Center Console, Steering Wheel, & Ambient Light Out

SouthArk370Z · 03-30-2021, 10:25 AM

How did you check the fuses? A visual check will not always work. Put a meter on them.

Get a copy of the FSM (link in my sig). Find the appropiate wiring diagram and use your multimeter to track down the problem. Start at the fuse and work you way to the lamps - when you lose power, you know the fault is between there and the last good point.

djburke87 · 03-30-2021, 09:56 PM

I did use a multimeter... not sure how else you would check the fuses. I'm not an electrician, and I'm only okay at using wiring manuals. However, I looked extensively through a lot of the the FSM over the past few days, and the ambient light isn't even mentioned (that I can find).

I drove the car for the first time at night today and realized my tail lights and license plates lights are also out. The brake lights and turn signals work, though.

If I can't figure it out tomorrow, I'm just going to take it to someone else. Someone told me it might be a circuit breaker, but I didn't even know cars had circuit breakers. I'm probably in over my head here.

BoilardZ · 03-30-2021, 10:57 PM

The symptoms you describe have "blown fuse" written all over them. I had the exact same thing happen a couple of years ago, on my 2017 roadster. It turned out to be one of the fuses near the battery. The labels on the fuses are not intuitive, and I remember it turned out to be a fuse with a label that didn't seem obvious. I also recall that the fuse block was really hidden down under the battery. (It was NOT the easily-accessible fuse block by the kick panel.)
So, my advice is to remove every single one of your fuses and check each one for continuity. I expect you'll find one is blown.

djburke87 · 03-31-2021, 05:34 AM

I disconnected the battery and ohmed out every fuse, including the two fuse boxes next to the battery.

After finding out my tail lights and license plates lights are also out and consulting the manual, I think it might be a bad Body Control Module (BCM). The BCM controls the Parking Lamp, License Plate Lamp, Tail Lamp, Side Marker Lamp, and there is another line in the manual that says "to illuminations." The BCM is between the combination switch (the switch next to the steering wheel with your headlights and turn signals) and all those lights.

I guess I got lucky enough to not blow out the headlights, but unlucky enough to blow everything else.

I will update this whether or not it is the BCM so someone with the same problem can look into this in the future.

03-30-2021, 10:25 AM	#1 (permalink)
SouthArk370Z Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: South Arkansas Posts: 8,435 Drives: 2014 Challenger Rep Power: 324199	How did you check the fuses? A visual check will not always work. Put a meter on them. Get a copy of the FSM (link in my sig). Find the appropiate wiring diagram and use your multimeter to track down the problem. Start at the fuse and work you way to the lamps - when you lose power, you know the fault is between there and the last good point. JARblue likes this. __________________ Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

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03-30-2021, 09:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
djburke87 Base Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Staunton, VA Posts: 72 Drives: 2018 370z Nismo Rep Power: 7	I did use a multimeter... not sure how else you would check the fuses. I'm not an electrician, and I'm only okay at using wiring manuals. However, I looked extensively through a lot of the the FSM over the past few days, and the ambient light isn't even mentioned (that I can find). I drove the car for the first time at night today and realized my tail lights and license plates lights are also out. The brake lights and turn signals work, though. If I can't figure it out tomorrow, I'm just going to take it to someone else. Someone told me it might be a circuit breaker, but I didn't even know cars had circuit breakers. I'm probably in over my head here.

03-30-2021, 10:57 PM	#3 (permalink)
BoilardZ Base Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 98 Drives: 2017 370Z Rep Power: 10	The symptoms you describe have "blown fuse" written all over them. I had the exact same thing happen a couple of years ago, on my 2017 roadster. It turned out to be one of the fuses near the battery. The labels on the fuses are not intuitive, and I remember it turned out to be a fuse with a label that didn't seem obvious. I also recall that the fuse block was really hidden down under the battery. (It was NOT the easily-accessible fuse block by the kick panel.) So, my advice is to remove every single one of your fuses and check each one for continuity. I expect you'll find one is blown.

03-31-2021, 05:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
djburke87 Base Member Join Date: Apr 2020 Location: Staunton, VA Posts: 72 Drives: 2018 370z Nismo Rep Power: 7	I disconnected the battery and ohmed out every fuse, including the two fuse boxes next to the battery. After finding out my tail lights and license plates lights are also out and consulting the manual, I think it might be a bad Body Control Module (BCM). The BCM controls the Parking Lamp, License Plate Lamp, Tail Lamp, Side Marker Lamp, and there is another line in the manual that says "to illuminations." The BCM is between the combination switch (the switch next to the steering wheel with your headlights and turn signals) and all those lights. I guess I got lucky enough to not blow out the headlights, but unlucky enough to blow everything else. I will update this whether or not it is the BCM so someone with the same problem can look into this in the future.