anapier309

Apologies if this is somewhere already, I tried looking everywhere, but no one seems to have an issue like mine, they have stuff not working while it seems like mostly everything for me, is working. I will be as detailed as possible:

Vehicle: 2013 Scion xB (EVERYTHING is OEM original, except what's mentioned in here)

I am replacing the climate control backlights, stereo, steering wheel control interface, gear selector backlight, backup camera, and those dome/map lights.

Stereo (Pioneer 2770), steering wheel controller (metra ASWC-1), climate lights, dome/map lights (Chinese, eBay), footwell LEDs with fuse tap (auto zone), and a back-up camera (iBeam IR) all installed smoothly, no issue. Everything worked as intended

I screwed up at the gear selector light, which I tried the other night, a week after everything else went great.. Both sides of the LED leads touched the live wires. (I was being lazy here and didn't want to order a new tiny-as-all-heck light...lessons can be tough).

Current status/symptoms/what's been checked already:

I've checked engine and interior fuse boxes, I did not find one blown (the super large fuses and the long one with a clear-top in the engine box, I did not check, I can, if those relate to the following symptoms)

These did work normally, before I screwed up the gear light:
Lights not working: climate control backlights don't turn on with headlights (center buttons with OEM orange lights, work)
Dimmer switch doesn't work. yes, i've turned it all the way up and down, with and without headlights on, with and without the engine running...I saw that was the case for many people with backlight/dashlight issues...
Warning bell for headlights left-on, does not ring
The wire for gear backlight is currently reading around .04 on my multimeter
Maps (CarPlay) no longer detects daytime/nighttime when turning on/off headlights (reads daytime only)
Stereo doesn't adjust overall brightness when turning on/off headlights

What still works:
Door ajar dash light
Dome light turns on when door opens
Key in ignition alarm
Wipers and fluid pumps
side mirror motors
window motors/buttons
power locks/buttons
Dashcluster does light up, just doesn't adjust brightness
air flow, direction/vents, air temp, and ac/heater
all headlight/taillights/blinkers/hazards
hand brake and its display on the dash
dome/map lights
stereo, speakers, etc
dash cluster remembers what the last disp option was (if I chose range, it remembers when I turn it back on that it was on range, time saves too)
passenger airbag/belt lights and weight sensor
horn
car is drivable, shifts good, gear selector changes between PRNDL
Starts good too, battery reads within range: 12.6 when off, 13.something while running with all accessories/lights on
The footwell LEDs that are fuse-tapped into an empty slot, fuse is installed for it
Back-up camera is triggered when in reverse gear
steering wheel control interface

I don't have any service lights or check engine light on
OEM USB and AUX are not being used with new stereo, no status on those connectors
I have ~$20 Walmart and harbor freight car readers; is it worth running that or would this issue not throw a code?
I'm not super familiar with car electrical, self taught with what I do know. Is this like Christmas lights where since there is one missing bulb, the string is out, and all these symptoms are due to them being on the same line? Is another bulb burnt out and the gear wire is at the end of the wire run so it now has reduced power flowing to it? The issues seem to all be based on sensing if the headlights are on or not, and/or there's a break in the switch where turning on the headlights also turns on the backlights for the climate control and stereo day/night modes? The dimmer switch by steering wheel, is a underwhelming fidget spinner at the moment, lol. I have another set of lights for the climate controls if they're burnt out and muddying these waters too much.