Honda Civic Dash Lights Not Working? Here’s What to Do!

There is a reason why your Honda Civic has dash lights: These lights help you see every gauge on your instrument cluster when driving at night.

But what if they aren’t working?

It means that you need to squint to see your gauges or put on an extra light. Of course, that wouldn’t be convenient, especially when you are driving. In this post, we will look at why your Honda Civic dash lights are not working and the possible solutions.

Honda Civic Dash Lights Not Working: Problems and Likely Causes

Before we go ahead, here’s a little background on what your dashboard does. This part of your Honda Civic displays very important information about the car. Some of these pieces of information include fuel level, engine temperature, and speed to mention a few.

During the day, it is easy to see these without the help of your dash lights. However, when driving at night, the dash lights come up to aid in reading the information on the dashboard. Without these lights, you will struggle to see this information and it could lead to accidents.

Do you know that you can diagnose the reason behind the dash lights malfunctioning? In this section, we will look at some common dash light issues and the reasons behind them.

Flickering lights

Sometimes, it is not that the lights are not coming on. What is happening is that they keep flickering. When this happens, note that it is very likely not a dash light problem.

Two things may cause the dash lights to keep flickering. One, your car battery may be losing charge or dying. Two, the alternator may be going bad. The alternator is the part of the car engine that runs the car’s electrical systems and charges the battery. It is important to know which is having the issue.

One part of your instrument panel is without lights

For newer vehicles, the dashboard is lit up with individuals LED lights. This means that you will scarcely have this sort of issue. However, for older Civics, the dash lights are made of incandescent bulbs.

The implication of this is that one of these bulbs could burn out. If this happens, then that part of your dashboard will go dark while the other parts are lit up. All you need to do in this case is to replace the burnt-out bulb. The only challenge is that replacing the bulb might be tricky. This is why we suggest that you allow a professional to handle that responsibility.

The instrument panel is totally dark

This is one of the most common challenges with dash lights. If you notice that the whole instrument panel is void of lights, then it could be that a fuse is blown. All you need to do in this case is to get rid of the old fuse and replace it with a new one.

Note that changing the fuse may just be a temporary fix. Most times, when fuses get blown, it means that there is an underlying electrical problem. You can verify this if the new fuse gets blown very quickly.

Dim dash lights

This is another very common issue with dash lights. When the lights are dim, it is a problem that is pretty easy to fix. The first thing to do is to check around for your car’s dimmer switch. This switch adjusts the brightness of the dash lights. It is possible to have dimmed them accidentally.

Another cause of this problem is the car’s headlights. It is common for headlights to dim the lights on the dashboard when they come on. This might be the reason why your dash lights are dim. In this case, you need professional help because there is an underlying electrical problem.

Honda Civic Dash Lights Not Working: Fixing the problem

Now that we have discussed the problems and reasons, let’s show you how to fix them.

Check the fuses

Many professionals will advise that you check your car’s fuses first once you notice this problem. It is possible that a few fuses are out of place or burnt. The first thing to do is to locate the associated fuses in the fuse box. They are usually located in the fuse box beneath the dashboard inside the car.

Take out the cover of the box and check the map to locate the associated fuse. Now, trace the location of the fuse and check if it is properly fixed. If it is loose, put it back properly. However, if it is properly fixed, then it means that it is burnt and needs replacement.

Sometimes, you change the fuse, it works for a while and gets bad again. In this case, you are having short circuit issues. You need to locate the problem and solve it quickly.

Check the dimmer switch

We already told you about the dimmer above. If you have adjusted the dimmer and the lights don’t brighten, then the dimmer switch has developed a fault. When this occurs, you will notice that indicator lights will work but other lights on the instrument panel wouldn’t.

You should use a screwdriver to remove the dimmer switch. Now, unplug the switch and run a direct connection of the red and black wires. If the dash lights come on even when the headlights are on, then you have a bad switch. Another way to check if the dimmer switch is bad is to test it with a multimeter. If the switch is the problem, simply change it.

Check the headlight and illumination switches

After checking the fuses and dimmer switch, the next thing to do is to check the headlight and illumination switches. They may be faulty. If you notice that they are not in proper working order, simply change them. When you do, the dash lights should come on easily.

Conclusion

There you have it for Honda Civic Dash Lights Not Working. We have shown you the problems and possible causes. In the final section, we showed you how to fix these problems by yourself. If the issues persist, we suggest that you seek professional help.