[BigMattB]

Hello Everyone,

I'm searched through the forums for an answer to my question, and Roadie seemed to be onto one but I want to explain my specific problem before I attempt to fix the issue.

A couple days ago I had an iSimple installed into my vehicle. After it was installed everything worked great :thumbsup:. I was driving my vehicle without any problem. Afterwards I stopped at the market and when I came back out, I turned my car on and noticed that the DIC was blank, no display. I cycled the power and still nothing :duh:. I drove it home and haven't had a chance to look at it the past few days. Today I starter her up again, and this time noticed that not only the DIC was blank, but so was the digital climate control. The radio still worked, the warning lights still came on when I first started the vehicle, and no warning lights stay on after the initial startup test.

Another post by a user who's DIC was blank had a suggestion from Roadie that it might be a fuse, specifically fuse #22 (Ignition_E) or fuse #24 (Instrument Panel Cluster/DIC). My question is this, if the fuse did indeed blow for my IPC/DIC, would the whole instrument panel, including the warning lights not come on, or could it just affect the DIC/Climate Controls?

That being said, does anyone have any other suggestions as to the possible cause? I'm visiting my fiance's parents this weekend and her Dad is a mechanic. I want to have him take a look at it but would like some suggestions on where to start.

Thanks in advance for your help!

BigMattB

 

[the roadie]

My suggestion was based on there being two fuses for the dimmable lamps in the vehicle. There is one for LED lamps, and another one meant for the miniature incandescent lamps. I assumed this was for the different response curves (average voltage versus brightness) of LEDs versus incandescents. They are both PWM signals (not varying from 0-12V smoothly, but switching quickly between 0 and 12 with a varying duty cycle).

But the EL (electroluminescent) displays in the DIC and the HVAC control module weren't directly dimmed by those dimmable circuits, I thought from reading the shop manual. I thought those displays (which use high voltage generated locally) were dimmed by a serial data message from the BCM. That's how the lamps in the DDM and PDM (door modules) are dimmed, I traced a year or two ago. Very odd design, and I forget if the OEM radio shares the same feature.

So other than a possible failure in the two displays itself, is there any reason you haven't whipped out your meter and already checked the fuses? Impress your future FIL by fixing it ahead of time, and not asking him to do simple fuse tracing. :thumbsup:

Edit: Warning lamps, I believe, aren't dimmable, and are totally separate.

 

[BigMattB]

Hi Roadie, thanks for the fast response.

The only reason I haven't is because I am rubbish when it comes to anything car related (hence why I had a third party install the iSimple). I don't mess with things I don't at least have a rudimentary understanding, keeps me from worsening the situation. It's the trade-off that my future FIL and I share. He's rubbish at computer repair, I'm rubbish at car repair. The use of my skills in that area must have been enough to impress already, seeing as he's already given me permission to marry his daughter. So whilst I program everything under his roof, he works on everything under my hood.

So as to my problem, is that what, in your experience, you would recommend as my next course of action? Or is there anyway that somewhere in the vicinity of the radio where they were working they could have knocked something loose?

Thanks again!

 

[the roadie]

Oh, yes. The ultimate root cause is probably the adapter install. I assume you called them before posting here.

 

[BigMattB]

Indeed I did, they had the usual corporate response of "It worked when it left". So they have been less than helpful regarding my issue, hence why I have turned to TrailVoy, hoping the many enlightened minds here would be able to help me where I have failed. I will seek to have the adapter removed and see if that resolves the issue.

Thanks for your help, and many apologies for posting what seems to have been a silly issue. Hopefully I will be able to better my knowledge in the future to avoid such simple embarrassments.

Thanks again, I appreciate all the help

Sincerely,
BigMattB