So, I've had the car for a week now. Everything has been going well.

Until 2 nights ago.

I was approaching a red light, applied the breaks and all of a sudden, my dome light comes on.
I look up, because that's the natural thing to do. I reach over, turn down the switch, the dash lights fade
to black, but, the dome light is still as bright as the sun. I think that maybe I haven't properly closed my door,
so I open it and slam it shut. Still as light as noon in the Cavalier, but 11 o'clock at night outside. Light turns green,
I hit the gas, the dome light fades out and is now off. I am on getting on the toll road so it's about 15 minutes before
I have to hit my breaks to pay the toll.. And, sure enough.. the dome light comes on again. This time, I am thinking the
passenger side door is ajar, so I open and slam it shut as I wait for the car ahead to pay their toll and move on. I hit the
gas, light starts to fade, I hit the breaks to stop at the toll booth, dome light brightens yet again. I go through the toll,
the light fades. This goes on everytime I stop and accelerate all the way home. I pull up to the house, turn off the headlights,
kill the ignition, get out of the car, hit the remote to lock the doors, everything is fine.. except the dome light is still burning bright.
I try opening and closing the trunk.. all is secure, but still the dome light stayed on. Finally, I pulled off the cover and popped
the bulb out.

Same stuff happened the next day.

Any ideas?




A Work In Progress



J'ai peur de mes propres rêves pour cela est alors que j'ai fait mal le plus.

Insert *BRAKES* where appropriate, 'cause I'm an idiot.




A Work In Progress



J'ai peur de mes propres rêves pour cela est alors que j'ai fait mal le plus.

is it an aftermarket alarm?

sounds like a "friend" hacked your car. lol find the thread where somebody hooked the horn up to the brake light switch. classic!




Desert Tuners

“When you come across a big kettle of crazy, it’s best not to stir it.”

my 96 did the same thing, never fixed it or found out what it was, but it hasn't done it since I changed my interior lights to l.e.d.'s. the dome light will stay on while the car is on tho, but it is sooooo dim that you would never even notice it. and it stays off when I turn the car off. so, I gave up on it lol

FReQ GTO eSquIRE wrote:is it an aftermarket alarm?

sounds like a "friend" hacked your car. lol find the thread where somebody hooked the horn up to the brake light switch. classic!

No, there isn't an aftermarket alarm. However, if this was the case, I would think it would have started before I got the car.
I've had the car for a week now and this only started 2 nights ago. Thanks for the input though.




A Work In Progress



J'ai peur de mes propres rêves pour cela est alors que j'ai fait mal le plus.

For '99 and prior to some point, a module known as the "multifunction alarm module" was used to control the dome lights (and the "theatre lighting" feature), the various key-in-ignition alarm buzzer functions, seat belt warnings and who knows what else. I believe this was all taken over by the BCM (body control module) in '00. It gets signals from a multitude of switches that sense door open, trunk open, key in (turned on or off), lights off (or on), brake applied (both foot and parking), gear position (park or otherwise) and of course seat belts in use. My guess is the BCM in your car is getting mixed signals from one or more of the switches. I'd start by checking the likely suspects you can reach or see (ie: door light switches, brake light switches, etc.) to see if there's anything obviously ajar, disconnected or whatever. The factory service manuals have a baffling collection of circuit diagrams, flowcharts and logic diagrams and are really invaluable, if you can find someone that has one to match your car. (I bought the two volume set for my car off eBay some time ago very reasonably and highly recommend them.) Good luck. - Mark

1of7627 (Mark) wrote:For '99 and prior to some point, a module known as the "multifunction alarm module" was used to control the dome lights (and the "theatre lighting" feature), the various key-in-ignition alarm buzzer functions, seat belt warnings and who knows what else. I believe this was all taken over by the BCM (body control module) in '00. It gets signals from a multitude of switches that sense door open, trunk open, key in (turned on or off), lights off (or on), brake applied (both foot and parking), gear position (park or otherwise) and of course seat belts in use. My guess is the BCM in your car is getting mixed signals from one or more of the switches. I'd start by checking the likely suspects you can reach or see (ie: door light switches, brake light switches, etc.) to see if there's anything obviously ajar, disconnected or whatever. The factory service manuals have a baffling collection of circuit diagrams, flowcharts and logic diagrams and are really invaluable, if you can find someone that has one to match your car. (I bought the two volume set for my car off eBay some time ago very reasonably and highly recommend them.) Good luck. - Mark

Thanks, Mark. Actually, the previous owner of the car kept the original books that came with it, so I will check that out this evening, after work.




A Work In Progress



J'ai peur de mes propres rêves pour cela est alors que j'ai fait mal le plus.

Your title got me to look at your post. I lol. Anyway, I had to change out the back door switch on the wifes Taurus. Might be as simple as that or as stated, maybe the BCM. Try the easy/cheap stuff first. Good luck.


Labrat

Labrat wrote:Your title got me to look at your post. I lol. Anyway, I had to change out the back door switch on the wifes Taurus. Might be as simple as that or as stated, maybe the BCM. Try the easy/cheap stuff first. Good luck.

guilty as charged.


sounds to me like the wire that controls the dome light is coming into contact with the sire for the brakes. check if your brake lights come on when you have the door open.

Has anyone found a fix for this? My 00 sunfire started to do the exact same thing. When I brake the dome light comes on but only when I stop not when I'm driving and braking. Or maybe it just comes on because I'm stopped not cause I brakelol either way when I come to a compete stop my dome light comes on and won't go off. Iv tried. All the doors and the wheel switch. Their is deffantly a problem cause it dosnt go off untill 20 mins after I shut off my car. Can someone please help? It's so annoying at stop signs and red lights. I would put it on a switch but I don't want to loose the function that it turns on when the doors open or key is triggered

It is a bad ground, and it is feeding the power back through the body harness.

Check the drivers side wiring from the door light switch. It runs right by your left foot. I would start there. It has been a known spot for wear. Also follow the brake signal wire from the brake switch..downstream.




PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO

What exactly should I be looking for? A bare wire? Why would it only come on when the vehicle is not moving? Thanks for the input!