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Old 13th June 2020, 10:48   #1
macafee2
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Default powering and taking power from interior lights

Some cars have a switch in the body of the car that when released turns on the interior lights. Our cars I assume have them activated by the ECU detecting ignition off, car unlock and door open.

I have my puddle lights connected to one of the rails of the front interior light cluster. I don't know if this has caused extra power flow through the light cluster bulbs but the cluster unit has cracked at the light fittings and at all 3 fittings there are signs of extreme heat in the cluster unit.

Could drawing power as I have done, cause the heat build up at the mentioned locations?

There must be a power feed to the lights. Where is there a convenient take off point for puddle lights etc, the fuse box in the footwell?

Can the interior bulbs be replaced wit LED's which will be cooler when on?

sorry wife distracted me, I have now attached a few pictures


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Last edited by macafee2; 13th June 2020 at 10:54..
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Old 13th June 2020, 11:35   #2
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Originally Posted by macafee2 View Post
... the cluster unit has cracked at the light fittings and at all 3 fittings there are signs of extreme heat in the cluster unit.
That looks more like water damage to me Ian. Is that rust on the metalwork? The cracked plastic suggests that someone has been in there before.

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Old 13th June 2020, 12:20   #3
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Originally Posted by macafee2 View Post
Some cars have a switch in the body of the car that when released turns on the interior lights. Our cars I assume have them activated by the ECU detecting ignition off, car unlock and door open.

I have my puddle lights connected to one of the rails of the front interior light cluster. I don't know if this has caused extra power flow through the light cluster bulbs but the cluster unit has cracked at the light fittings and at all 3 fittings there are signs of extreme heat in the cluster unit.

Could drawing power as I have done, cause the heat build up at the mentioned locations?

There must be a power feed to the lights. Where is there a convenient take off point for puddle lights etc, the fuse box in the footwell?

Can the interior bulbs be replaced wit LED's which will be cooler when on?

sorry wife distracted me, I have now attached a few pictures


macafee2
It looks like the corrosion is limited to the area where the tabs have been soldered? Desolder the tabs and clean the area, then try it without them fitted. Perhaps this corrosion is causing resistance, therefore heat? You could tap into a wire leading to the plug for the light (trace it back down the window pillar perhaps to the footwell and tap into it from there?)

My own, footwell lights are done that way (Arctic or T-Cut's mod?), however with only two tabs, and the rears wired to the fronts. This was to reduce the number of wires/plugs around the lamp unit, as my dashcam power adapter is in this area also. (Earths for the footwell lights are taken from the footwell).

Whilst there would be heat, I would not say it would be extreme (with filament bulbs). You can fit LED (T10 if I recall) to the overhead lights - I have them. Perhaps there was a catastrophic blow in the past, to cause the evidence, but I would investigate the source of the heat before replacing with LEDs. If there is an electrical issue causing it, it will remain and remain dangerous if you replace with LED. So check first with the obvious, the corrosion on the rails.

Remember too, if fitting the T10 LEDs, if they do not operate at first, remove, rotate 180 degrees, and replace - also they do NOT need to be canbus friendly.

The crack could have been from someone pulling at the unit or the bulb, overtightening the unit even?
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Old 13th June 2020, 12:35   #4
macafee2
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I have had the unit out a couple of times but not for a few years. I am convinced it is heat at the bulb fittings that has caused the damage, but what caused the heat?

I have been to my man cave and have another light cluster which looks all good.

To avoid the risk of heat from powering puddle lights etc.... I have kick trims, Red door lights and puddle lights in the door card to also power, I want to find a new power take off point.

Time for the handbook an a test meter perhaps.

thank you for the advice on the LED bulbs.

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Old 14th June 2020, 19:22   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by macafee2 View Post
I have had the unit out a couple of times but not for a few years. I am convinced it is heat at the bulb fittings that has caused the damage, but what caused the heat?

I have been to my man cave and have another light cluster which looks all good.

To avoid the risk of heat from powering puddle lights etc.... I have kick trims, Red door lights and puddle lights in the door card to also power, I want to find a new power take off point.

Time for the handbook an a test meter perhaps.

thank you for the advice on the LED bulbs.

macafee2

The other option is to run a wire from the inside lights to a relay with a battery live feed then you will only be pulling the relay in and it can power all the lights you want just make sure the relay has a feed wire heavy enough and is fused to suit your power demand.
I have an auxiliary fuse box well two under the steering column one battery fed one ignition switched both boxes are fed by 6mm cables fused direct from the battery.
Bast of luck
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Old 14th June 2020, 20:41   #6
macafee2
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checked at the fuse box for the interior lights and the two fuses are permanent live.

Alan, good idea, thank you.

Fortunately I have a wire already at the internal light cluster and one going to each of the 2 front doors for puddle lights.

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