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Custom sport interior lights stuck on

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Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby firebladejim » Tue Nov 13, 2018 7:36 pm

Has any one had issues with the interior lights in the back being stuck on? First I knew was the cab interior light was on very dim. Pulled a wire off of the back light and it switched them off. The next time I went to use it the battery was flat. Quickly found the four led's in the back were stuck on. I've unplugged the side door switch and the plug going into the rear door latch but they stay on! No fault codes present! For now I've pulled the fuse but need to get it sorted. Any help appreciated.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby sieade245 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 12:31 pm

Something that occurred to me when I read your post was that by disconnecting the door switches, you may effectively be simulating an "open" set of doors. You might instead need to short out the connectors going to the door switches to simulate a "closed" set of doors. I'm not sure on the pin outs, I'm just about to go to work but I might be able to look at this later. Careful you don't short direct +ve/-ve and blow a fuse! This would confirm that everything North of the door switches (BCM) is working if the lights go off. Then just reconnect the doors one at time (whilst leaving other switch shorted) to ascertain which door switch is broken. If the lights still don't go off (double check correct shorting), likely a problem north of this. A quick look at the relay schematic, I couldn't find one specifically for interior lights. There are fuses, but these likely ok or you would have no lights which possibly either leaves wiring short or BCM fault.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby firebladejim » Wed Nov 14, 2018 7:44 pm

Thanks for your input. I can't find a wiring circuit for the interior lights but have seen people have unplugged the side door switch to turn the lights off when the door is open. I can't find the switch for the barn doors and assumed the switch is in the lock. With both unplugged the lights are still on and do not flicker when I unplug the connector so I'm assuming it's not the door switches.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby sieade245 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 8:54 pm

That's the problem though. If a switch is broken, when you disconnect/ reconnect the plug, you aren't changing anything electrically, so there likely wouldn't be a flicker. Like plugging in a cordless kettle which was switched on at the kettle switch but was not sat on the kettle base. I'm actually working on this now, I'm just waiting for Ford Etis to come back online (could be a loooooonnnggg wait :-) While I'm waiting I'll check out my barn doors.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby sieade245 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 9:57 pm

Still no ETIS but I've done some work on this. Maybe you can compare your readings to mine. Mine is UK RHD so my locks may on different side if yours is a different model.

I started this with an unlocked van which had been sat for an hour or two. No interior lights were on. I didn't put key in ignition at any point.

All lights off.
1. Open O/S rear door, interior lights on
2. Close O/S rear door, interior lights off after 10s
3. Open side door, no interior lights come on
4. Close side door, no interior lights come on
5. Open O/S rear door and side door, interior lights on
6. Lights will not go off until all rear doors closed (even though the side door didn't bring them on in 3)
7. Lights stayed on for at least 5 mins at which point I moved on and closed all doors, lights go off

Locking - After opening a door...
5. If ANY door is open, if I try to lock van, it sounds horn, doesn't lock and keeps interior lights on
6. Front doors closed. If side door or O/S R/H barn door is open, it sounds horn, doesn't lock and keeps rear interior lights on
7. The N/S barn door has two catches one at the top and one at the bottom. These have no electrical input to the system. You can leave the door open, as long as you close the O/S door and still lock the van with the door wide open. Interior lights go off. I tested the two catches individually by moving each locking mechanism closed with a screwdriver. They do not affect locking or interior lights.

Simulate door closed...
8. Now for the next bit, instead of opening and closing doors I simulate them closed by moving the locking mechanism with a screwdriver. This is reversible when you pull the door handle and can move them back.
9. Open O/S barn door, simulate door closed by moving locking mechanism. Interior lights go off and can "lock" van
10. Unlock van, lights come on and go off after 20 seconds
11. Pull handle and move locking mechanism back, interior lights come on. They stay on for at least 5 mins.
12. The side door is tricker. Mine has 3 spring loaded metal contacts which connect to 3 metal contacts on the B frame. This contact assembly is attached with a couple of security screws. I don't even have a bit for them in my kit, (yet :-). Suspecting there could be some kind of control circuit in this assembly or at the door lock at rear of door and without a wiring diagram yet, instead I measure the resistance between the pins:

Pin 1 is highest, 2 middle, 3 bottom.
Pins 1,2,3 to vehicle earth - open circuit infinite resistance
Pin 1-2 12 ohm
Pin 2-3 15 ohm
Pin 1-3 26 ohm

These do not seem to change when the spring loaded contacts are pushed back

(It would be worth checking yours are the same if not could indicate damaged door lock circuit in the assembly)
Without removing it, I can't be sure exactly what components are inside this assembly but I bet the BCM uses it so your resistances should be similar. To simulate this device, I could try hanging in similar resistors across the b-frame contacts although I imagine there is more going on than just a few resistors. OR it could simply be a slightly high resistance due to the way the spring contacts are electrically connected, similar to a slip ring.

13. Simulate side door closed by manipulating locking mechanism at rear of door. Van will not lock and does horn thing with lights still on UNTIL I bring the door back forwards so the spring contacts are mated. Van then locks and interior lights go off (but door is not fully closed). Measure spring contacts resistances again but same as before.

14. Don't panic if you can't move the locking mechanism back. It will still be locked, even if you press unlock on the remote. You need to make the spring contacts mate again to unlock it, then you can pull handle and release lock then close door again

15. Even if I simulate side door closed and then lock it (with contacts closed) and then quickly open the door again so the spring contacts are not made. The light interior lights stay on until I bring the door back again and the spring contacts are made. You have to do this within the 5 second timeout or they will go out. Opening the door after this does not bring them back (because my side door does not bring lights on as in step 3 above)

Hopefully, your van also does the locking horn thing. This should at least tell you if your door lock contacts and the spring contacts are working. Only problem is the side door is going to make this more difficult to pinpoint at the moment without the wiring diagram and as there's no difference in resistance at the spring contacts when side door catch is in either position.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby sieade245 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 10:58 pm

16. Notice so far I have not even mentioned the side door switch? My side door does not bring on interior lights. Whilst working on this tonight I realised this was probably a fault ON MY VAN, so I spent a quick two minutes looking at this. My side switch is connected but its broken, looks like the plunger has snapped off. I con checked the contacts and they were open. So contacts shorted= door open, contacts open (or switch disconnected) = door closed. This is likely why people disconnect them.

17. If I short out this connector, the interior lights come on. They will come on even if I am in the back of the van with all doors closed and I lock the van and they will stay on for at least 5 minutes...probably longer.

18. This is a key point. If the side switch is disconnected/ door open. And you physically close the door or simulate close with locking mechanism and screwdriver. The BCM THINKS that the door is still open. It must use both inputs 1. The side door switch and 2. The side door lock mechanism. If they don't match, the BCM treats the door as still being open. I cannot lock the van, it beeps the horn and all the lights stay on until I short out the side door switch (so door closed). My switch is permanently in the short position when connected as it is broken but the door switch SHOULD be open circuit when the door is closed.

I would check that your door switch is behaving the same. You can disconnect the connector and do a continuity or resistance check AT THE SWITCH, NOT THE CONNECTOR. With door open, the contacts on the switch should be closed circuit 0 Ohm. With door closed, the contacts on the switch should be open circuit infinite resistance.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby sieade245 » Wed Nov 14, 2018 11:10 pm

IF you do need a new switch/ door contacts the part numbers for all of these can be found on the following page:
https://www.catcar.info/ford/?lang=en&l ... NisxMzU%3D

Now I need to get my own door switch!
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby firebladejim » Thu Nov 15, 2018 9:17 pm

Thanks for the input on this.
Everything you've bee not through I'm aware of and have checked, one difference is if my side door switch is left unplugged the van still locks all doors include that one. No horn to say it's open switch disconnected!
I need to find a wiring diagram for the interior lights and BMC to get any further I think.
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Re: Custom sport interior lights stuck on

Postby sieade245 » Fri Nov 16, 2018 5:10 pm

Remember, if the switch is disconnected, it effectively is open circuit so simulating door closed and should lock anyway. Its the opposite way around to what would be natural ie not closed circuit when the door is closed.

Does it still lock with the switch connected and the door open? It shouldn't. Obviously the lights would stay on this condition though. If you then close the door (with the switch reconnected) and you can lock the door, this would confirm your switch is working...but it could still be worth checking the switch logic to make sure its not always open circuit or always closed circuit regardless of door position.

If you've checked this though, and the locking operates correctly, then the signal should be getting at least to the BCM inputs. Like you say it looks like a wiring issue or worse a BCM fault. Maybe try a BCM reset using IDS/ Forscan?
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