Weird electrical behavior with firebird tail light bulbs?
Weird electrical behavior with firebird tail light bulbs? I decided to change all of my taillight bulbs while I had had the tail lights and bumper off of the TA.
I pulled all of my old tail lights starting from the passenger outer most 194 across to the driver side 194. When all I had plugged in was the driver's side 194 bulb I noticed the bulb was very dimly lit, even though the car was off. When I unplugged that bulb the interior door chime went off (the door was open, but nothing in was in the ignition). If I plug it back the chime turns off. When I plugged the other 194 bulb back in on the passenger side the chime also stopped and the driver bulb turned off. Leave only one bulb plugged in and it lights up dim again. Remove them both and the door chime goes off.
Summary: Both 194 bulbs in turns them both off and no door chime.
Both 194 bulbs removed and the door chimes.
One 194 bulb in and it lights up dimly with no door chime.
Is this normal? With all of the bulbs in everything seems to act normal but it still weirds me out. I had a problem last year with my battery dying and I just chocked it up to a worn out 9 year old battery.
I pulled all of my old tail lights starting from the passenger outer most 194 across to the driver side 194. When all I had plugged in was the driver's side 194 bulb I noticed the bulb was very dimly lit, even though the car was off. When I unplugged that bulb the interior door chime went off (the door was open, but nothing in was in the ignition). If I plug it back the chime turns off. When I plugged the other 194 bulb back in on the passenger side the chime also stopped and the driver bulb turned off. Leave only one bulb plugged in and it lights up dim again. Remove them both and the door chime goes off.
Summary: Both 194 bulbs in turns them both off and no door chime.
Both 194 bulbs removed and the door chimes.
One 194 bulb in and it lights up dimly with no door chime.
Is this normal? With all of the bulbs in everything seems to act normal but it still weirds me out. I had a problem last year with my battery dying and I just chocked it up to a worn out 9 year old battery.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Apple Maggot Quarantine Zone
Sounds like a problem but I wouldn't know how to diagnose without having my hands on the car.
Do you have any aftermarket lighting inside? Or outside? Fog lights? Gauge cluster upgrades? I have also seen people make mistakes with the illumination wires behind the radio. If you're using an aftermarket radio harness, these would be the orange wires. Could be orange, orange with white, or orange with black. I would make sure these aren't connected to anything before moving forward...
Not sure where door wires would interfere with the parking light circuit. Something in the car that is tied to both circuits is probably causing the problem. Any LED upgrades in the car?
Do you have any aftermarket lighting inside? Or outside? Fog lights? Gauge cluster upgrades? I have also seen people make mistakes with the illumination wires behind the radio. If you're using an aftermarket radio harness, these would be the orange wires. Could be orange, orange with white, or orange with black. I would make sure these aren't connected to anything before moving forward...
Not sure where door wires would interfere with the parking light circuit. Something in the car that is tied to both circuits is probably causing the problem. Any LED upgrades in the car?
No lighting upgrades. I do have all of the bulbs in the front of the car disconnected as well because I have the front bumper off. The stereo and all speakers are factory (all but the rear two are blown). No aftermarket alarm. I just checked all of the side markers and they are incandescent 194 bulbs.
I just remembered that I do have the autotrix passenger door window fix kit installed. That's the only wire related thing I can think of that has been jacked with on the car.
I just remembered that I do have the autotrix passenger door window fix kit installed. That's the only wire related thing I can think of that has been jacked with on the car.
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Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Apple Maggot Quarantine Zone
That shouldn't be related to anything with the lighting circuit.
Then again, this may not be a problem. Try getting all of the bulbs in place, and then test your amp draw off of the battery. I'm wondering if the door chime module has a requirement for the ground through the bulbs. Not exactly sure how their system works, but if it's looking to see a ground on the wiring for the bulbs that are not illuminated, this wouldn't be impossible.
I say make sure that you have a problem first.
Then again, this may not be a problem. Try getting all of the bulbs in place, and then test your amp draw off of the battery. I'm wondering if the door chime module has a requirement for the ground through the bulbs. Not exactly sure how their system works, but if it's looking to see a ground on the wiring for the bulbs that are not illuminated, this wouldn't be impossible.
I say make sure that you have a problem first.
Finished putting the car together and tested the parastatic load and it's within spec. It must have just been something funky with how the car is wired and needing all the bulbs in to act right.
yeah, things are just weird on these cars, for example I've got this issue that persist despite removing and re-seating the bulb (during which I turned on the lights and played with the socket and wiring to see if it was a loose connection and could not replicate the issue) multiple times where occasionally when walking to the car I will notice the 194 on the passenger tail does not light up with the other bulbs when I unlock the car and a simple TAP on the tail light housing (while the bulb is LIT only) will bring it back to working, if I don't tap the housing when I notice this I can turn on the lights and the 194 will remain off till I tap the housing as well, how in the heck does tapping the housing make it work when it clearly can't be a loose bulb or bad pigtail? it just doesn't make any sense.
