interior lights go off

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BlackIceLSC

New member
so, against my own best notion, I tore in to my dash again to research some blend door issues.
Now, after re-assembly, when I turn my headlights on, the instrument/interior switch lights go off after a couple minutes of driving.

Not sure if it happens over a bump, or based on time.

If I roll the dimmer, they dont come on as they have on past Mark VIII's when the dimmer is failing(Gen 1), but headlights work, and so do interior lights...just not the instrument panel/switches.

thoughts?
 
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BlackIceLSC

New member
I only had the headlight switch/dimmer unplugged, removed the trim that surrounds the cluster and also the message center panel and screen so I could see the blend door actuator movement.

This morning they stayed on the entire time while driving to work. I usually have them partially dimmed since they are so bright and most of my driving is in the dark(early to work, late coming home)

I suspect a bad dimmer wheel/switch as yesterday when dinking with it I rolled the dimmer to full bright and turned the headlight switch on and they worked...so I left it at that setting. I didn't want to mess with it while driving this morning in the rain just in case that is the problem.

Just some thoughts. My old 95 would have a glitch in the illumination brightness when I'd mess with the dimmer so I suspect a similar issue here.
 
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BlackIceLSC

New member
Ok, I am a ding-dong (I think)

remember folks, I have been mostly a Gen 1 owner, and although I owned a 97 LSC for a few years a long time ago, this exact scenario had never come up.

Correct me if I am wrong but...

when I turned on my headlights, it was still daylight out, just dark and cloudy with light rain...that is when the interior lights did not illuminate with the headlights being on. But when I pulled in to the car port and turned off my headlights, then turned them back on, the instrument/interior lights did come on and stayed on for several minutes while I let it idle.
The next day, same scenario...headlights turned on manually, no interior/instrument lights.
But in the dark, when the headlights are turned on, the interior lights worked...2 days straight...on my way to work at 6:00am and on my way home at 6:00pm.
But when I went out to lunch, it was raining but light out...headlights on, no interior lights.

I am beginning to think that the car has a sensor that keeps the interior lights off if it is bright outside, regardless of what I do with the headlight switch.

I thought the "day/night" sensor was only for the headlights themselves (auto-on when it is dark enough)
I do not use the "auto headlamp/delay" feature in hopes of avoiding the HID's from being turned on and off at random, thus avoiding the dreaded "hot re-strike" of the bulbs.

So, that said...does the day/night sensor also control the instrument/interior light operation depending on the ambient light?
 
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