interior lights in 1985 380sl

[cbohannon]

has anyone had any luck repairing the interior light switch? My under dash lights come on when the doors are open but the top lights or the sunvisor lights do not come on at all.

[Strife]

Have you tried changing the position of the switch on the dash?

[cbohannon]

yes I tried the different positions on the swith; changed the bulbs; clean the ground connection still no light. The lights worked one day and the next time I drove the car (about 2 weeks) the vanity lights didn't work.

[KCM]

Originally Posted by cbohannon

has anyone had any luck repairing the interior light switch? My under dash lights come on when the doors are open but the top lights or the sunvisor lights do not come on at all.

I'm a little baffled as according to the electrical diagram I have, the visor and dome lights have no connection other than the fact that they get power from the same fuse, #12. The visor lights look like they split off of the dome light time delay relay terminal 3 though, but are not powered by the relay. The dome lights should come on if the switch is moved to the constant on position, which bypasses the time delay relay.

As for the dome lights, looks like the switch grounds out the circuit, so best to check for power at various points along the circuit, starting at the dome lights which get power directly from the fuse, then the other side of the dome lights, than at the switch terminal 4, and finally through the switch at terminal 7. And check to make sure the wire at terminal 7 goes to ground. Somewhere along the line you will lose power.

The visor lights are controlled by switches in the visor, with power going directly to the visor from the fuse and going directly to ground after the switch. Is it possible both your visor switches are bad? I know the 560SL's used a microswitch that can go bad, but also know early vehicles used a simple metal clip attached to the lid that completed a circuit.

[cbohannon]

thanks KCM, I'll look at the visor doors and check the switches. My interior light switch may be my problem. I haven't taken it out to check. I know there is power from the fuse to the interior lights.