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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 39
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 39 |
The interior (courtesy) lights are staying on in my 68 Firebird coupe after it warms up. If I push either door switch in (off) I see the lights dim slightly. Once the car cools down, the lights go out. Any ideas before I start troubleshooting?
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,337 Likes: 3
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Premium Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,337 Likes: 3 |
Probably a bad voltage regulator. (give it a whack with a screwdriver handle when its warm and lights not going out)
If the lights go out after the whack, that's the problem.
Or it may be a simple as a bad ground. My under dash light sockets were not grounded well and were causing this. But then they would not go out later unless something is allowing them to ground after cooling.
There may be a lot of hunt-and-peck to find bad grounds. One of the issues with these old cars.
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold  1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 39
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 39 |
I switched my voltage regulator to the solid state unit from Ames. I have the old one, might try to switch it out before I start chasing.
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,337 Likes: 3
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10,337 Likes: 3 |
Hmmm. I went through three or four Ames models before they finally sent me a good one. (that lasted longer than a month)
I have a feeling you found the culprit.
Especially if this only started behaving this way 'after' installing the Ames one.
I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure. I feel like I am diagonally parked in a parallel universe. 1968 400 convertible (Scarlet) 1976 T/A - 455 LE (No Burt) 1976 T/A New baby, starting full restoration. 1968 350 - 4 speed 'vert - 400 clone (the Beast!) 1968 350 convertible - Wife's car now- 400 clone (Aleutian Blue) (Blue Angel) 2008 Durango - DD 2008 GXP - New one from NH is AWESOME! 2017 Durango Citadel - Modern is nice! HEMI is amazing! 1998 Silverado Z71 - Father-daughter project 1968 400 coupe - R/A clone (Blue Pearl) (sold) 1967 326 convertible - Sold 1980 T/A SE Bandit - Sold
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 2,405 Likes: 1
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Mine were staying on due to the drivers bulb and socket grounding against the dash, once I secured them the problem stopped.
Al
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,179
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Premier Member
Joined: Jun 2005
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mine was the passenger side courtesy light out of holder and socket grounding too
69 RA III T/A Auto
69 Sprint vert 3speed ( sold to a new home)
69 350 coupe ( new home in Denver)
69 350 HO 4spd
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Joined: Feb 2004
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I would unbolt both door switches and pull them out or tape them off to eliminate them first.
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Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 56
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My under dash lights were grounding too. It caused my interior lights to stay on. I replaced my door switches, but that didn't help. I wound up covering the metal courtesy light brackets with electrical tape. Problem solved. I don't know why this started, but insulating the brackets worked for me.
68 Sprint
Chevy 350 with 4-speed
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