HELP! Engine compartment lights not working.
Thread Starter
5th Gear
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: Eagan MN
HELP! Engine compartment lights not working.
When I open the hood the lights don't come on. I've taken the lights out and checked the connections and bulbs and they looked fine. Tried to find the switch to activate them but could not find it. Any Ideas?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Re: HELP! Engine compartment lights not working. (myred85)
they are controlled by mercury switches... do you have a volt meter? if you are getting power to the lights, then you have bad switches. if you have power to the bulbs, then you have bad bulbs.
Pro
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 504
Likes: 9
From: Youngstown Oh
Re: HELP! Engine compartment lights not working. (myred85)
Did they ever work before? Chech to see if there is a fuse in the slot. Some owners remove the fuse for car shows or extended maintenance periods.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,227
Likes: 0
From: Corona CA
Re: HELP! Engine compartment lights not working. (myred85)
My mechanic always disconnects the hood lights when he works on it. Sometimes he forgets to reconnect them. There is a connector for each side. The right one is next to the radiator overflow tank and the left one is in the same place on the other side.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 83,381
Likes: 87
From: Boston, MA
Yes make sure that they are even plugged in. I unplug mine when I am working on the car and forget to plug them in half the time. My driver's side one is a little tricky, the weatherpack that it is in is very tight, and has to be juuuust right for it to work. Sometimes I have to unplug it and plug it back in a couple of times.
Another thing.... I never realized how DIRTY the lenses were. I took one off for the sake of it the other day and the inside was caked with grime. I cleaned it off and they're almost crystal clear now! :) Lots better lighting now.
Another thing.... I never realized how DIRTY the lenses were. I took one off for the sake of it the other day and the inside was caked with grime. I cleaned it off and they're almost crystal clear now! :) Lots better lighting now.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
From: Greenfield IN
Re: HELP! Engine compartment lights not working. (myred85)
Same here. Mechanic unplugged them and forgot to plug them back in. Just trace the wires down to the front corners of the car and see if they are plugged in. Easy to fix.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 797
Likes: 2
From: Westminster MD
Re: HELP! Engine compartment lights not working. (myred85)
No idea if the early cars are different or not, but the 96 has a single fuse for the underhoods down in the front area near the vacuum canister. You can pull this to kill the lights. It may be missing or bad. I think this is actually in the owners manual but I'm not sure...
