Hey hey,

I just bought a 1979 monte, and I was doing some interior work that needed attention. The biggest thing was that the interior dome and courtesy lights, including the warning buzzer didn't work, and it ended up being a missing fuse. Well after replacing the fuse, it came to my attention that the fuse was taken out deliberately because the lights don't turn off, even if the doors are closed.They simply just don't shut off. I have checked the door switches and replaced the headlight switch mechanism, but the lights fail to shut off.I'm out of ideas. Can anyone help me?

Dave

 

Dave
congrats on a great year of the monte !

also you say the dome lights are on all the time. if you have replaced the headlight switch and it didn't correct it. then check the door switches for a good ground.
those lights are only triggered by the key being shut off. doors opening,or head light switch.
one other thing to check is start looking under the dash and see if the previous owner/s have added anything to the ele. system. if they have you might look in to disconnecting it one at a time to find out if it is the culprit in your lighting issue

 

Thanks alot Mickey, and thanks for the site welcome, I love it here. Yes I have pulled both switches out of the frame infront of the door, and they appear to be fine, there's no corrosion or disconnected wires anywhere. The oddest part is, the buzzer works fine, it's on when the doors are open, and shuts off when you close the door. It has a bad habbit of staying on when you fire up the car though, sometimes the buzzer subsides within 30 seconds of the engine running, and other times I have to pull the fuse back out to shut it up before my head explodes. The old owner had an aftermarket stereo in it, and put the stock one back in when he sold it, and I checked the wiring, it doesn't look like he could have screwed up the lighting wiring over near there. HoweverI following the wires from the lights into a harness, that goes up behind the dash to the left of the cluster panel, and it looks as though the only way to get at it is to take off the whole dash. And I pray to got I don't have to do that. Wow that was a long message, sorry I tend to drag on a bit.

Dave

 

OK if he put in a aftermarket stereo . unplug the stereo That you have in it now and see if it stops doing this. IF it dose then you should break the connection when you take out the stereo. this dose not mean that the stereo he put back in to the car is not the issue its self.

Also he might have used the power or the ground from the lights or the buzzer or both and this is the issue . if it is the case then change it.

Do the lights turn off with the key?

also those years of the monte came out with a dimming dome light it would stay on for a few sec. then it would go out it was the first versions of the theater lighting i believe is what they call it.

So if you have a manual handy for it you might see about running the Brain to it down and see if it is the issue.
what made you think to replace the Head light switch?
those are almost never the issue with the dome light staying on they will burn out the coil in there and cause it to not come on at all. but not the other way around .

the only things on the circuit are
door lights
buzzer
courtesy lighting in the doors. (if you have it and not the reflectors)
those pin switches can also go bad in side and they will go to ground or positive.

the system your working on is one that is hot all the time when the pin switch grounds out it completes the circuit.
So it has to be being ground someplace in line with the switches etc.

if you have a small toggle switch that you can use replace each pin switch with it and see if you can trigger the lights to go on and off with it. do this to both sides individually . if the pin switch went bad in side it will let you know real quick. they will flash on and off as you throw the switch.
another easy way to do it is go get a new pin switch and try it .
i will keep thinking on this but i don't have the manual with me it is on it's way to the states. so i cant help allot right now due to not being Abel to see what I'm working on.