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Courtesy lights stay on...

overst33r

overst33r

Diamond Member
My mom's Impala is having a problem with the courtesy lights staying on during driving and after the car is off. Obviously we have checked that all the doors and trunk are closed. Any idea what could be the matter? We replaced the car battery a few days ago, would that have anything to do with it?
 
Should be a dimmer switch on the dash, most cars have em I'm assuming the Impala does too, should be a dial type swithc that adjusts the brightness of the gauges for night driving. Often this switch if turned all the way will illuminate the interior lights. Just dial it back a bit and they should go off.

Check the owners manual.



 
The switch is dialed all the way back to its lowest position.

I checked the owner's manual and it does not have any suggestions if they stay on, the only relevant information was that the lights will turn off after 10 minutes to avoid draining the battery.
 
Does the car have a separate switch for the courtesy lights besides the standard dimmer switch? Like, up on the overhead light itself? Is there a switch up there? Usually, there's a 3-position switch for always on; always off; or only on when a door is open.
 
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Does the car have a separate switch for the courtesy lights besides the standard dimmer switch? Like, up on the overhead light itself? Is there a switch up there? Usually, there's a 3-position switch for always on; always off; or only on when a door is open.
Click to expand...

Yea my corolla has that, but the impala does not, i tried looking for switches on the door or in the trunk...no luck.
 
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Does the car have a separate switch for the courtesy lights besides the standard dimmer switch? Like, up on the overhead light itself? Is there a switch up there? Usually, there's a 3-position switch for always on; always off; or only on when a door is open.
Click to expand...

Exactly. That's the switch I was referring to in my post above, but I think it was lost in the other thoughts. :beer:
 
are we talking about the interior dome lights, or the exterior parking lights? if it's the interior lights, just flip the stupid switch back to "door." you know? the switch next the light itself? if it's the exterior lights, i have no advice. 🙂

edit, read new posts. time to look in the manual for the solution. 😉 also, keep in mind that even in cars with lights near the windshield, the switch is on the dome light in the center of the roof.
 
Originally posted by: mariok2006
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Does the car have a separate switch for the courtesy lights besides the standard dimmer switch? Like, up on the overhead light itself? Is there a switch up there? Usually, there's a 3-position switch for always on; always off; or only on when a door is open.
Click to expand...

Yea my corolla has that, but the impala does not, i tried looking for switches on the door or in the trunk...no luck.
Click to expand...

It has to have this switch.
 
Originally posted by: Midlander
Originally posted by: mariok2006
Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
Does the car have a separate switch for the courtesy lights besides the standard dimmer switch? Like, up on the overhead light itself? Is there a switch up there? Usually, there's a 3-position switch for always on; always off; or only on when a door is open.
Click to expand...

Yea my corolla has that, but the impala does not, i tried looking for switches on the door or in the trunk...no luck.
Click to expand...

It has to have this switch.
Click to expand...

If it does, i cannot find it. The only light switches there are is on the rear-view mirror, i toggled this switch, but no luck.
 
Originally posted by: Midlander
Are you talking about the dome light--the one inside the car?
Click to expand...

sort of, i am talking about the interior lights above the doors, rear view mirror, all the lights that provide lighting when you open the door/s.
 
Im reading an online manual for a 2002 Impala and it says your headlight switch is the dome lamp switch. Turn the headlight switch counter clockwise to turn off the dome light. There is a picture in the manual and the headlight switch is clearly marked DOME at the bottom of its finisher.
 
Originally posted by: mariok2006
The switch is dialed all the way back to its lowest position.

I checked the owner's manual and it does not have any suggestions if they stay on, the only relevant information was that the lights will turn off after 10 minutes to avoid draining the battery.
Click to expand...

Try turning it all the way UP and see if it clicks
 
Originally posted by: mastertech01
Im reading an online manual for a 2002 Impala and it says your headlight switch is the dome lamp switch. Turn the headlight switch counter clockwise to turn off the dome light. There is a picture in the manual and the headlight switch is clearly marked DOME at the bottom of its finisher.
Click to expand...

i have done that already a few posts up. i appreciate the help though.

Try turning it all the way UP and see if it clicks
Click to expand...

nope no clicking...
 
Then that should mean one of your courtesy lamp switches is likely the problem or that headlight switch is bad. On many cars today those switches are inside the door attached to the latch. Sometimes you can get them to work by spraying each latch with WD40 and closing the door about 10 times to free it up. Otherwise it may need replace. Also could be shorted in the wiring or the control module for them.
 
If there's no "click" feel when turning the dimmer switch, the switch itself may be bad. There's a detent at the end of the travel to let you know it's on.

Failing that, as said above, on if the pin switched in the door frame may be defective. The switches simply provide a GND circuit for the light (turning it on), if you can remove the switches one by one and short them to a good GND source, you can see which switch is failing.

If it isn't the dial simply being in the wrong position, I would bet the dimmer switch went bad. The door pin switches are extremely basic, and rarely if ever fail.
 
Sounds like a bad sensor. I had that problem in my '97 Ford Taurus when the temperature would change drastically or if it was really hot outside. The light would stay on after the door shut and the car was off or on. I think the sensors were replaced once, but they were still acting up after that so our solution was to pull the bulb out when the light would stay on.
 
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