The car interior lights may not work at times which will mean a Car Repair is needed. This includes the car door lights to the dashboard lights that may not work properly for many different reasons. The most common reasons why the car interior lights are not working are blown fuses, wiring problems to burned out bulbs. Here at Peninsula Auto Clinic our Northern Beaches mechanic team will service and repair car interior lights and ensure they are working correctly.
When the car interior lights are not working there are certain actions to take:
- If there is a dimmer try to rotate it in another position
- When one light does not work and the others do then a blown fuse may have occurred which needs replacing
- If a short circuit has occurred then replacing the fuse and repairing the wiring may be needed
- If the car door lights do not work then the door jamb switch often needs replacing
- Replace the car interior light bulbs if they have burnt out
What are Car Interior Lights?
Car lighting comes in two types, one being exterior lights and the other being interior lights. Exterior car lights are those that operate outside of the car, such as the headlights, tail lights and brake lights. The car interior lights are the lights that are within the interior of the car, such as:
- Dome lights – these lights are used to illuminate the inside of the car when it is dark.
- Map lights – these are installed in cars when reading maps, books and other items are needed at night.
- Dashboard lights – these lights are there to see certain instruments, including the speedometer, in darker hours.
- Stepwell lights – some cars are fitted with these lights so people do not trip or stumble when exiting the car.
- “Welcome mat: light – a logo or simple light will shine on the floor when the door is opened.
The type of vehicle will determine if all the interior lights are on the same circuit or if each light has its own circuitry. Some lights also have different switches, such as a dome light having a manual switch then another one on the dashboard.
What To Do When My Car Interior Lights Not Working?
If one or more car interior lights are not working then there are many different steps to take to try and find the problem and resolve it.
Dimmer Switch and Dome Light
When the interior lights fail to work then looking at the dome lights and dimmer switch is the first step. When someone other than the driver uses these lights then the automatic feature of them turning one when the car door opens may be interfered with.
To fix this and depending on the type of light, pressing buttons to have the lights turn on can help. Rotating the dimmer one direction can also be useful as this may determine if it is in the on or off position. If these do not turn the light back on then the problem will often be related to an electrical fault in the system.
Blown Fuse
If the car interior lights stop working as a whole but other electrical systems, such as the radio or Apple CarPlay, still function then there is an electrical fault in the lighting system. The fuse of the lighting circuit system will need to be checked if it has blown. Most times the fuse box will be located close to the glove box, under the dashboard or within the engine.
Checking the “lights” fuse is important and looking to see if it has blown. A multimeter or a test light can be used as well to determine if the fuse has blown. If it has then it is highly recommended that a mechanic will replace the blown fuse.
Wiring Problems and Short Circuits
A blown fuse with the car interior light system often means that a short circuit or wiring issues are occurring in the system. A temporary or permanent fault may have happened and replacing the fuse will determine what it is. When the fuse is replaced but the car interior lights still blow then a short circuit issue occurs.
A mechanic will be able to find what wires are causing the issue, often from being bent or broken. The mechanic after performing the inspection on all wires of the light system will repair it to ensure it works correctly.
Door Jamb Switch Issues
For car door light issues the door switch or door jamb switch may be the issue. Working door lights will mean that they switch on when the car opens and off when the door closes. This is where the switch is important as it will turn the lights on and off depending on where the door is. If this part of the car door lights is causing them to not work then a mechanic will either have to repair or replace them.
Burned Out Bulbs
If one light does not work then the problem may be due to the light bulb not working. Either halogen or LED lights are used in cars, LED car interior lights are used in newer cars. An auto mechanic will have to replace the bulb or at times an LED strip, such as for LED car door step lights.
Trusted Car Interior Light Mechanic Services
Peninsula Auto Clinic offers professional Northern Beaches mechanic workers to perform car interior light services. Our team will carry out the Car Service professional and make sure that all lights work perfectly. Each fully qualified mechanic will operate safely, perform numerous tests and are guaranteed to have the car interior lights working correctly in a short amount of time.
We offer our car services, including our car interior light services, to all Northern Beaches locals, including Bayview, Narrabeen and Warriewood. Located on 7 Perak Street, Mona Vale, Peninsula Auto Clinic is the most reliable to repair and replace car interior lights!
