OzBeast

My 75 vert had the courtesy lights on when I drove home tonight. I think it's the passenger door switch as it feels much shallower than the driver side. Lights stay on with everything off so battery is disconnected for now.

Toggling switch(es) on either side did nothing (lights stay on), but I still think it's the passenger side given how different it feels.

1) Are the door switches the only toggle for the courtesy lights?
2) If it is likely a door switch, what is the best way to fault find?
3) How to fix a door switch? Easy, hard, tips?

Cheers fellow Vettians!

'75

Hi Oz, have you made sure the headlight switch is not turned all the way left keeping the interior light on?

toobroketoretire

Yeah, check your headlight switch and make sure its not turned to the left far enough to turn the lights on. I replaced my switch a couple of months ago and immediately noticed the "detent" is so weak it'll turn the lights on with the greatest of ease. If its not that then one of your door jamb switches needs adjustment.

OzBeast

Thanks fellas,

I'm not sure if it's that, rotating the headlights **** to the right will dim the dash and console lights, but doesn't turn the courtesy lights off.

Opening and closing the driver door activates and extinguishes the door ajar warning light, but the passenger side does not. Oddly though, the light remains off with both doors closed, which implies to me that both door jamb switches are working.

Confused.

Perhaps my headlight switch is just fubar.

SH-60B

My '79 had a timer for the lights, took it out just because. Maybe that has malfunctioned, if it has one.

Iceaxe

The "door ajar" switch is mounted at the rear of the door opening. The switch sends a signal to the door ajar light in the center gauge bezel.

The "door jamb" switch is mounted at the front of the door opening and the switch turns on the interior courtesy lights.

Just making sure you are looking at the correct switch.

OzBeast

Pretty sure the '75 doesn't have anything that fancy Thanks for the suggestion though, I hadn't even considered a delay.

Good point, though I think (fingers crossed) I've figured it out - and it's nothing to do with anything suggested here yet.

I must say though, I'm going to have to figure the switches out, because I had assumed they all came off one switch, but evidently I was mistaken.

One last question... in a 75, should having the passenger door open (and key to accessory or engine on) light the 'door ajar' warning? Cos mine doesn't, only the driver side door does.

And now, the answer..... drum roll...... grounding issue!

I happen to read these two threads today, which between them clued me to a possible problem/solution: (dome and courtesy lights are "hot") & (Courtesy lights wont turn off after installing new radio.. Please Help..) today, which was incredibly timely as it suggested one of the bulb may be grounding, causing the circuit to be permanently open.

I jiggled the driver side and found the bulb not in the holder at all, just floating. It seems to have been grounding against part of the metal dash bracket sporadically (making it hard to fault find) and causing me grief.

I think I have it figured now, trickle charging the battery tonight and we'll see if this solves it.

Thanks again for the help guys.

flyguy767

Just curious? I have a !977 and my courtesy and dome lights are hot, both white and orange wires. When I purchased the car, there were no lights in these sockets? I assume now that the lights were staying on and the previous owner removed them to prevent draining the battery. By removing your "timer" do your lights still work with the doors open, but just with delay? And how did you actually rewire the connections without the timer. I heard from Tracdogg2 that these timers can overheat and malfunction causing the lights to remain "on" all the time. This is something I may need to do. I am not sure how to trace this down, but the whole dashpad and panels are out right now for updating, so its a good time to chase this gremlin down.

ykf7b0

Make sure a bulb receptacle isn't grounded out on its mount. It happened to me on the drivers side of my 76.

Corvettetodd

I was the one who posted last week about my courtesy lights staying on and found the bulb base grounding on the holder..I Hope this was the issue and glad it helped if it was..
This forum is awesome for finding these time consuming, mind boggling issues.. Its always something with these old cars..

flyguy767

are you referring to the actual socket that the bulb is placed in and it grounding out on the metal mount or clip that holds it to the panel?

ykf7b0

Yes

flyguy767

Don't think that's the problem because the dash's are both out and the courtesy light sockets are just hanging there and not in their mounting clips. I am going to replace both door switches and clean the ground up at the door pilar driver side and hope that will fix the problem. I am going to eliminate the delay timer.

canadianroaddog

Check your cigarette lighter. I had the same issue and after several fruitless attempts at troubleshooting the issue I noticed the lighter is on the same circuit so I tried removing the lighter from it's socket and the lights started working normally. There is obliviously a short of some sort in the lighter (which is okay because that is the one item in the car we will never use!!!)