Driver's Side Door Lights Not Working

[jangell]

My driver's side door lights stopped working. When I open the driver's side door, the dome light doesn't come on, nor do the three lights on the door itself. Note that when I open the passenger door, all the passenger door lights and the dome light come on.

I confirmed that I have ground to the door light switch, but the purple/blue wire is showing "disconnected" (neither ground nor 12v). I tried applying ground to complete the circuit, but it didn't turn on the door or dome lights.

As far as I can tell from the wiring diagrams, the path at this point would be GND -> Switch -> Purple/Blue Wire -> Purple Wire -> Fuse 12.

Fuse 12 is good (I tested it, but since the passenger lights and dome lights work, it's clearly good). Since the dome light doesn't go on either, I'm thinking the problem is either on the purple wire to the door lights, or the purple/blue wire from the door lights, or the harness inside the door.

Before I tear apart the parcel shelf, center console and doors to try to figure out where the wires go, I thought I'd ask to see if anyone has some pointers on where to look.

Thanks!

-- Joe

[Bitsyncmaster]

Purple/blue goes to the buzzer. Door light switch should be purple/white.

[jangell]

It does? I was using this diagram (the colorized one based on the one in the manual), which shows P/U. It's also the one I rigged up to a magnetic switch for the door lights. I don't think I've ever heard my buzzer, and still have the old switch hooked up to that, although I've never tested it to see if the circuit works. P/W seems like it's for the dome lights?

65729

-- Joe

[bueller]

First thing that comes to mind would be one of the three diodes under the center console died. Similar symptoms to what you described.

[jangell]

I was wondering about that. The diagram seemed to imply that the door lights should still work without the diodes even being connected, but it’s quite likely that I’m misreading it.

I’ll pull the center console and check the diodes this afternoon.

— Joe

[bueller]

You can usually reach these diodes without removing the center console. You will find them on the driver's side foot well area of the center console. Might have to reach I'm there a bit but should be able to see the bundle without removing the whole thing.

[Ron]

Purple/blue goes to the buzzer. Door light switch should be purple/white.


It does? I was using this diagram (the colorized one based on the one in the manual), which shows P/U. It's also the one I rigged up to a magnetic switch for the door lights. I don't think I've ever heard my buzzer, and still have the old switch hooked up to that, although I've never tested it to see if the circuit works. P/W seems like it's for the dome lights?

I'm thinking you are both correct-
The WSM schematic shows two left door switches. Both numbered 41. Both have Purple/Blue wires, which do not tie together.:swear1:

Could you have mixed them up when doing the magnetic switch mod? (...not sure that would do it not seeing everything.)

======

The diodes could cause the interior lights and opposite door lights to not come on, but have nothing to do with the door lights on the same side as the door switch.

[Bitsyncmaster]

Sorry. I was looking at glove box switch. The LH switch does show purple/blue and the RH switch is purple/pink.

You would normally see 12 volts on the switch wires if not grounded by the switch. Maybe some LEDs in the door lights may give you different results.

[jangell]

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.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210306/147e328eb16251c3e83f480c2b28ea02.jpg

Thanks!

— Joe

[Bitsyncmaster]

Wiggle all the wires while the door is open so you can see if there is a marginal connection. Sometimes those crimps with two wire in one pin go bad. It sounds like you lost the purple wire connection going to the door lights on that side. That connection feeds up to the roof box so it will not be fun to trouble shoot that. I use mercury switches in my doors.

[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

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210307/648111257a598cdd5ab27ec56f6cd65c.jpg

[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.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210306/147e328eb16251c3e83f480c2b28ea02.jpg

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.