So, in the process of converting my interior to LED lights, I made a dumbarse move.

While trying to get one of my courtesy door light stock bulbs out that was being a PITA, without thinking, I stuck a small screwdriver under the bulbs and created a short. (I got the bulb out, though. )

Any way, my new little LED panel will only light up very dimly and stay on when the door is closed.

Door switch is good, the polarity on the light is reversed, the other side works great, and there is no blown fuse as far as I can see.

Any tips? Maybe rewire a new assembly?

 

likely a weak ground now because the wire is damaged. Going to have to trace the wires

 

I'm with Shock. It definitely sounds like a grounding problem. Sounds like it is getting just enough current through the nader pin and latch while the door is closed, but looses that connection when you open the door. Are there any signs of obvious wire damage?

 

FSM:

Interior lamp does not turn off when all doors are closed.

1) short in interior lamp circuit
2) door switch
3) short in door switch circuit
4) bcm

1) check r/w wire between interior lamp and bcm
2) check all door switches
3) check r/w wire between bcm and all door switches
4) replace bcm

 

The worst case scenario is that you may have destroyed the master power window switch in the driver's door.

 

im betting he burnt the contact and it just needs to be cleaned

 

This is my first thought as well.



OP: Does the panel light up bright AT ALL? Or is it only dim even when it should be bright? Chances are CJ above is correct...and your short with the screwdriver burned the contact in the receptacle. Crab an acid brush and rubbing alcohol, UNPLUG THE CONNECTOR with the door closed, clean it up make sure it's dry, plug connector back in once dry and then use the REGULAR BULB to make sure you get current flow. Close door, remove regular bulb, insert LED panel in and open door.

Or, you find the door open switch and masking tape it shut so it thinks the door is closed



And don't use a screwdriver when you're messing with the lights, bro

 

Haha, like I said...dumb move! No, I can't get the panel to become bright at any point. It's always very dim. Maybe tonight I'll try to take a picture of it to post on here.

 

I just looked at it again, and I noticed that the light panel is very dim, but when I push in the door close switch, the light gets brighter. The other door light is working normally, though. Can't figure this one out!

 

throw a regular light back in and verify proper operation. We need to be able to figure out if the LED panel is damaged or not, right now we have two suspects and we need to narrow it down to one.

 

Clean the door switch, make sure it's contact path to ground is clear of any corrosion or rust.

 

THIS.

Check nothing until you check this.

 

If the light is dim when the door is open then turns bright when you close it something is seriously not right clean the contacts make sure they are not touching inside the holder then ise a regular bulb and check again if that works im thinking your led assembly is at fault

 

he says it never turns bright.

 

He did say brighter with door closed

 

indeed. I missed that.

OP - any word after checking with a REGULAR BULB like you were advised???

 

Makes me rhing either led polarity wrong and its getting leakage like the cheap ones do or the contacts are shorting

 

Regular bulb will not light up. It isn't the panel because I used the other light panel that is working great on my other door and still had the same issue.

 

Do you know anyone with a 97 to 99 Maxima that you could borrow their power window switch from? Those door lamps are controlled by the power window switch which is a micro processor based device.

 

Do you think that my window would stop working if that were the issue?

 

If the keyboard on your laptop breaks, the rest of the thing still works...

Same concept

 

So is it connected to any certain power window switch?

 

The lamp in the driver's door is connected to the driver's door switch and the passenger door is connected to the passenger door switch.

When a door is opened, the door switch sends a signal to the body control module and the body control module sends a signal to the door switch to light up the light. One side of the light has 12 volts from a fuse and the other side is grounded out by the window switch to make the lamp light up.

 

I see. Well, maybe I will go to the junkyard and try to find one to test with!

 

Also, does the window switch need to be 97-99? or all 4th gen?

 

Not sure about the newer gens. But the older ones have a different style. The switches have a detachable face plate, so there isn't a need to find the correct finish (just switch the face plates).

 

97 to 99 only. 95/96 are different.

 

I see. Well as of now, none of the junkyards have any 97-99 max that I could find around my area. I'll have to keep checking on it.

 

Check the for sale section or hit up maxima joe

 

hhmmmmm.... I don"t think this is to old to revive. Any closure on this? I've had the same exact issue since i bought mine. Checked different bulbs, cleaned contacts, replaced window switch and still the same. Bright when closed dim when open.