Interior light problem

[autobahn_stormer]

Ive just noticed that despite my interior lights working fine on the door switches you cant turn them on on the actual units, anyone know why that could be?

[tomtomiS]

dodgy contacts on the light unit i think. mine work on the doors but the drivers one i cant turn it on manually by switching it. bummer specially when u wanna build a j

[wiledw]

Mine are the opposite work on switch not on the doors.

[toby]

When I play around with the interior lights I first take out fuse 17, as it blows easily. Then lift out the lamps. Then put the fuse back in. (You will have to reprogramme the radio stations after as it works on same fuse.)

Check, with a test light (make one with a bulb and two wires if you don't have one) next check that you have positive feeds. Dodgy contacts sound the most likely but strange you have that on both lamps.

I'm racking my brain to remember what the wires should be. I think it's one live, one earth and a switchable earth (the door switch).

It could be you have a bad common earth on the permenant earth where both wires meet and join the bodywork.

I'm just making assumptions here and have no experience of this exact problem.

wiledw - if you take out the door switches and pull them out carefully with wires still connected (don't disconnect them) and clean up the contact area - i used a cloth for grease and a small file to be sure the contact was fresh.

[drewjak]

if you remove the light unit and watch it from the back when you switch it over youll probly find the little copper bar isn`t making a connection(for light manualy on) it`ll just need bending over slightly.

[autobahn_stormer]

if you remove the light unit and watch it from the back when you switch it over youll probly find the little copper bar isn`t making a connection(for light manualy on) it`ll just need bending over slightly.

thanks mate hopefully thats all it is, i will try that 2nite, its annoying not being able to find cds/fags/a girl etc lol

[Sanchez]

if you remove the light unit and watch it from the back when you switch it over youll probly find the little copper bar isn`t making a connection(for light manualy on) it`ll just need bending over slightly.

thanks mate hopefully thats all it is, i will try that 2nite, its annoying not being able to find cds/fags/a girl etc lol

you shouldnt be looking for a girl if you have already got her in your car!!!

Who needs lights, just the gentle touch is all thats required.

[autobahn_stormer]

haha, well when theres more than 1 i gotta be able to see faces, cant call em the wrong names now can I

[Brianmoooore]

if you remove the light unit and watch it from the back when you switch it over youll probly find the little copper bar isn`t making a connection(for light manualy on) it`ll just need bending over slightly.

This is probable, but if someone has been messing with the wiring in the past, it's possible to put the connectors wrongly on the interior lights to give the problem you describe.
Not working on the doors is the door switches themselves.
Take them out - don't let the connector slip back through the hole!, and clean and lubricate them (silicon grease). Also trim away a sliver of black plastic that builds up at the contact point.