Interior Lights Stay On, Help!

[dugr]

I really appreciate this forum and the good information that is exchanged here.

I have a '94 coupe. Let me start at the beginning of what may, or may not, be the beginning of my problem: My PKE has not been responding to the "unlock" for a few days. So, I purchased and replaced the battery in the key fob (miles away from the car), today. Still, I had to unlock the door via the key to enter the car when I arrived home. I started the car and moved it a few feet, and the interior lights came on and stayed on the entire time I was driving, which was about 15 minutes. The lights stayed on when I exited the vehicle and the PKE secured the vehicle. I was away from the car for about 30 minutes. When I returned, the interior lights were off. Still the car did not unlock via the PKE, so I used the door key again. This time, the interior lights remained off. However, after about 10 minutes, the interior lights came on and remained again, for the reminder of about an 8 minute ride home. The lights remained on after the PKE secured the car.

I got to thinking that perhaps something about changing the battery in the key fob had something to do with all of this. So, I got out the owners manual. It said to do exactly what I did. However, I did go through the sequence of turning the PKE off and back on again and setting the doors to unlock.

All of this made no difference with what the interior lights were doing, but the doors are unlocking via the PKE now.

Again, I don't know if the problem I am having with the interior lights has anything to do with the PKE. It may be that it is just a coincidence that this problem came up when I changed the battery in the fob.

I was wondering if any of you have had this experience and if so, what was the fix?

I was beginning to suspect the light sensor on the dash. However, even if it was sending a "dark" signal, according to the owners manual, turning the ignition on should turn the interior lights off.

When I open the doors and push the door switch, there is a cycle sound, so I think the door switches are working.

The lights remain on somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes after the car is turned off and the PKE locks the doors. I don't know if the interior lights would go out while driving the vehicle this same amount of time. I have not tried that yet.

I appreciate any help you can give me.

Thanks!

dugr

 

[Otis3]

My Vettes interior lights were doing the same thing as yours several months
ago. My lights would even flicker on and off every time I hit a bump in the road.
What I did was to change both door switches, and problem solved.

Good luck

 

[GeorgeT]

You might try glueing a "button" to the door jamb where the switch hits when the door closes. I did this and solved the same problem.

 

[jmccloud]

Door switches

The door switches can cause your problem AND make your PKE flakey too. That's because the car won't know whether the doors are closed and the PKE may not lock or unlock. Some years' door switches are adjustable, there are several threads on this. Try the 'search' tab above.
Hope this helps.

 

[dugr]

Thanks guys!! I will look into the door switches.

Funny thing; today, the PKE never unlocked the doors, but the interior lights didn't come on either. Go figure.

If anyone else has any other input on this, I would really appreciate it. In the mean while, I will concentrate on the door switches.

Thanks, again!!!

 

[1HotVette]

You should also check to make sure that the door locks ard straight up and down. I was having the same problem. Went to the passenger side, put the key in and made sure that the lock was straight, did the same thing with the driver's side, have not had the problem since.

 

[dugr]

1HotVette thanks for posting your experience. My locks looked stright, but evidently something was where it should not have been. I worked both door locks with the key, making sure to return each lock to a neutral position. Everything has worked great since! This would have really been frustrating if I had replaced both door switches and still had the problem. Thanks, again!!!!

dugr