Interior+Glovebox lights - not switching

[wormand]

Help! At the weekend I changed the door contact switches for new items because I thought they were playing up. It didn't fix the problem. The interior lights cannot be turned on/off when opening/closing the doors. I have since noticed the glovebox light will not operate when opening/closing it's door. Has anybody else experienced this problem before? Is it a relay thats failed? Where is it? I've thought about looking in the Haynes but then realised it's more useful for propping the kitchen door open so I left it there! Help!

 

[Richard Savage]

Warwick

The courtesy light(s) and glove box are quite possibly on the same circuit. Have you checked the fuse. Those ceramic / continental type fuses are notorious for providing a bad contact!

R.

 

[wormand]

No, the fuses are fine as the interor lights work. The problem is evident when either light is rocked to the position in which should allow the lights to turn on/off when opening/closing the doors - the lights just stay on constantly.

 

[Richard Savage]

Warwick

I clearly mis-read your post. I read it that the internal light wasn't coming on, which was my problem. I took the light out and tweaked the contacts. Maybe your's needs tweaking the other way!

R.

 

[wormand]

Still not sure what could be wrong, gonna borrow my mate's Bentleys book tommorrow and see if the wiring diagram is easy to understand. Maybe that will shed some light.

 

[nathan 1981 930 G50]

The door and glove pin switches make/break the earth. Sounds like you have one of the wires shorting out onto bare metal.

 

[wormand]

The wires at the pin switch end are okay as I checked them when fitting the new switches. However, the other end of the wire, I think, goes to the power window relay according to the Bentley's wiring diagram (correct me if I am wrong). I've also checked all the wires from the fuse box to see if any are loose or bare. I am not sure if my Sonar 110R alarm/immobiliser is affecting it as I have problems setting the alarm without the alarm sounding (perhaps the contact switches are causing the alarm to think the doors are open??). Short of ripping the alarm out I am nearing my wits end with it. The alarm is getting on a bit it was fitted when the car was new - do the components break down over time?