driver side door lights

[Ricker]

The driver side door lights no long light when the door is open. The red diode show continuity in one direction. The one door plunger switch for the buzzer works with a B wire and P/U wire. The door plunger switch has a P/U and P/W wire. The P/U wire shows ground. P/W does not have voltage. Key is not in. The #12 fuse is good as every other light works - front trunk, engine, glove box, both interior curtesy lights, door ajar. Not sure where to even start looking for volt break to the P/W wire. Before they quit working totally, they would come on intermittently. Can I take the buzzer P/U wire to the door switch (in lieu of the P/W wire) to see if that lights the lights? Just trying to isolate where the issue is.

[WHO1DMC]

Sorry I'm not an expert on this but I do know that the diode handles the power to the lights. The door switch only handles the ground side of the circuit so no power is supplied to those wires.


Dave B.

[Ron]

The driver side door lights no long light when the door is open. The red diode show continuity in one direction. The one door plunger switch for the buzzer works with a B wire and P/U wire. The door plunger switch has a P/U and P/W wire. The P/U wire shows ground. P/W does not have voltage. Key is not in. The #12 fuse is good as every other light works - front trunk, engine, glove box, both interior curtesy lights, door ajar. Not sure where to even start looking for volt break to the P/W wire. Before they quit working totally, they would come on intermittently. Can I take the buzzer P/U wire to the door switch (in lieu of the P/W wire) to see if that lights the lights? Just trying to isolate where the issue is.
You have that backwards- The buzzer switch has the PW and PU wires. The switch for the left door lights are PU and B.

Fuse 12 feeds power to one side of the door bulbs with a P wire. The other side of the left door bulbs is connected to the PU wire (which taps a diode, but is not needed for the switch to turn the left door lights on...) and goes to the switch. When the switch is activated, it connects the PU wire to ground via the B wire, making the bulb come on.
Follow the path above to find the problem...

68752

[Bitsyncmaster]

The diodes don't have anything to do with lighting the door lights. Those diodes are just to drive the dome lights when either door is open. Test that your door light socket has 12 volts on one side. The other side will get grounded by the door switch when the door is open.

[MrChocky]

Also check for mice. This was why my passenger side wasn't working.

[Ricker]

You have that backwards- The buzzer switch has the PW and PU wires. The switch for the left door lights are PU and B.

Fuse 12 feeds power to one side of the door bulbs with a P wire. The other side of the left door bulbs is connected to the PU wire (which taps a diode, but is not needed for the switch to turn the left door lights on...) and goes to the switch. When the switch is activated, it connects the PU wire to ground via the B wire, making the bulb come on.
Follow the path above to find the problem...

68752

You are correct! I had them backwards. They are now all working. However, this may lead to another question. Are the two courtesy lights, when tilled to one side, suppose to go on when the door(s) are open and after a little bit go off? Mine have never done that. They do light when tilled to the other side.

[Bitsyncmaster]

You are correct! I had them backwards. They are now all working. However, this may lead to another question. Are the two courtesy lights, when tilled to one side, suppose to go on when the door(s) are open and after a little bit go off? Mine have never done that. They do light when tilled to the other side.

Yes both should go on when either door is open when switched to auto on the dome lights. With the OEM dome unit and incandescent bulbs in the domes then there is a delay turning off when both doors are closed.

[Ricker]

Yes both should go on when either door is open when switched to auto on the dome lights. With the OEM dome unit and incandescent bulbs in the domes then there is a delay turning off when both doors are closed.

Mine don't so does that mean the delay relay is shot? If it is would there be any other issues or just those lights going on and off after a little?

[WHO1DMC]

Mine don't so does that mean the delay relay is shot? If it is would there be any other issues or just those lights going on and off after a little?

You can pull out the delay relay. The lights should just go on and off. It is very common to pull that relay when you go with LED bulbs.


Dave B.

[DMC-Ron]

You can pull out the delay relay. The lights should just go on and off. It is very common to pull that relay when you go with LED bulbs.
Dave B.

If, when you remove the delay relay, the interior lights do not work at all, check to see if the blue diode is reversed or faulty.
Ron

68785

[WHO1DMC]

If, when you remove the delay relay, the interior lights do not work at all, check to see if the blue diode is reversed or faulty.
Ron

68785

For me the red diode was connected to the interior lights.
I guess if everything was installed properly and never messed with in 40 years it's the blue. I guess I didn't bother to check what was proper because I knew that those diodes are internally all the same except for the white ones. For people that don't know the diode module can be disassembled very easily that means not cutting it open so the diode inside can be replaced for just pennies.





Dave B.

[Ricker]

It has taken some time (for other reasons) but after all the input I finally got it. Thanks!

[Ricker]

So, I have checked the dome lights for on/off and timed out. The rear one works like it should. The front has low voltage when on for the doors opening only. The continuous on is fine. However, sometimes the timing on both goes out immediately instead of timing out. Also, if I push in the door close button the voltage goes to where it should be and light shines bright. Crazy. Is this all a possibility the dome timing relay is bad?

[Bitsyncmaster]

So, I have checked the dome lights for on/off and timed out. The rear one works like it should. The front has low voltage when on for the doors opening only. The continuous on is fine. However, sometimes the timing on both goes out immediately instead of timing out. Also, if I push in the door close button the voltage goes to where it should be and light shines bright. Crazy. Is this all a possibility the dome timing relay is bad?

You will get about a 1.5 volt drop with just the door turning on the light because of the two diodes. The OEM dome timer may eliminate some of that voltage drop when it is active. If your running LED dome lights, most people just remove the OEM timer because they get some glow always with LEDs.

[Ricker]

You will get about a 1.5 volt drop with just the door turning on the light because of the two diodes. The OEM dome timer may eliminate some of that voltage drop when it is active. If your running LED dome lights, most people just remove the OEM timer because they get some glow always with LEDs.

I still have the original dome lights (no LEDs). The voltage is about 2 volts, not just a drop - the light barely goes on - just a low red glow on the filament. I pull the relay and the rear light still comes on with the door open and the front light has that red filament glow (low voltage) BUT the front red glow filament goes out if the rear door open light position is turned off from that position.

Somehow the lights are connected to each other, the time-out relay and the doors switches. They just do funny things like the front light getting voltage.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I still have the original dome lights (no LEDs). The voltage is about 2 volts, not just a drop - the light barely goes on - just a low red glow on the filament. I pull the relay and the rear light still comes on with the door open and the front light has that red filament glow (low voltage) BUT the front red glow filament goes out if the rear door open light position is turned off from that position.

Somehow the lights are connected to each other, the time-out relay and the doors switches. They just do funny things like the front light getting voltage.

The front and rear dome lights get grounded through separate diodes. Sounds like one of your diodes may be bad.