Joe '87 S4

I went to drive the car today and after opening the door I noticed my interior lights wouldn't go on. A few weeks ago I had a problem with them staying on but fixed the hatch receiver and everything seemed to work properly. Would a bad relay keep them from coming on? When I first got the car I had a sticky relay that kept them on. Now I can't get them to turn on. I was expecting a dead battery but the car starts and drives fine.

Nicole

Do you have any other electric stuff not working properly, maybe instruments? I don't know about your model year, but in mine the fuse for interior lights and some instruments is the same.

Otherwise I'd check those interior lights that you normally have turned on for deformities - yes, you are reading correctly! These plastic thingies buckle under the heat of the standard bulbs, which is why I have replaced my center dome light twice already. But I will never have to do this again, since I switched to LEDs...

Of course, those switches at the doors seem a little flimsy and could also be the culprits. I hope you can figure it out!

Joe '87 S4

Last week my drive indicator lights stopped working but all the other dash lights seem to work. I'll try and check the fuse. I recently changed the front dome light because I couldn't turn the old one on. Frustrating.

Bill Ball

Usually this is due to a blown interior light fuse (24) secondary to a shorted overhead light. However, if that fuse blows it also takes out the instruments, so your speedo will not work (even though it is not labeled as serving the instruments), so if your instruments still work, then it is due to a problem elsewhere.

Will the lights turn on if you move the switch on each to the "always on" position?

Have you checked whether all the doors and hatch are affected?

What about the red door edge light?

Joe '87 S4

The red door lights are out also. I'll take a better look at it tomorrow.

Bill Ball

OK, what happens when you switch the lights to always on? If that doesn't work, then the fuse is a more likely suspect.

ColinB

Hey Bill
Just noticed this:

Others in the garage: 75 Norton Commando, 79 & 82 Honda CBX 1100s, 91 Honda 600 F2, 99 Durango, 02 Protege5 (hers)

Interesting 2-wheeled fleet, but over here CBX's were 1000cc. Are yours really 1100 or is this a typo?

Colin. 82 CB1100RC

Bill Ball

The CBX is 1050cc (er, actually 1047) and is variously referred to as 1000 or 1100. Maybe I should just indicate CBX.

Joe '87 S4

I tried switching the lights to "on" and nothing. I don't have time to fool around with it so I'll just take it to Hi Tech in a few weeks and have everything fixed. Boy, my to-do list is getting long all of a sudden.

Joe '87 S4

My curiosity got the better of me and I took a look at the fuse. Sure enough it's burnt out. My speedometer and everything else still works except for my drive indicator lights. I have the #24 fuse listed as 5 amps but the fuse in there was 7.5. I swaped it with the #40 fuse which is also a 5 amp and it blew immediately. I'm guessing I have a short in the hatch area because that's where I first noticed a light problem which lead me to replace the hatch receiver gasket. So now I have two blown fuses #24 & #40 and a short somewhere. I checked the front dome light that I changed a few weeks ago and that seems fine - no exposed wires or nothing touching metal. I'm going to look for it now but just in case I don't find it, where is the light connection in the hatch area?

The_Remora

Curious to see where this goes; I have a similar problem, car was like that when i got it a few weeks ago and I havnet gotten around to sorting it out yet, mainly because it runs fine otherwise. But it is getting annoying and on my things-to-do list....

The_Remora

Secondary to shorted overhead light? Makes sense as I also have the leak at the hatch hinge... What part is the most common culprit? Corrosion at connection? I'll open this up and clean it up.

And yes Bill you have damn fine taste in motorcycles

Joe '87 S4

I took a quick look but couldn't find anything. My hatch hinge also leaks. It's funny how these cars all have similar problems.

Bill Ball

Joe: OK, you have a short. Please pull down the overhead light. It is very common for it to break and short against the roof panel. In my car fuse 24 is 7.5 amp and does affect the speedo. Yours is 5 amps and doesn't. Anyway, you probably have a red wire in this circuit touching ground. The overhead light is the most likely culprit.

Joe '87 S4

I pulled down the overhead light and one side of the light was broken. It looks promising/I hope this is the problem. I'm going to order two new lights and a few new fuses and cross my fingers. The wiring into the light looks good but because it broke off on one end, it could have easiy shorted against something in the roof. Good call Bill!