Flashing Interior cabin lights ...

[Maranman]

Hi to all - help / advice please (again)

I got into my car this morning (06:45) and both cabin lights were flashing (I estimate [in case it matters] at about 3 flashes per second - eventually they dimmed down as usual.
This happened again when I dropped my Daughter at her friends 10 minutes later but did not happen later in the day.
In fact everything seems to be back to normal

Any thoughts please

Cheers Maranman

[mjb]

D8 or D9?

[Welly]

D8 or D9?

I'm surprised you actually asked that

carry on...........

[mjb]

D8 or D9?

I'm surprised you actually asked that

carry on...........

Well it could be a D8... The flashes would be very irregular and indicate a break in the wiring almost certainly by one of the interior lights (does the saloon have 2 or is it just the estate?), or a bulb itself if only one is flickering... Regular flashes it'll be a D9 with something expensive broken

[Maranman]

Ooh VERY wierd stuff......the personal stuff about me and my motor shows that I drive a 1.8 8v spooky because I seemed to have changed cars by remote control since the site got screwed up!
Just to set the record straight (and I will amend my record later - trying to cook tea now) I drive a unscratched and undented 1997 D8 2.1TD Estate with 225k on the clock it cost me £615.
I only drive about 15k / year and its VERY good at carrying 25Kg sacks of Pig Food and Coal and MOST things work fine!

Back to the lighting problem - it seems to have fixed itself for the moment but I am sure it will come back! So, whats going on chaps?

[mjb]

OK the lights. Was it just one or both interior lights? Might be worth having a light thump around the lights, see if you can trigger (and therefore find the cause of) the flickering.

I've re-read your first post and I doubt it's a door switch unless you got out of the car when you dropped your daughter off.

If the thumping doesn't do anything let us know and we'll see if we can figure out the wiring

[speediepug406]

Hi could it be the light timer relay which is located under the dash on the offside near the fusebox.Look for all the relays and the pair your looking for are about an inch long and half inch wide.

[neildavies]

I know on our 206cc, flashing interior lights means one of the doors is open or ajar.

[Maranman]

Thanks for the info lads - it seems to have fixed itself for the moment but, if it happens again I know just where to start my search.....

Just in case it may help someone else in the future, I suspected that I (or the teenage drama queen) had left a door/tailgate open so the first job was lots of slamming and locking....

Actually I just had another thought (the 3rd this week ) - in spite of a new battery, my remote central locking has never worked although, all locks do work via the key, I bet this has something to do with it the lighting and locking circuits must be linked.

I always meant to get this fixed but always managed to find something else to spend my cash on like tyres / clutch / belts & tensioners etc etc etc......

[old codger]

Have you tried re-programming the key? there is a post somewhere on this board that worked for my D8 keys.

[old codger]

1....turn ignition on (all dashboard lights are lit)

2....as soon as lights are on press blip button once

3....wait about 15 - 20 seconds and press blip button once again

4 ...turn ignition off and remove key

5....close door & try the remote locking

[steve_earwig]

If they start flashing again you could always buy some different colour bulbs and play disco music...

Ok, I'm sorry. Seriously, it sounds like the output in the timer switch is on the fritz, a spot of overload/feedback. These frogs aren't too hot on electronics ([pte. Frasier]we're all doomed, dooomed!![/pte. Frasier])

[Maranman]

It was like a bloody disco Not what PC plod would call safe - driving around the dark Wiltshire lanes with my left hand over the light - what a sight

Anyway, Old Codger, thanks for the key info - will try it on Saturday when it stops raining

And Steve, thanks for the hint about the timer, don't suppose you know where the little bugger is located
If I knew where to look I could get a replacement from my local recycler/scrappy in Devizes probably for a couple of quid - I would prefer to start with the cheap and easy option

Cheers Guys

Steve, By the way, I had a look at your Croatian website link - what a beautiful looking place! If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing there?

[mjb]

It was like a bloody disco Not what PC plod would call safe - driving around the dark Wiltshire lanes with my left hand over the light - what a sight

If you couldn't turn the light off by flicking the switch, then you've got a broken switch.

As for PC Plod, don't worry about him; he's been made redundant by PC Gatso...

[steve_earwig]

I'd guess you tried turning it off, so playing with the switch didn't make any difference. Hmm, could mean something but then if the switch turns the input off but not the output... Looking at the diagrams it's somewhere around the fusebox but possibly not actually in it. Real helpful. Unless someone comes up with something I think you'll have to pull them all out, one by one, 'til the interior light goes out, sorry.

What am I doing? Umm, just now I've got the telly on and the laptop in front of me. Soon I'll be in my bed counting sheep. Oh, er, I'm sort of retired, I'll never be rich but I shouldn't have to work for some arsehole ever again.

As for PC Plod, don't worry about him; he's been made redundant by PC Gatso...

Oh come on, play fair, it's a whole lot safer than catching real criminals