Interior Lights Are Gone!!

[ijreed]

I have a 1996 ssei and i was riding down the street the other day and seen that my interior lights were flickering on and off. After that happening for about 15 minutes, all my interior lights stop working. I have checked the fuse and it is not blown. Is there a relay or something else i could check to fix this problem.

[ijreed]

Is there anyone that can help?

[ChilinMichael]

If you click the twilight sentinel dial to interior lights on mode, does that activate them by chance?

[ijreed]

No, it doesn't do anything that way or when I open my doors. It doesn't do anything when I push each one separately either.

[ChilinMichael]

At this point, if you are sure you got the correct fuse, I am at a loss for your 96. I know in 95 the twilight sentinel unit behind the knob actually creates a bad ground and melts at the connector, but I'm pretty sure this doesn't happen with the 96. You would need a set of factory service manuals or a gearhead here to respond with what else could cause it. Double check the fuse again, and even if you are pretty sure that's the one, check others.

[ijreed]

I actually had to replace the twilight sentinel on my car before, but I don't know what year I took it from. Is it a possibility that the twilight sentinel could be the problem.

[ChilinMichael]

Pull it out and look at the wires...

[charliemax]

Pull it out and look at the wires...

Those Twilight sensors in '95s are a pita. Must have replaced it once a year, including with '96-'99 units. Finally replaced the entire wire harness with heavier gauge wires, so they wouldn't cook the switch.

When you say "interior" are you including the dash and radio lights? Because of the way the '95 SE is circuited, you can lose headlights, taillights.. all kinds of weird stuff. But almost always with the headlight/twilight switch, the dash/radio are in the mix. I've never had the doorlighting etc go when ya open the door. I just couldn't turn them on with a nuked switch.

Chilin.... Do you have the 17" bent fives on your SLE? I just landed a pristine set for an M90 swap. I was wondering how they'll look on my '98SSEi?

Thanx

[Jrs3800]

The Mall module controls the interior lighting iirc.... But being that none of the lights turn on manually, there is no power there... All of the fuses need to be checked, there is a reason that there is no power to the interior lighting...

[ChilinMichael]

Yeah I'm with Don, there's a fuse out somewhere or other reason..I'm betting an overlooked fuse. The labeling is kinda crappy IMO at times...you think you know which one it is but then read another and go "OHHH, it's that one" Look through again. Not saying that it HAS to be a fuse.


Charlie...yes 03' 17" rims. I don't know how they'll look on your 98...but general consensus is that they look good on my 95'

[charliemax]

Yeah I'm with Don, there's a fuse out somewhere or other reason..I'm betting an overlooked fuse. The labeling is kinda crappy IMO at times...you think you know which one it is but then read another and go "OHHH, it's that one" Look through again. Not saying that it HAS to be a fuse.


Charlie...yes 03' 17" rims. I don't know how they'll look on your 98...but general consensus is that they look good on my 95'

I'll always defer to Jrs's experience. IIRC, it was he who had the longest running hunt for an A column area leak in the history of Bonnevilles.

In ijreed's '96, if he opens the car door and gets no light, then that headlight/twilight switch is a non-issue. The thing that's a buster is the length of the flickering.

The fuse might be out now, and the first thing I would do is a swap with another same-amp fuse with the one in the interior light circuit. Pulsing could just cook the fuse, without it showing a failure that is easily visible. 100-1, but a simple check.

IMHO, flickering/pulsing for that long is not usually how our light circuits go. Unless you have a wire or contact problem.

In a '96, I'd be looking to clean-up the underdash fuse box with a lightweight electrical cleaner, and consider replacing as many fuses as i had available, so you're set for another 15 yrs.

Then move onto the Usual Suspect of Flicker... and make sure that wirebus ground under the driver door bottom-cap is 100% clean of rust. Then out and check/tidy up the relay/fuse center under the hood. If you still have nothing, then you're going to have to trace the wire. But it's really rare to get inside lights shorted, unless you've been pulling on chit to install audio.


Chilin.... Yeah, i saw wheel detail in your signature, but i couldn't quite tell if they were the Bent 5s through the snowfence. Nice Bonnemachine. My '95 is still my sentimental fav. Only had to replace a starter and PCM in the past 6-7 yrs, and she's at 215K. if ya get stuck for a PCM. ping me. I always have a reserve. My price at the yard for Clubbers ($30?)

[00Beast]

Charliemax, they look good on JWikoff's 92 SSE, they will look just as good on your 98.

ijreed, I have no input on your issue, other than to check your ground busses, which I assume have been checked already.

[ChilinMichael]

My only thought was that with the 9 million wires (exaggeration a little) going in and out of the twilight switch, I wasn't sure if all the internal light wiring had to pass through it having the switch there. That or a short from melted wires if it did happen again on him since there is an internal light "on" position on that switch.

*and yes, they are a pain. I re-soldered an entirely new harness in place when I found mine melted. Took a while...lol

[Jrs3800]

My thing is this... The courtesy lights are all on a constant hot circuit, they are supplied with power all of the time, that way you flip a switch and poof lights... He could also have a ground issue so I would also agree with checking the ground buss bars on both sides of the car....

Are the lights the only item/s that seem to be having issues?

[charliemax]

My thing is this... The courtesy lights are all on a constant hot circuit, they are supplied with power all of the time, that way you flip a switch and poof lights... He could also have a ground issue so I would also agree with checking the ground buss bars on both sides of the car....

Are the lights the only item/s that seem to be having issues?

OK. I'll take the BrainDead Award here.

(acceptance speech...)
"I want to thank the Producers. The great Director and Writers for the script, without whose help I wouldn't have been able to behave like a dumbchit in public. Most of all I want to thank myself for being distracted like some giggly teenaged girl because I got shiny new wheels, which I think are going to look kick-sss on my White Vendetta."

One of the beauties of '96-99s, that my fav '95 doesn't have, is the Bong Test.

Jrs mentioned the unit earlier,.. the Body Control Module aka Multifunction Alarm Lock Light aka MALL module.

The MALL is mainly to detect and shunt "inadvertent" power from leaking from your battery/system out through any short-to-ground on certain circuits.

It checks 3 circuits and one of them is the Courtesy Lamp circuit. (+ Fasten Seat Belt and Battery Protection circuits)

the MALL can get confused if the doorlock fuse (Fuse-1 ?) or doorchime fuse (Fuse1-D ?) or courtesy lamp fuse (Fuse 6A ?) are blown.

Check all of those fuses before you run the test. Check for poor terminal/wiring harness contact at the MALL.

Next, please tell me the Bong Test is still written-up here somewhere. It's a great test because it can tell you if you have a short in any of those 3 circuits. Then goes into I/O mode and you can check each individual sub-circuit (you step through turning on/off each light) on those 3 to locate a short.

If you get "bonged" on things which aren't working, then the BCM has to be checked/replaced.

[ijreed]

I just want to thank everyone for your help. It ended up being the 6A fuse.

[Jrs3800]

Glad you got it fixed...

[ijreed]

Ok so my fuse popped again, and I no longer have interior lights. Also i have an aftermarket sound system that includes a 3000 watt amp, a 800 watt amp, 2 12'' subs and a different radio. Every time my bass hits my interior lights come on. I have no idea where to start looking.

[ijreed]

Can Anyone help me. Both of the ground buss things are clean. I don't know where to look outside of that. If there is a short, where could it be shorted at. Someone please help!..