Funky Dome Light Problem
 

(This is on a 2006 Outlander)
I recently noticed that neither dome light turns on when a (any) door is opened. We've had the car for a year, but I honestly can't say whether it ever worked.

I've checked the obvious issues:
1. Neither light is burned out.
1. Both dome lights work when switched to the "On" position so power is getting to the lights
2. I've checked the door switches and they all tested within spec and each of them causes the door ajar light to come on.

Am I missing something else?

I've been trying to decipher the wiring diagram and it seems like the door switches go to the ECU and when they ground (i.e. a door opens), the ECU grounds one of the wires to the dome lights completing the circuit. So maybe the problem is just with the ECU (not that I would pay to replace the ECU just for this issue...)?

Any ideas?

Did you check the fuse?

Do you have ANY aftermarket accessories installed? (radio, lights, auto-dimming mirror, etc)

Thanks for the reply.

> Did you check the fuse?
I checked the dome light fuse and it is fine. I checked several others, though I can't remember which ones of the top of my head. Any specific ones you think might be applicable?

> Do you have ANY aftermarket accessories installed? (radio, lights, auto-dimming mirror, etc)
I do have an aftermarket radio. I hadn't thought of that as being a problem before. If you think that could be the issue I can take it out this weekend and see what happens.

Try CHANGING the dome light fuse (just temporarily), because automotive fuses can often LOOK in tact but be blown sometimes. This once happened to me.

As for the radio, it's just a thought. Who did the install? Was anything modified that could have interfered with the dome light circuit? It seems unlikely, though.

Hopefully someone else will chime in with some other ideas. I'll see if I can find a wiring diagram.



OH! You have an aftermarket radio... Is the feature where the lights come on when the door opens a feature that can be controlled in the ETACS ECU? If so, I wonder if you removing the factory head unit had anything to do with that.

I'll switch the fuse when I get home from work tonight. But I don't think the dome lights would come on when switched to the "On" position if the fuse was blown. Worth the two seconds it takes to try though.

I did the radio install. I feel pretty confident I wired everything properly. I didn't modify anything. I used a Metra wiring harness and soldered everything from the aftermarket radio to it then plugged it in. I took the radio out last night and that didn't change anything (though that doesn't necessarily rule out the radio as being the problem).

HOWEVER, while I've been rooting around looking for the problem I have seen several wires under the dash that have the T-Tap connectors on them so it looks like the previous owner may have had an aftermarket alarm/remote start/etc installed. I suppose they may have screwed something up; if that's the case the problem could be particularly difficult to find...

The ETACS-ECU does control the dome light coming on after the doors are opened. Using the factory service manual I was able to reset this feature and then change the setting so that the lights are supposed to stay on for 30 seconds. I'm pretty sure that setting is correct as the key ring illumination is part of that setting and it DOES come on after the driver door is opened and stays on for approx. 30 seconds.

Does this dome light feature still work for other people who have installed aftermarket radios?

I've been using a multimeter the test voltages at several wiring harness and connector locations, however, the factory service manual doesn't have the correct values written anywhere so far as I can tell. Would anyone be willing to test a couple values on their working 1st gen Outlander so I have something to compare?

Thanks for the help so far. This is sooooo a pride issue at this point, I really just can't let the car win here.

Another update

I checked the fuses again and switched them out for new ones. No difference.

I also played with the multimeter a bit more tonight. At the front domelight connector there are two pins. I'm pretty sure one pin should be always 12V and the other should vary (in order to perform the on-dim-off function when a door opens, door unlocked, etc). The light fixture also uses one of the screws as a ground (for when the light is switched to the "On" position).

Using the multimeter I was reading 12V to ground from each of the pins no matter if the door was open or not. Bizarre. Also, it showed continuity between the pins. I don't think that is supposed to happen.

Am I wrong here? Can anyone else check and see what they get in the same situation?

Same here / 2006 Lancer
 

Dear gomer5, has been a long time I see. But I'm frustrated with this dome light thing.
I have same symptoms you've wrote even with same voltmeter weird readings. After some rrsearch. I suspect something went wrong with ECU as well. Have you figured this out. I hope you share some updates on this. I think my next step is to buy a front ECU head.

Never did figure it out unfortunately. I couldn’t find any further information on what the correct multimeter readings should be and gave up. It wasn’t worth the cost to me to replace the ECU when I didn’t know for sure if that was the problem, though I always suspected it.

I was rear ended a few years ago and it was totaled, so I’m afraid I can’t be of further help. Definitely post the results if you change it out though. I’m still curious.

Sorry to hear about your car. It happened to me actually but it's been just a rear bumper job and metal reinforcement.

I've traced the +12v source using wirig diagrams and will do some more tests. To make sure nothing wrong with wires / connectors / relays.

Will keep you posted on this.
Thank you.

Did you ever figure this out?

I had the same problem too, but it was only because I changed all the dome/map/boot lights to LED. But if I left it as the OEM globes, it works fine.

When I had LED in there, the lights worked normal when I had my door open, but once the door is closed and I try to turn on map light, it's very weak. I also noticed my boot light remains on but very dim.