Interior Ligts

[Registrar]

When I have my interior lights in the automatic position on my NA (that is to have them come on when I open the door) they flicker on and off every time I go over a bump in the road. I assume I have a loose connection, my question however is does anyone know where the loose connection maybe as it does seem to affect both passenger and drivers side.

[RD5T3R]

Would suggest its the main power feed into the lights then. I'm pretty sure that one side has the main input and then links across to the other which would reduce the issue to be that point and not the door switches.
Cheers

Stu

----- Original Message -----
From: Registrar (electrical@mx5forum.co.nz)
To: electrical@mx5forum.co.nz (electrical@mx5forum.co.nz)
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2009 9:35 AM
Subject: [MX5Elect] Interior Ligts


When I have my interior lights in the automatic position on my NA (that is to have them come on when I open the door) they flicker on and off every time I go over a bump in the road. I assume I have a loose connection, my question however is does anyone know where the loose connection maybe as it does seem to affect both passenger and drivers side.

[Posted via external email]

[Euen]

The switching of the interior lights is done on the earth side. +12 is fed to the lamps and then the door switches close to ground when the door is open. If the lights are flickering it indicates that there is an intermittent short to ground. The 2 door switches are connected in parallel so the fault could be in either side.

To isolate the problem, the easiest way would be to remove the switches, give them a good visual inspection to make sure they are still working OK and not falling apart. If the switches look OK, make sure the wires are isolated so they don't touch the bodywork (a bit of tape) and then drive around and see if the fault is still there, If it is still there it is probably in the wiring. If the fault has gone then it will be a short in one of the switches.

Registrar, if you are on the Shore, send me a PM or give me a call (I think Keith Jones has my number). I can give you a hand to find it.

Euen

[WideOpenThrottle]

It may also be movement in your doors due to loose latching but i suspect corroded door switches too!

[dynofiend]

Its unlikely to be worn door switches, as the piece of metal which earths to the body when the doors are open, is about half an inch away from the body when the doors are shut. its very difficult for these to fail, and if they do, it is more that they fail to turn on the light when the door is opened, rather than causing the light to flutter on and off with the door shut.

This problem would almost certainly be the switches on the lights themselves. They are an absurdly simple design and if they become loose or worn, the switch will move from side to side on its own, enough so that it will be flickering between being in 'automatic, on when doors open' mode, to 'on all the time' mode, hence the flickering when driving along.

You need to take the switches out, and bend the sliding connectors behind the switch so that they press more firmly against the contacts (youll see what I mean when you take the switch out). This will stop the switch from sliding side to side on its own.

[sprsta]

i had the solder come off on one of the wires to the switch on mine