Lights out.

[thedutchguy]

My VX seems to have some trouble with the lighting.

Sometimes the dash illumination quits and later (sometimes 10 minutes)turns back on again.

But when this occurs I also have no tail lights.

The problem seems to be that the relay located under the dashfor the lights gets no signal from the switch. Bridging the relay with a sepparate switch works ok. but I want to use the normal switching gear.
I checked all the cables for interuptions, but found none.
After digging through the electric schematics I just cannot find the connection between the dash light and the taillights.
Anybody know were I should look?

[mbeach]

I'll be home in 9 hours, I can check my newly acquired 'electrical servie manual' then.

[Anita]

Read down this thread. It may be you have a fraying wire in the harness that passes behind and under the driver side headlight. I had similar symptoms as you have described - dash lights and tail lights out.

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1394&highlight=Electrical

[mbeach]

O.K., this is from a US spec VX book -but it should be similar if not the same for you.

The taillight relay receives power from fuse CB-5 via red/blk wire.
This relay is located behind the left side kick panel. There are 3 relays here, arranged top to bottom: Rear defogger, taillight, power window.

The grn/yel wire from the relay goes on to the combination switch (light switch) -actually, the switch grounds out the coil on the relay.

The grn/red wire from the relay goes on into your lighting circuit. Yes -all of your lights pass through the taillight relay. However, the headlight circuit resides on the grn/yel wire (coil) side of the relay. The dash illum and taillights are powered by the switch side of the relay. It is electrically/mechanically possible that the relay coil is being energized (by the headlight switch) and the coil switch is losing contact momentarily.

Replace your taillight relay and all should be well.

[CSTYLES]

My Right Fender Light/ Turn Signal is out. New bulb doesn't work. Oh and the gear selector light is out, not on dash but on center console. Could this be a similar problem?

[mbeach]

First, read Anita's link and see if that helps you.

The fender marker (there are 3 lights to a side -parking light, side marker, fender marker) is not connected to the shift lever light except by source. I believe that your concurrent outages are coincidental.

The shift lever light receives power through a green wire that passes through connector C-49. It is located to the rear of the shift lever (under the console). It is a 2 pin black connector. It should go hot whenever the light switch is moved to any on position.

Exactly which of the front lights is giving you trouble?

[thedutchguy]

Say Mbeach, that's terrific info you've given me, any chance of getting me a scan of the wiring diagram?
You see I have allready replaced the taillight relay with a new one, and then another new one, but there is nothing wrong with the relay.
You see I have traced the problem allready to the greenyellow wire that actuates the relay, but I have found no interuptions in it, but when the lights quit, there's no power on the wires that actuate the coil of the relay.
I would like to know where this system hooks up with the dashlights.

THNX in advance

[mbeach]

I'd be glad to provide some copies -I am in the process of busting the binding on my electrical service manual so that I can put it in a ring binder (and be able to scan/copy and send details better). When that's done I'll post 'em up.

As for the taillights/dashlights, they both pass through the taillight relay -in fact, all of your lights pass through this relay. The GRN/YEL wire is interupted in one place by the ECU/TOD/Anti-Theft system. If there were a short/open there, the lights would either function normally or stay on.

Since you have no power to the relay coil, that leaves only one more culprit. The combination switch is the only thing that stands between the relay coil (GRN/YEL wire) and ground.

Try grounding out the GRN/YEL wire. IF all of the lights come on, the problem is in your combination switch (or it's connection to ground). If the lights do NOT come on when the GRN/YEL is grounded, the relay is not receiving power via the RED/BLK wire at the taillight relay.

If the problem is found to be at the combination switch, you will have to find its connector in order to isolate it. Connector 38 is a white 16-pin connector. On the US VXs it is located behind the lower left of the instrument panel, or to the right of the steering column. The GRN/YEL wire enters the connector at pin 8, where it becomes a YEL wire going into the switch. Check the resistance between pin 8 (YEL) and ground (pin 7 -WHT). It should go to 0 when the switch is moved from the OFF position.
Also, check pin 7 to ground -you may just have a loose ground to the switch.

[thedutchguy]

thnx man !
I'll check it out tomorrow.

[dkmiller68]

from earlier post:

O.K., this is from a US spec VX book -but it should be similar if not the same for you.

The only VX in the Netherlands came from Flordia