Interior Lights Stay On Help

[Brosley90]

I just bought my third DSM. This one was previously built and definitely has some bugs in it.

Most recently, I had to have my boost and oil gauges replaced as the old units failed. When I got the car back I noticed the interior lights would stay on and kill the battery. I searched to the best of my ability, and I have purchased new door switches even though we tested mine and they are in working order.

The footwell, map, and trunk lights stay on when the doors are closed. There is no door ajar light on the dash when they are closed, but it does come on when they are open further indicating they should be in working condition. The guy who installed the gauges went back through all his work to ensure no grounding issues or wiring issues were made.

Now I've searched the forums and I have seen this issue pop up a few times, but no one has seem to had a fix aside from door switches. Know I understand there is most likely a short somewhere in the system. I am not great at electrical work, so I was going to purchase a short tracer, but is there any tips or advice on what else I could be looking for?

 

[steve]

Exactly what car are we talking about. There is quite a bit of difference between the lighting of a 1G and a 2G.

 

[Brosley90]

Sorry ! 2G 99 gst just recently awd swapped 49k on the clock

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

That circuit is grounded somewhere or the lights would not stay on.

 

[luv2rallye]

On a 2g the footwell, map, and trunk lights are normally controlled by the ETACS-ECU timer circuit (controls the grounding side of those lights - the other side of those lights is always hot). However if one negative side of just one of those lights is shorted to ground, they will all stay on constantly.

First try unplugging the dome (map) light switch to see if others go out (since one part of the dome light switch has a ground and if switch is internally shorted could cause this). If not, you'll have to disconnect battery, unplug the ETACS-ECU and start testing continuities to ground of all the related wires connectors which is going to be messy.

 

[Brosley90]

On a 2g the footwell, map, and trunk lights are normally controlled by the ETACS-ECU timer circuit (controls the grounding side of those lights - the other side of those lights is always hot). However if one negative side of just one of those lights is shorted to ground, they will all stay on constantly.

First try unplugging the dome (map) light switch to see if others go out (since one part of the dome light switch has a ground and if switch is internally shorted could cause this). If not, you'll have to disconnect battery, unplug the ETACS-ECU and start testing continuities to ground of all the related wires connectors which is going to be messy.

Thank you for the reply. That’s what I’m afraid of. I hope it doesn’t get too messy. I’m thinking something got bumped and grounded by accident when the gauges got installed. I’m just struggling to know what I’m looking for. I guess I could start with following the wires from each light.

 

[luv2rallye]

It most likely should be either: one of the black-blue wires from the dome light switch, or one of the red-green wires from the foot lights.

 

[Brosley90]

It most likely should be either: one of the black-blue wires from the dome light switch, or one of the red-green wires from the foot lights.

Thank you I’ll try tracing them tonight and see where i end up.

 

[shdwmsk]

Quick question, Does the dash lights dimmer dial turn on the interior lights if turned all the way bright? Not too familiar with 2g's.

I had this happen when my wife/kids turn the dash knob on a different car and it took me a bit to figure it out.

 

[Brosley90]

Quick question, Does the dash lights dimmer dial turn on the interior lights if turned all the way bright? Not too familiar with 2g's.

I had this happen when my wife/kids turn the dash knob on a different car and it took me a bit to figure it out.

I messed with the dimmer switch. And while i think it may turn them on it won’t turn them off. The dimmer function does work tho