Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Hobbies, Crafts, & Houses > Wiring Thread: This stupid safety device started alerting that there wasn't safety!

Menekali: Jul 21, 2008

Great thread! I've learned a bit so far and, I've always had issues trying to understand anything remotely electrical.

I do however, have a question. I loaned my truck to a friend recently (1994 Ford Bronco XLT). Comes back with a flat 37" wheel (YAY!) but the real issue, is none of the dome, or door lights would turn off. Essentially thrashing my battery. Apparently he fooled around, and tried to tune some poo poo up on the truck (wasn't needed anyway, it JUST had it's tune up).

Essentially, where the gently caress do I start? I have no idea where or how to go about tracking down what might be causing the lights in the cabin to stay on even after the doors are closed. I'm clueless here!

# ¿ Mar 26, 2009 20:04

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Menekali: Jul 21, 2008

chryst posted:

I've got a lot of experience with auto electrics. Not sure this is really thethread for it tho.

I'm guessing he broke the switch. Try completely removing it, and see if the lights shut off. (Or connect the + and - wires, and see if they shut off. Might be a normally open type switch) If it's not the switch, then put the it back on and pull the fuse. Does that shut off the lights?

If not, then he's rewired it to a constant, and you'll need to find the splice. I'd start at the switch, and look around to see if there are wires missing from there. If not, try it from the fuse block. Most people wouldn't re-route too far from the original. If you can't find it, you'll have to trace by hand, which is a huge pain in the rear end.

Did he put a new stereo in? Maybe check behind the stereo. He may have tried to wire it into the dome light's switched power and used the wrong wire.

Thanks. Yea I realized after making the post, the difference between home, and auto electrical engineering must be pretty substantial, however I also figured someone would be able to answer heh.

Thanks. When you say switch, do you mean the actual switch that gets pushed in when the doors are closed? I've looked at them, and neither one looks to be broken, but I'll go back over them, pull them out and take a look. If that's not the switch, excuse my ignorance, I just don't know, switch could possibly be a technical term in electrical engineering for something else? :iiam:

No stereo was installed, and as far as I know, no serious changes were made. It could be a coincidence also that it happened when he had the truck. I don't think fooling around and attempting a 'tune-up' would cause this sort of behavior.

# ¿ Mar 26, 2009 20:50

Menekali: Jul 21, 2008

grover posted:

Try the dimmer switch on the dash first; he might have bumped it to full on. Look for switches on the dome light, too, there might be switches you don't even know about One of the microswitches that sense the doors are open might have failed, too; those are difficult to troubleshoot for, though. In the meantime, you can pull the fuse or pull the bulbs so you don't drain your battery.

Thanks a lot man, I'll be sure to check all of that tonight

# ¿ Mar 26, 2009 22:19

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