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Electrical / Re: Odd electrical gremlin - need electrical gurus
« Last post by nUcLeArEnVoY on Today at 02:28:46 PM »As above, those courtesy lights are often affected by the slightest issue elsewhere. Remove the globe, maybe unplug the door plungers. They can wear also,but not often the issue.
Check headlight switch isn't turned to keep dome light on.
I see some updates so ignore any. Rule out any fuses. Sounds like something has flipped polarity, still operates bulbs, doesn't operate things running off it. Did they rewire or repair front park lights or fender markers? Or headlights have halogens and not rewired from stock? Check headlight harness grounds on each end of support and battery ground cable to support as well as others in place around the chassis.
You called it, Wallington. The issue as to why everything was not working or working funny was because of a blown fuse. Had to actually remove the CLK-ACC-CTSY glass fuse to see the gap and that it had blown. When I glanced at it initially, it looked fine. After replacing it, everything now works like it should - in fact, my radio reception is clearer now than it was before on various channels. The rest of the fuses were fine.
It's weird how a blown fuse protecting one bank of the electrical system can affect devices that operate off another bank since the dome light isn't protected by that specific fuse that blew, and that how some very minimal draw devices on the bank protected by the bad fuse can still work in the presence of a blown fuse such as the glovebox light and clock. Either way, after replacing the fuse everything works again and works the way it should. I also replaced the dome light bulb just in case.
I'm concerned now, though because I'm well aware a blown fuse is a symptom rather than a cause, but I'm not really sure what could have caused the fuse to blow other than just bad luck or age. Maybe that bulb for the dome light shorted or something as it was a bit loose in there.
You could be right in that the grounds for the front end harness were messed with. Not sure why - it's grounded on the radiator support, rather than the headlight retaining panel which was all that was replaced. I've always had standard sylvania high and low sealed beam halogens like what the car would have come with stock, and they're working okay. My battery's neg cable is bolted to the stud on the cylinder head as stock, and also has an auxiliary ground wire going to the radiator support.