I was just replacing the majority of the bulbs in my car with different colored ones, brighter ones, ect... I put in one of the step lights and it stopped working, you know the ones on the front doors. I tried a different bulb, checked the connections, harness, everything i could think of. I didn't check the fuses because EVERY OTHER light still works. what did i break now?!?!?!

 

The driver's step light receives 12 volts at all times. Power comes through the same fuse which serves the passenger side step lamp, so it is not a blown fuse. The ground side of the circuit is completed through terminal 16 of the Driver Door Control Unit (Local Control Unit 01). Your symptoms suggest that LCU01 is "fried".

 

I got the same problem. Initially, my problem was the passenger side step light. Now, the driver side is out too. I recently replaced the main door switch unit. Is that the same as the LCU? Maybe I need to bring my car into the dealer to let them have a look see?

 

ok thanks, so now what do i have to do to fix this. also if i don't will other things start going wacky?

 

1) Does the dome light turn on when the driver's door is opened? If not, the driver's door switch may be bad.

2) Remove the step lamp bulb. Use a voltmeter to verify that one of the socket terminals has 12 volts. If not, trace the circuit back toward the fuse block.

3) If 12 volts are present at the step lamp socket, use an ohmmeter to check the other terminal for continuity to ground. If ground is present, try a different bulb. If ground is not present, LCU01 is bad. Replace it.

I think it is okay to leave this unrepaired. If it was my car that is what I would do.

 

ok i will try that tomorrow, what about just cutting the ground wire and grounding it to like the door frame??? how would i replace LCU01?

 

my step light on my passenger side is out also. This happened when I was putting blue bulbs in. I think I might take it to a dealer cuz I have found no way of fixing, and I have tried everything.

 

You didn't identify which ground wire you would cut. Doesn't really matter, either way will be wrong. The door switch is connected to the Body Control Unit and the BCU "tells" LCU01 that a door is open. If you make a wiring change which eliminates LCU01 from the step lamp circuit you are also eliminating the "turn on, turn off" information. The step lamp will be always-on or always-off.

1) Open door.
2) Remove door trim panel.
3) Remove faulty unit.
4) Install replacement unit.
5) Install door trim panel.
6) Close door.

 

ok i get what you mean now. I was just thinking that if you grounded the light to somewhere else it would work but the ground from LCU-01 is what turns it on and off, not from the other side of the circuit. I guess i'll pull out the ohmeter and stuff and test it and if it "fried" i'll live with it.