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This work around seems to have fixed my battery drain issue. After the work, I charged the battery and then the car sat for 3 days. I just went out and turned the key on and it still had a full charge.
This work around seems to have fixed my battery drain issue. After the work, I charged the battery and then the car sat for 3 days. I just went out and turned the key on and it still had a full charge.
Isn't it great, hell I even washed & waxed the car after that.
I've been tracking down this issue for quite a while trying to find a resolution, but nothing yet... The people who have reported it never came back with an outcome...
I don't want to take my car to the dealership so they could experiment with it I know that fuse 25 in the fuse/relay panel under the passenger's feet powers those lights among other things. I decided to install a remote switch connected in series with that fuse, and hide it somewhere under the driver's seat. That way I could easily interrupt power to the DIC's backlights after I turn off the car and re-establish it before turning the car on. I already purchased what I need, but haven't had time to install it.
I know it is not a solution, just a workaround, but it will allow me to regain some normalcy
Just for the record, the problem was the IPC. Its main board also controls these backlights. I replaced the IPC and everything went back to normal. The additional complication is that it stores the car's mileage as well, so it would require programming the "new" IPC with the car's current mileage.
In the meantime, before I was able to replace the IPC, what I did to get by was a workaround that made my life a little easier. It is described above in this thread in post 29.
I'm sorry to see that. Just out of curiosity, did it happen completely out of the blue all of a sudden, or is there something you might think could be linked to this?
In my case, the only real solution was to replace the IPC. In the mean time I installed a simple workaround that allowed me to function. It is described above.
Actually, not out of the blue. I have been dicking around with replacing those lights to LEDs as they have been out of flickering for quite some time now.
Also, my stock key fobs have been inop for a couple years now so I installed an Avital 2101L keyless entry system just yesterday.
I tapped into 2 wires at the BCM, one to pop the hatch and the other to the horn output, that was all.
The other Avital tapped wires were to the driver door control module and power to the ignition switch.
Not sure how it all relates but it's annoying for sure. Luckily the bulbs I have in the two switches are all led so their current draw should be very small.
I didn't even know this hud/dic-light-staying-on-thing was even a thing until I found this thread.
...Not sure how it all relates but it's annoying for sure. Luckily the bulbs I have in the two switches are all led so their current draw should be very small...
Me neither... at least it's not evident. As you said, with LEDs you have small currents and very little heat when compared to the OEM bulbs, but if looking at them bothers you, you can do what I did until I replaced my IPC.
Fuse 25 in the fuse/relay panel under the passenger's feet powers those lights among other things. I installed a remote switch connected in series with that fuse, and hid it under the knee bolster. That way I was able to interrupt power to the DIC's backlights after turning off the car, and re-establish it before turning the car on.
Everything was very clean and completely reversible. I used this adapter to put a switch in series with fuse 25:
And one of these:
This is how they looked in the fuse box:
And this how the switch looked installed:
In my case, the only real solution was to replace the IPC.
Hi GCG
Unfortunately, your solution for this problem was the correct one.
I got my hands on another IPC and the issue is gone.
Doing a direct A-to-B comparison by plugging the very same DIC options switch from my old cluster to the new one confirms this. Old cluster the lights on the DIC switch never shut off, new cluster they shut off normally.
At least the issue is resolved and my Y2K coupe is now an anniversary edition with 50000 fewer miles
Although I posted the resolution to this problem back in 2015, I realized it got buried inside this thread when I recently got a PM asking me about this.
I wrote the following summary that I think might be useful for others, and I updated this thread's OP with it as well:
Unfortunately it was the IPC
Here are some links to save me some typing. Basically, these are the options:
True solution: replace IPC. Since the mileage is stored in the IPC, you have 2 options to keep the correct reading:
take/send it to an odometer company to reprogram it
Workaround solution: take the DIC lights off from their broken circuit and connect them to the Parking Lights circuit. This way your buttons will be lit whenever you switch ON your Parking Lights/Fog Lights/Headlights.
Although I posted the resolution to this problem back in 2015, I realized it got buried inside this thread when I recently got a PM asking me about this.
I wrote the following summary that I think might be useful for others, and I updated this thread's OP with it as well:
Unfortunately it was the IPC
Here are some links to save me some typing. Basically, these are the options:
True solution: replace IPC. Since the mileage is stored in the IPC, you have 2 options to keep the correct reading:
take/send it to an odometer company to reprogram it
Workaround solution: take the DIC lights off from their broken circuit and connect them to the Parking Lights circuit. This way your buttons will be lit whenever you switch ON your Parking Lights/Fog Lights/Headlights.
I recently ran into this problem that I see you had way back. My lights now stay on all the time after I replaced the old oem bulbs with LEDs. I’m sorry to bug you about this. You’re old posts are extremely helpful. I’m still trying to consider which of those options I would like to pursue.
I was hoping to ask you a couple questions.
If I chose to replace the whole cluster, is the new one just a simple plug-&-go? Or is there any kind of further install involved?
Then secondly, if I chose to add the manual on/off switch, I see the parts that you needed. Do you happen to have a list of those parts names to look them up on Amazon, or elsewhere?
thanks for any help on this. This post has been SUPER helpful so far!
-Levi
I’m new to this forum and I have found a lot of useful information here. I have a 1999 C5 without HUD and I have the dreaded DIC lights always on. I have recently replaced the BCM because I thought it was the source of my parasitic draw. I found this thread on your work around with the fuse adapter and rocker switch. I would like to try this temporary fix. Thank you for the pictures you posted. It appears there are two wires, black and pink. Where exactly did you land the two wires?
The people who have reported it never came back with an outcome...
I know that fuse 25 in the fuse/relay panel under the passenger's feet powers those lights among other things. I decided to install a remote switch connected in series with that fuse, and hide it somewhere under the driver's seat. That way I could easily interrupt power to the DIC's backlights after I turn off the car and re-establish it before turning the car on. I already purchased what I need, but haven't had time to install it.
