Driver's Side Door Lights Not Working

[WHO1DMC]

The lights don't work without those wires Connected. The diodes of course is for safety.
I would first suspect a bad diode. You can swap the diodes around they're all the same except for the white ones. The colored ones are 1 amp the white are 3 amp. Or do a continuity test with a amp meter. The plastic shell of the diode can be taken apart by pressing out the center section and it will split into two halves at that point the diode is visible.
I've only replaced one faulty diode that's not bad for at the time a 35+ year diode. I used a 800 volt 1 amp diode for replacement the number is 1N4006. There cheap.

Only going from my own experience with this problem.
Dave B.

[Ron]

I easily found the diode bundle once I knew where to look. One of the diodes (the red one) has two P/W wires going into it, and two P/U coming out. All diodes show 12v on both ends.

The diagram suggests that even with the diodes disconnected, the door lights should still work when that door is open, unless I’m reading it wrong.

You are reading it right.
(Easy to see- If you unplug the double PK wires from your blue diode, the 3 passenger lights will work and the interior light will not.)

I installed the magnetic switch around 15 years ago, so I’m sure P/U is the correct wire to the switch. I do have LEDs in the door, but that’s
not new either. The failure started just a few days ago.

Sounds like the P/PU wires (or 3 LEDs ;-).

+1 Bitsy

[DMC-Ron]

In addition to the switch, one thing common to all the left side door, panel, and interior lights is a good ground for the door switch. You mentioned you connected the purple/blue to ground as a test but were you using the switch ground for this test? Make sure the switch has a good ground connection and is providing a grounded connection when the door is open.

Ron

[jangell]

I do have a good ground for my tests — I used a PowerProbe to apply ground directly. I think it is a bad connection somewhere. I noticed the lights turn off a few weeks ago, then come back on next time I opened the door, and just forgot about it until now. It’s just figuring out where this problem is.

I took off the parcel shelf back and the top door trim before I thought to test the P/U wire from the relay compartment. Applying ground with the PowerProbe lit the lights, so the wiring from there to the door is good. The hard part was figuring out how to see the door light while holding the probe in the relay compartment.

If I’d been smarter I would have unplugged the red diode and applied ground there, which does light the lights. At least I thought of that before taking the center console out.

And then I would have noticed that one of the two P/U wires coming from that diode connector was broken. <sigh> in my defense, the broken part was still under the loom tape,and it wasn’t until I pulled on it while unplugging the diode that I saw it.

I should be able to fix this in 5 minutes now, and then 20 minutes putting back together the stuff I didn’t have to take apart in the first place.

Thanks everyone!

— Joe

[Helirich]

The diodes of course is for safety.
Dave B.

Please explain?

[jangell]

Huh. I thought those diodes were just because all the doors feed off the same circuit, and the diode ensures that when you open one door, only that door's lights go on, as well as the "door ajar" light and the dome lights.

I have no idea why they casings are colored, since these kinds would really all be the same, unless they just colored them to identify the circuit, similar to how the wires are colored differently.. Also interesting that I don't have a white one, unless that's on the parcel shelf for the rear dome light.

-- Joe

[Helirich]

Huh. I thought those diodes were just because all the doors feed off the same circuit, and the diode ensures that when you open one door, only that door's lights go on, as well as the "door ajar" light and the dome lights.
-- Joe

That's what I was thinking and I don't really know why all the lights couldn't come on. (Unless it's just saving power) Maybe I'm missing something. In any case I have the same problem. (The driver's door lights don't work) I need to do some investigating.

[jangell]

I just thought it was good form so you don't see light leaking out between the edges of one door when the other door is closed. A bit of polish more than anything else. I have no idea, though.

Good luck with your diagnosis. I spent way to much time looking in the wrong place.

-- Joe

[Ron]

Yeah, they are there to keep the opposite door lights from coming on, nothing to do with safety. And the colors are just to help identify the circuit.

A lot of them had cold solder joints.
Troubleshooting isn't hard, with a full set of symptoms -- Post up and we can help....

[BobLS]

I easily found the diode bundle once I knew where to look. One of the diodes (the red one) has two P/W wires going into it, and two P/U coming out. All diodes show 12v on both ends.

The diagram suggests that even with the diodes disconnected, the door lights should still work when that door is open, unless I’m reading it wrong.

I installed the magnetic switch around 15 years ago, so I’m sure P/U is the correct wire to the switch. I do have LEDs in the door, but that’s not new either. The failure started just a few days ago.



Thanks!

— Joe

My driver’s door did not operate the door ajar light or the overhead courtesy lights. Passenger door everything worked which ruled out voltage and bulbs and fuse. In my car even the working lights did not work with the diode removed. I tested all 3 diodes completely removed with a diode tester and the red one was bad. Replaced and solved.