JCL2986

Since I bought the car the 2 overhead dome lights have not worked. Homelink works. I bought new 1895 bulbs and it still does not work. I assume all fuses are fine since the footwell and ignition light all work. I did not see a separate overhead light fuse. Is there anything I can be overlooking? Is this a common failed part the overhead light panel? I have a 2006 with 147k.

GmanSC

Do you own the multimeter? Just measure the voltage when the switch is pushed in. If the voltage is there, then the bulbs, just making sure the clips are tight. You should think about replace all bulbs with LEDs to save your battery. Remember the SC dome lights are reversed polarities, so if you order the LEDs, they must be reversed or non-polarity.

Harold57

If there isn't voltage, it could be the switches are dirty. Retroplay did a write up a few years ago regarding taking the switches apart and cleaning the contacts. I'm guessing that is the likely problem if your bulbs and fuses aren't blown. I had intermittent problems until I cleaned mine.

Raven01750

It's probably those terrible rivet style pins going through the wire lug to the bulb contacts not making good contact any more. Take a meter or voltage check light if you don't know how to use a meter to verify the voltage is there. That tells you what you must do next.

Paul

Pnuge88

iTrader: (1)

The fuses are on the passenger side foot well. As someone else stated, your contact points might be “loose” or dirty. Clean them.

if there is loose contact, unplug the fuse, then take out the bulbs and “squeeze” the retaining clips together to “tighten” the width of the clamp. Re-install the bulbs (proper polarity) and re-install fuse.

Harold57

Here is Retroplay's DIY on switch contact cleaning. (See post # 111)
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...-to-mod-8.html

I did a write up on repairing the riveted bulb connections.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc4...-switches.html

JCL2986

I have done what everyone has suggested with no luck. The multimeter shows both metal pieces with the green wire getting 12 volts constant. I even got other bulbs to be safe. It seems they are not grounded. What can be preventing them from turning on? C

Both mini clips are very loose


The green wire is getting full 12 volts. How can i bypass the switch?
an it be the loose mini copper clip not making contact? I am at the point where I want to know what wire I can cut and splice to make the lights always come on with the doors and forget the switches.

Harold57

The copper "mini clip" is loose. Squeeze it shut with some needle nosed pliers so that it will make contact with the plate. Hopefully that will solve the problem.

Also, make sure that the supply side of the switch (as opposed to the bulb side) is actually grounded. If it is not grounded, see the statement below. (By grounded, I mean that it is connected to the ground wire coming in the harness.)

I forget what part the big slide switch plays here but if its contacts are dirty or not making contact, it might be playing a part here also. (While you've got it out and in pieces, it is worth going in and cleaning that switch also, as you can expect it to be problematic after some time also.)

JCL2986

Not sure if it is grounded since the brown wire goes right to the pin. Is the black wire on the bottom the ground? If all else fails could I splice the black wire into the brown wire from the supply side so the lights come on with the doors?

Harold57

Okay, let's try this another way. The brown wire comes from the bulb. That is the bulb side of the switch. The black wire goes out to ground. That is the ground side of the switch. Make sure the ground side of the switch actually has a good connection to the ground pin in the connector leaving the fixture. (I'm pretty sure that is where the fixture gets its ground and not from a screw to the frame, though you might want to confirm that.)

One way to confirm that is to hook up power to the unit outside the car and short the switch bars together and see if the light turns on. If it does, the black wire does have a good connection to ground. If not, you have another bad connection somewhere between the black wire and the exiting connector.

I believe that the big switch also takes the brown wire in to be able to turn it on separately.

JCL2986

the ground is from the pin. Everything looks good in the car overhead. What would I need to supply power to the unit outside the car and short switch the bars together? I cleaned and sanded the center switch just like your picture and it still did not help.

Harold57

Be sure to pinch the clips like mentioned earlier, otherwise the switch won't be making the connection.

If you don't have a power supply that can supply 12 V, you could use a 9V battery. Or you can just plug the unit into the car and let it dangle by the wire. Then short across the two tabs of the switch. If the light doesn't come on then, there is another bad connection between the switch and the ground of the exiting connector. (I don't remember if the black wire goes directly out or if it has another connection somewhere.)

JCL2986

I plugged it on and shorted across with a paperclip and nothing happened. I really dont want to dismantle the entire ceiling. If I splice the brown wire and wire a ground to the screw in the ceiling would that work? Would an LED light board solve all this since there is power? I called Cherry Hill Lexus for fun and they want 1100 for the new piece

Harold57

No, I don't suspect that the problem is in the ceiling, it is in the fixture. You still have a bad connection in the fixture. You'll have to trace the black wire back to the exiting connector and find the bad connection somewhere between them.

JCL2986

Is this Black wire on the bottom the ground wire that needs to be traced?