Auto headlights didn't shut off
#1
Auto headlights didn't shut off
I went to a shopping mall and when I came out, after about 90 min, my headlights were still on. The auto-shutoff didn't work. No harm done - that is not long enought to drain the battery - but if I had trusted the auto-shutoff when parking for the night, it might well have left a dead battery.
Why?
Turns out - the light switch on the driver's door. The SECU apparently expects to see:
- ignition off and key out
- driver's door open (light switch closes)
- driver's door close (light switch open again)
before it starts the timer to turn off the headlights automatically.
In my case the switch wasn't closing - the interior lights did not come on - so the headlights did not go off.
Took the switch apart, cleaned the contacts and lubricated with silicone grease, and all seems well now. If there are any future problems I will replace the switch.
Why?
Turns out - the light switch on the driver's door. The SECU apparently expects to see:
- ignition off and key out
- driver's door open (light switch closes)
- driver's door close (light switch open again)
before it starts the timer to turn off the headlights automatically.
In my case the switch wasn't closing - the interior lights did not come on - so the headlights did not go off.
Took the switch apart, cleaned the contacts and lubricated with silicone grease, and all seems well now. If there are any future problems I will replace the switch.
#4
When you say interior lights, is that only the dome? Or door lights as well?And can you show a pics of this switch please?
The point is, if you leave the headlight switch at the "auto" position and the door switch fails, the headlights will not shut off on a delay timer, as they are supposed to do. I thought that the battery possibly running down because the interior lights did *not* come on was a little amusing - usually it's the other way around.
Actually, after reading the manual, I discovered that either front door opening and closing will start the delay timer, but I didn't have a passenger when this happened.
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AaronL
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
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11-15-2020 11:52 AM