem I have with is only about the first click. The second click work and does turn on my headlight. My car is an '04 so I do not have day light running.

My dilemma or problem right now is that the first click for the dash/cluster and exterior front/rear light does not work. It doesn't turn on the cluster, dash, front markers and rear tail lights.

The engine is RUNNING/ON for the following pictures. You can also see that the dash switches did not lit up










You'll notice that the engine is running with the headlight turned ON but the tail lights was not working.








But the brake light still work if I step on it.






The left and right signal work if I use it.







The following pictures is with the engine OFF, but with the headlight ON. You can also see that the cluster and dash switches did not lit up.








When I pressed lock/unlock on my remote the interior and exterior does lit up as it should.

The interior switches such as MUTE/AC...etc. work if I turn them on manually.

I tried checking ALL THE FUSES and they are good.

I tried using a new light switch assembly (courtesy of Van@Vex) and this wasn't the problem either.

Basically, these lights both exterior and interior work. Just not when I turn them on using the switch. Also, when the engine is not running with the headlights turned on, the car does not make that sound to remind you the headlights is running while the driver door is open.

I also tried unplugged the battery for 20 minutes to see if thing reset and nothing change.

I recently changed my battery, because the OEM one was dying and it was leaking acid out inside the engine bay near some wiring system. I cleaned up all the mess.

So it must be the wiring now? If so, is it possible for it to only effect one?

Another thing I want to add is before everything went bad, I was adjusting/playing around with the + and - dimmer buttons.

Thank you for any help or suggestion you guys have.

 

what i would do is try to remove the lower part of the steering column and use a test meter to test if their is a signal coming out when u turn the switch.

it could be a bad relay. your alarm which sends a pulse of positive pulse could be easily power the lights.

find the wire from the switch to the fuse box and then find wire under the hood or at the light area and test it by sending a positive signal down it and see if it powers all the lights

 

In an AP1 there's one fuse in the underdash fuse box that does both
taillights and some dash lights - #23. It's probably different in an AP2.
I'd try swapping it rather than just looking at it if you haven't already.
Otherwise, did you check the fuses in the engine compartment fuse box?
From a quick look at an AP1 wiring chart, to me it looks like a likely
common point of failure for the dash lights and the taillights is a fuse
in the underhood fuse box, though a bunch of other things wouldn't
work as well which are not problems you've mentioned. In an AP1,
it's 30 amp fuse #54 which feeds five different fuses in the underdash
box, but the AP2 fuses are likely different.

 

i agree looking at a fuse doesnt work. you need to test it with a meter.

 

Ya, really sounds like some sort of fuse issue. I'd find out which ones are on the circuit and change them even if they look ok, or test is by switching it with another fuse thats working.

If thats not it, get your multi-meter and start testing till you find where power stops.

 

Ok, I will try switching the fuse and see how this will go.