dash lights not working (andrewkittens solved: junction block burnt)

[Andrewkittens]

well, before i took it in, i traced the wiring as well as i resonably could.
used a continuity tester and some other stuff to check out every stop in the wiring i found.
no luck.
so i guess next payday its getting fixed up.
i appreciate the input.

[thehunterooo]

Yeah 275 is probably all labor, probably 6-7 hours worth looking for the issue, not bad if you can not find it yourself.

Still a very strange problem though

[Andrewkittens]

well. ive been thinking.
when i set the alarm, the dash lights will flash on,
and the passenger side(normally doesnt work)
tail and turn signal lights flash, but not the drivers side.
if its a wiring problem, shouldnt these lights
not be able to come on at all due to a short?
that would mean the problem is the aftermarket alarm
installed by the nissan dealership we bought it from.
idk if my logic is correct, the shop guys probably know more than i do,
but still. any ideas/thoughts?

[petrified.rabbit]

sounds like it, the connections are probably compromised. but still powered through the alarm.

[gclark8]

Andrew. Alarm fitting sounds suspect. Did they use Scotchlocks or solder the wiring?

[Andrewkittens]

ill cut some zipties and trace the wiring to find out.
its kinda cramped there tryin to look under the dash!

[daug1502]

Alarms are good for that, I had to rip one out of a car in the past for the same thing. Alarm went on the fritz and the car just wouldn't behave until I pulled it.

[Andrewkittens]

they used what i think are scotchlocks.

so i completely disconnected the alarm console box thingy.
still no luck with the lights.
so i think that refutes the possibility of anything internal
in the alarm being the cause.
it could be the wiring to the alarm still though.
well i work tomorrow and monday,
then the cash comes in, so thatll the last
guesswork its getting before the car goes back to the shop.
unless a get any more bright ideas.

[petrified.rabbit]

i am not sure that anyone said it was the alarm box internally. I meant if you have an alarm, those connection often corrode or break, killing the oem connection and only working through the alarm power.

if you disconnected the alarm, and still no go, then you should consider feeling the wires, checking the grounds, and even for power to the lights. It could be something as stupid as a power surge to the system from the alarm could have burned out all the bulbs. It could be a loose or broken ground, short to ground, etc.

[Andrewkittens]

http://www.aveoforum.com/forum/image.../4708/1536.jpg
^^thats the fusebox under the hood.
on the bottom right, theres the white thing,
referred to by the shop as the junction block.
slightly burnt.
cause of my problem.
they bypassed it underneath, slipped it back in and all is well.