Nissan Repair: electrical (dash and brake lights), circuit tester, dash lights

Question
my dash lights went out not realizing that its also tied to my rear lights 2 days later i got pulled over by an officer he told me i have no rear lights besides brake lights. checked all fuses they were fine exchanged relays to see which one doesn't work and they all make a little ticking sound like if current is going through but one , i noticed that before dash went out it was flickering before , they actually went out, i would tap dash from top and they would come on,  i was told to check grounds and to check wiring by steering wheel , i really dont know how? don't know what to exactly look for. can you help please?

Answer
Hi Peter -

Yes, could be a bad ground, loose connection, or a faulty switch. To make it easier, you should have a circuit light tester, and a multimeter. Otherwise, it is difficult to locate the problem unless it is an obvious one, like a disconnected wire.

However, if you are hitting the dash and the lights flicker, there is probably a loose connection. The instrument panel will have to be removed to check that. The panel lights should be all on a circuit board behind the instrument panel, which should have a connection at the bottm of the panel. I would check that connection first. Follow the power with the circuit tester, and as soon as you lose it, you have found the problem.

Sorry for not giving you more detailed information, as I did not get the year, make and model of your vehicle.

Hope this helps -
aloha
calvin