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Interior Lights

6K views 43 replies 8 participants last post by  melliott 
#1 ·
Hi All
Not been on here for a while but I have now bought another car which requires some TLC


My question is
The PO has taken the15amp fuse out that works the interior light, time clock and radio
When I replace the fuse the radio and clock work and so do the interior light but the lights won't turn off
Where should I start to look


Many thanks
ME
 
#2 ·
Are they switched on at the rear view mirror?
 
#3 ·
The interior lights are controlled by the Lucas 5AS alarm ECU using a signal from the micro switch in the door lock. The lights on the mirror can additionally be switched on by the switches on the mirror when the doors are shut.

My guess is that one of the micro switches has failed.
 
#7 ·
#16 ·
When you say your interior lights are on, you mean your rearview mirror map lights and your footwell lights are all on?
If so, then your problem is toward connection to multifunction unit. I think yiu are calling it multifunction relay? You sad you changed it. That is red box on the other side of fusebox under steering wheel? Is that correct?

If above is correct, they you have somwhere point where pink/red wire connected to interior lights is getting earth connection. It can be either somwhere where some additional work on car was done on electrics, or it can be on connector to multifunction unit.

Once I encounterd problem of small portion of wire in the connector was making connection between earth wire and other wire. It might be usefull to make a check of that connector. If not, you have some point where this connection of pink/red wire is made to earth, and because of that you have your interior lights always on.
 
#17 ·
When you say your interior lights are on, you mean your rearview mirror map lights and your footwell lights are all on?
YES
If so, then your problem is toward connection to multifunction unit. I think yiu are calling it multifunction relay? You sad you changed it. That is red box on the other side of fusebox under steering wheel? Is that correct?
YES

If above is correct, they you have somwhere point where pink/red wire connected to interior lights is getting earth connection. It can be either somwhere where some additional work on car was done on electrics, or it can be on connector to multifunction unit.
THE CAR IS NEW TO ME SO I HAVE NO IDEA OF ANY ELECTRICAL WORK

Once I encounterd problem of small portion of wire in the connector was making connection between earth wire and other wire. It might be usefull to make a check of that connector. If not, you have some point where this connection of pink/red wire is made to earth, and because of that you have your interior lights always on.
Thank you for the information

ME
 
#18 ·
Just to get further information in order not to put you on wrong track and to give you point where to look. Tell me, when you unplugged connectors from red multifunction unit, did light goes off or stayed on? Also while you were doing this swap did you disconnect car battery or you left it connected?

I am asking these questions in order to get info if my above suspicion is correct. If light stayed on when connectors are disconnected, then above is correct. If light went off, then problem might be elswhere, providing info to mfu that light should be switched on and we might need to investigate further.

Of course, there is always possibility that problem is in connector to multifunction unit and we need to eliminate it first. Connector can be tricky and no false connection when disconnected, but when it is put back on it makes false connection.

Do you have multimeter in order to help you investigate some points?
 
#19 ·
Just to get further information in order not to put you on wrong track and to give you point where to look. Tell me, when you unplugged connectors from red multifunction unit, did light goes off or stayed on? Also while you were doing this swap did you disconnect car battery or you left it connected?
BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED
BUT I CAN DO IT AGAIN

I am asking these questions in order to get info if my above suspicion is correct. If light stayed on when connectors are disconnected, then above is correct. If light went off, then problem might be elswhere, providing info to mfu that light should be switched on and we might need to investigate further.

Of course, there is always possibility that problem is in connector to multifunction unit and we need to eliminate it first. Connector can be tricky and no false connection when disconnected, but when it is put back on it makes false connection.

Do you have multimeter in order to help you investigate some points?
YES BUT NO IDEA HOW TO USE APART FROM VOLTAGE

Once again thank you


ME
 
#20 ·
You would need to check grey, bigger connector on multifunction unit. You need to see if there is any piece of wire touching metal part of pin number 2 and this providing earth connection. You have to look dor piece,of,wire which does not belomg on the connector.

Otherwise you will need to use multimeter on resistance setting. Usualy there is a buzzer on this section which can alert you if you have connection. You can test it by joining terminals together, and you will hear buzzer.

Then you would need to check if you have earth connection on three pins from grey connector: pin 2 with pink/red wire, pin 20 with pink/grey wire and pin 21 with pink/white wire.

If you have ground connection on any of these wires you know in which direction problem is. Pin 2, you havemto look from MFU toward interior light. Pin 20 you need to look from MFU toward RH door, and pin 21 from MFU toward LH door.
 
#22 ·
Just a quick update

Because I only had a few minutes to play tonight I took the bulbs out of the footwell lights and the removed the boot bulb, disconnected the yellow plug on the mirror lights so I can now leave the fuse in and have music

I have now noticed that when I lock the car the indicators now flash once (never have before)

ME
 
#23 ·
This is a progress. Indicators should flash three times when locking and once when unlocking IIRC.
You may want to return one bulb or connector at a time to see what happens, as you might find the problem.
 
#25 ·
#32 · (Edited)
Your boot lamp and under bonnet lamp (if you have one fitted) have separate switches from multifunction unit, so these two bulbs should not affect your interior lights always on problem.

If you removed bulbs from footwell, I would suggest to put back on only yellow plug of mirror lights inmorder to see if then lights will behave as expected. I am suggesting this in order to eliminate possibility that you have some bad contact in footwell lights.
If you have lights working as expected, then put back on footwell bulbs one by one to see which one gives you problem.

You also might have problem in mirror lights as well. To eliminate that poit, put one footwell bulb back, then the other and check in both cases behavior of your interior lights (by all that time your yellow plug of mirror lights should be disconnected).

In this way you will pinpoint in which way to look in order to find culprit.

If none of the above shows any difference and lights are always on, then you should look into direction of multifunction unit. You changed it, but you might have problem in connector or wiring.

When you have time to make above test, do them and report back to see where we stand and how to move on.
 
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