Bypass or Delete interior light timer???

[rel3rd]

Can this be done?

My car is an 85. I was just wondering if the interior light timer can be deleted and/or bypassed? In other words, I want the interior lights to come on with the headlight knob, or by opening a door or the hatch, but I don't want it to stay on when the doors or hatch is closed. I want it to go off immediately...

Can this be done?

If so, how? Thanks.

 

[steveb]

Yes it can. My timer was bad. I just unplugged it and jumpered the 3 white wires together at the connection. Open door, lights on. Close door, lights off. Works fine.

--sb--

Can this be done?

My car is an 85. I was just wondering if the interior light timer can be deleted and/or bypassed? In other words, I want the interior lights to come on with the headlight knob, or by opening a door or the hatch, but I don't want it to stay on when the doors or hatch is closed. I want it to go off immediately...

Can this be done?

If so, how? Thanks.

 

[rel3rd]

Yes it can. My timer was bad. I just unplugged it and jumpered the 3 white wires together at the connection. Open door, lights on. Close door, lights off. Works fine.

--sb--

Sounds easy enough. One more question...I hear that the timer is located behind the "breadbox"? Can it be reached from the floor side of the dash, or will I need to remove the "breadbox"?

Thanks a lot.

 

[steveb]

I was able to get at the timer from the floor side of the dash. I lowered the ECM out of the way and was able to find it. It's held up there by what appears to be some sort of masking tape. It took me a little time looking up there to figure out where exactly it was, but it is there and you can get to it without removing the breadbox. Good luck.

--sb--

 

[rel3rd]

I was able to get at the timer from the floor side of the dash. I lowered the ECM out of the way and was able to find it. It's held up there by what appears to be some sort of masking tape. It took me a little time looking up there to figure out where exactly it was, but it is there and you can get to it without removing the breadbox. Good luck.

--sb--

Thanks a lot for the info!!

 

[rel3rd]

Yes it can. My timer was bad. I just unplugged it and jumpered the 3 white wires together at the connection. Open door, lights on. Close door, lights off. Works fine.

--sb--

I finally got time to do this today.
It seemed to work fine until I got the underdash plastic panel back on. I was testing it by working the plunger by hand. When I closed the passenger door to call it a day, the interior lights stayed on. I must have a short somewhere because the lights sometimes went off, sometimes didn't, so I just pulled the fuse for tonight. Worst part is the fuse also works the electric door locks, so my factory anti-theft is also off for the moment.

Anyone have any ideas????

 

[3dale1]

If you're certain everything is AOK at the timer relay, try rolling/jiggling the plunger a little by hand a little and tighten the nut a bit (7/16 socket?)

I did this bypass over the winter, and tested the same way you are, ended up with the same thing--erratic operation of the lights. It sounded hard for me to believe that the door closing on the jamb switch wouldn't result in this condition and working the switch by hand would, but that's what happened here.

It has been fine since, but I keep an eye on them as well. Probably sounds crazy, but hope it works for you! Joe

 

[rel3rd]

If you're certain everything is AOK at the timer relay, try rolling/jiggling the plunger a little by hand a little and tighten the nut a bit (7/16 socket?)

I did this bypass over the winter, and tested the same way you are, ended up with the same thing--erratic operation of the lights. It sounded hard for me to believe that the door closing on the jamb switch wouldn't result in this condition and working the switch by hand would, but that's what happened here.

It has been fine since, but I keep an eye on them as well. Probably sounds crazy, but hope it works for you! Joe

I'll try that just to say I did, but this evening at work I had some slow time and I took advantage. Didn't accomplish much.
Lights stayed on with timer totally removed from the equation and wires not jumpered together. With the timer connector not plugged into anything, and no wires hooked together, there should not have been a complete circuit, since the door jamb plungers are not in the mix with the timer unplugged.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...according to the GM service manual the door jamb plunger completes the circuit (ground) when doors are opened. If that's the case then when the two white wires that go to the doors are not plugged into anything, it should be impossible for the door jamb plungers to be faulty since they are not part of the circuit when timer is unplugged and no wires are jumped together.

Now, I have zero idea wth is going on. All I know is with the fuse plugged in, the interior lights stayed on no matter what I did. I tried jiggling the plungers when the timer was in the circuit and when it was unplugged...no change, lights stayed on. When the timer was plugged in, you could actually see the rear cargo lamps dull down ever so slightly when the 30 seconds was up...almost like they were trying to turn off, but I have a short to ground somewhere I believe...

For now I unplugged all of the bulbs so at least the factory anti-theft and door lock buttons work.

Any ideas ???