Nissan Repair: Dash Light dont work, illumination lights, nissan maxima

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
i recently bought a 1990 Nissan Maxima. When i bought the car it had no stereo, a couple of days ago I install an OEM Nissan stereo, part number PN-2213N. After I installed the stereo and turned the car on to test it, I noticed that the
dashboard didn't light up anymore. By that i mean that nothing in the instrument panel lights up, the blinker arrow and other informative lights like the "door ajar" lights work fine, but nothing else. I have checked every single fuse under the hood and under the driver side console in hopes that i would  find the problem, but all the fuses are in good condition. The stereo works good as well. I would really appreciate the help, since i cant drive the car at night.

Thank you

ANSWER: Roberto,

If it were me I would go an purchase a harness connector for the Maxima.  If memory serves me correctly the instrumentation illumination lights are a red and blue wire and if you connect that one correctly you should get your instrument lights back.  Also, be sure to check the fuse as it is probably blown.  Nissan uses a floating ground (ground when the key is off and power when it is on) and that causes many issues like yours.  So, check the harness and if you have the opportunity a harness connector is the easy way to correct the harness.  Any good radio shop will have them.  Even if the radio is factory and not from the same year the pinout might be different.  Did the radio plug into the factory harness or did you have to wire it in?  Email me back and let me know.

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QUESTION: Acutally i had to wire it in because the car did not have the factory harness. I bought the stereo in a junk yard off another 1990 Nissan i made sure to wire it the same way it was on that car. when i realized that the dash didn't light up, i went as far as to unplug the stereo, the way the car was when i bought it, but the lights still wont come on

Answer
Roberto,

If the lights will not come on I would be checking for a fuse blown since you say the radio has been disconnected.  Now, if the harness is not connected to the radio and the fuse is good then I would be looking at the dimmer for the instrument lights.