Light Problem

[darylfelsberg]

I have been able to chase down most gremlins in regards to electrical thanks to this forum, so if it worked once, let's do ti again. I put in a set of LED bulbs for doors, and courtesy lights. The driver side door lights up nicely. The Courtesy lights and the passenger door do not. Something simple I am overlooking before I dive too far into it? Thanks guys.

[jamesvnz]

My passanger door lights worked but the drivers didnt,

i wiggled the door closing switch to the rear of the car 1 mm and they went

so then i put some wd40 squirted it into the switch thinggee pushed the switched in and out a few times and fixed up the connection maybe you could try that??

[jamesvnz]

maybe its the connections on the sockets try putting your old lights back in to see if they work

[TTait]

LEDs are polarity sensative. If they don't light up try spinning them in the socket 180 degrees.

[darylfelsberg]

LEDs are polarity sensative. If they don't light up try spinning them in the socket 180 degrees.

Yep. I swapped ends on the courtesy lights, to no avail. I'll try the door bulbs, and spin them 180.

[darylfelsberg]

My passanger door lights worked but the drivers didnt,

i wiggled the door closing switch to the rear of the car 1 mm and they went

so then i put some wd40 squirted it into the switch thinggee pushed the switched in and out a few times and fixed up the connection maybe you could try that??

I'll look at the switch a little closer, and try that.

[Ron]

Did everything work before you installed LEDs?

[darylfelsberg]

Did everything work before you installed LEDs?

No sir. It was sitting for 12 years. Everything else works.

[Jonathan]

Here's the schematic Daryl, in case you didn't have it.

17841

Do you have 12 volts to each of these lights when you're expecting them to come on?

Fuses 5 and 12 okay?

Does your door ajar light come on in the instrument cluster?

Could be that one of the leads is unplugged from the backside of the door plunger. And when you say courtesy lights, are you thinking the interior dome lights (front and rear)? They could be independently problematic and have their own on/off mechanism. Engine bay and trunk lights have their own plunger switch and circuitry as well.

[Ron]

That schematic is missing a connection.
An updated version can be found in the Resources Section here (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?40-All-Wiring-Schematics&p=84&viewfull=1#post84) (First post, last schematic.)

[Shep]

That schematic is missing a connection.
An updated version can be found in the Resources Section here (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?40-All-Wiring-Schematics&p=84&viewfull=1#post84) (First post, last schematic.)Just an FYI: there's three schematics in the end of that post. The first and last ones are identical and the wrong version, the middle one is correct. Quite confusing comparing the two side-by-side and seeing no difference until I spotted the other two.

[Ron]

Just an FYI: there's three schematics in the end of that post. The first and last ones are identical and the wrong version, the middle one is correct. Quite confusing comparing the two side-by-side and seeing no difference until I spotted the other two.
Hmmmm, when I look at it, the first one is labeled Corrected, and the other two are in a seperate attachment box (for comparison). I'll see what's going on...
THANKS!

EDIT: Fixed?

[darylfelsberg]

Checked fuses and both 5 and 12 were fine. I pulled the door plunger switch and it seemed fine. Tomorrow I'll pull each door light and check connections.

[Shep]

EDIT: Fixed?Looks good now! :thumbup:

Back on topic: considering you said it was sitting for 12 years, I most certainly would NOT rule out some mice-related damage. Check the continuity of the wires to make sure they're entirely intact; there may be a wire or two eaten up. I know 573 had a mouse nesting inside the doors that caused some damage, so don't rule anywhere out as being "inaccessible." They're crafty little critters that can get damn near anywhere. Also check for corrosion on the bulb sockets and ensure the connection is clean and secure. From the six bulbs you replaced, use as many as are intact (optimally three) for testing, so polarity does not matter. Once you have power going to the bulbs, then worry about polarity, not vice versa. That may trip you up in your diagnosing, and there's always a chance that you got a few bad LED bulbs that could be the root cause rather than wiring or power.

[darylfelsberg]

Ok, now I have power running to the interior lights, however the radio and AC, and shifter lights stay on. All the time. What do you all think about that?

[jawn101]

Ok, now I have power running to the interior lights, however the radio and AC, and shifter lights stay on. All the time. What do you all think about that?

Is the key on or off?

Check the red panel light "relay" and make sure nothing is shorting back there.

[darylfelsberg]

Key is off and out they are still on.

[jawn101]

Key is off and out they are still on.

Interesting. What happens if you remove the red resistor and the A/C panel light relay? Careful, those circuits are apparently live.

[jawn101]

Check out this diagram. Those lights are powered by the rheostat, so there's something to check next....

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=80&d=1306264434

[Jonathan]

Interior lights are able to come on with or without the key in the ignition, agreed?

If your door lights only are stuck on, I'd say check the plunger in the door frame. But if you're saying HVAC panel lights are staying on as well, that might be something else entirely. My HVAC panel lights only come on when I turn the headlights or running lights on. They don't come on with the door lights. Is this how others have it as well?

Like Jon said, could be something with the rheostat. What about the relay that most of us pull out when you put LEDs in? What's plugged in and what isn't in your fuse/relay area?

[jawn101]

Interior lights are able to come on with or without the key in the ignition, agreed?

If your door lights only are stuck on, I'd say check the plunger in the door frame. But if you're saying HVAC panel lights are staying on as well, that might be something else entirely. My HVAC panel lights only come on when I turn the headlights or running lights on. They don't come on with the door lights. Is this how others have it as well?

Like Jon said, could be something with the rheostat. What about the relay that most of us pull out when you put LEDs in? What's plugged in and what isn't in your fuse/relay area?

Jonathan - if your A/C panel lights come on with the headlight switch and not with the key every time, you probably have a mod installed (http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/acpanellites.htm). This was a common and popular change to make since those lights are really unnecessary when it's not dark out. The factory design is for the A/C panel lights to come on whenever the key is on.

[Ron]

Ok, now I have power running to the interior lights, however the radio and AC, and shifter lights stay on. All the time. What do you all think about that?
What did you do to get power there?



Check out this diagram. Those lights are powered by the rheostat, so there's something to check next....
Not really...The only thing the Rheostat feeds is the instrument panel illumination. It and the things he has staying on are fed by a Relay through Fuse #12 (I'd guess the windows work all of the time too?). The problem could be power shorted to the Relay's trigger (WU) or one of the many branches on its output, or, it is hung/shorted internally. A lot of other things will work, when they should not, if there is a short on one of the branches.

Sounds like it might help to take an inventory of what all is on/works, then pull the Relay and fuses one at a time and compare.... Hopefully it is not one of the many unfused, hot at all times wires causing a short.

[jawn101]

Oh, my mistake then. I've never had to do anything with that circuit and the diagram makes it look like the only wire not internal to the illumination circuit is the feed from the rheostat, so I just assumed that was the next upstream component. Good idea testing other things on the same fuse to see if they're always live too.

[Ron]

... and the diagram makes it look like the only wire not internal to the illumination circuit is the feed from the rheostat, so I just assumed that was the next upstream component. ...
Yep...I think it should show the fuse (feeding the LG/W wire at the Resistor... ;-)