[W126 Coupe] 560sec interior lights

[Dick Spellman]

Hi Mike,

Does the dome lamp time out as it should without you manually switching 
it off?  If yes, that timer resistor is okay.  If it does not turn off 
automatically, it will draw down your battery.  I believe it was Vance 
Rowley who spent a great deal of time figuring out the dome lamp gremlin 
a few years back.  You may want to search the archives for his 
diagnostics if the detal below does not solve your problem.

Squeeze the pin switch edges in the door at top and bottom and pull out 
to expose the leads.  It should be the pin switch with the ground 
interrupt, so two brown wire leads.  Disconnect the switch and apply a 
VOHM meter set to resistance.  It should read CLOSED when the switch 
plunger is released as in 'door open'.  And it should read OPEN when the 
plunger is fully depressed as in door closed.  If you find it's closed 
in both positions, the switch needs to be replaced.  Check both doors.

Absent a meter, you could just leave the door open and see what results 
with the depression of one pin switch plunger and then the other.  Do 
this with ignition off and then on.  Watch your head if the seat belt 
arm should come at you.

As for the other switch it may be the factory alarm but, I have no way 
of telling you which switch is which from their physical position.  I 
would think the circuit for the courtesy lamps also manages your seat 
belt arms and perhaps seat back locking solenoids too.

Sorry I can't be more specific.  I have had a pin switch failure or 
two.  Just kind of stumbled though the diagnostics without giving much 
thought to the circuit layout and made the needed replacement.

Regards,
Dick


On 7/11/2011 9:38 PM, Mike Kelly wrote:

> My 1989 560SEC has decided not to turn off the interior lights but to

> flatten the battery instead.

> The dome light can be switched off but not the puddle lights under the

> doors.

> The fuses handle far too many things to be taken out, so temporarily I've

> taken out the globes.

> Is it likely to be as simple as the door switch?

> If so, is it the top one or the bottom one?

> Mike - Adelaide South Australia

>

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