How can I disconnect this? - I have searched through not only the manual, but also the forum and cannot find out how to. My understanding is that only some of us have the feature that the drivers door dims the interior light, but it is killing me with my alarm because it false alarms if you arm it within 20 seconds of hopping out. and I look like a douche if i stand there for that long waiting for the light to turn off. I have no desire for this, and its also a pain when u hop in the car at night to reverse, you have to wait for it to go off again. I just want to get rid of the circuit fullstop maybe? Any help is great! thanks :zlove:
There's a module you can buy from JayCar which is designed to keep the interior light on for a while after you get in / get out of the car & then the module fades the interior light. Sounds like you've got one of these fitted (they sure didn't come with these as standard). Most likely it's fitted somewhere under the dash - just find it & remove it.
I have three series 1 Zeds and none of them do that, so I guess it is a feature of later models like yours. I guess that is why you cannot find it in the Manual, because the on line manuals are all Series 1 versions. I suppose you have tried the simple thing like removing the bulb, but maybe the dimmer circuit itself might still draw enough supply to trouble the alarm. I think you need access to Series 2 or Series 3 circuit diagrams to find out where the gizmo is hiding. Unfortunately I have never seen them.
As Angrybear said pull the globe or maybe the switch might stop it. I don't drive my car that much but will take note next time to see what it does. Another way might be to set the turbo timer to run long enought for the light to have dimmed ( if it will do that - another thing for me to check ). Cheers Dave
Thanks for the suggestions guys... its an na, so no turbo timer... which would be an alright idea... the pulling of the bulb is ok, but it doesn't always work... like it just reduces the dimmer time... any other ideas for this? - where can i get a s2 or 3 diagram from?
Having a look in the 96 manual it certainly is a feature. What happens if you just put the 3 position switch in the off position ? Or is it a case that you use it sometimes in the "door" position and forget ? There looks like there is a "door" position for the 2 small spot lamps, maybe you could set the interior to off, and the spots to door, that might work. Here's a diagram of the immediate circuit, door switches provide an earth via the L/B wire to activate the "room lamp relay" you close the door and the relay releases, but the "remote control unit" and the "time control unit" control the timing and the dimming. Simple just cut the wire where the red line is and you should have a normal door controlled light. The problem is where is that spot, probably buried in the body harness somewhere, what I would recommend is depinning connectors, insulating them, maybe with a small note to say what they are. That way if it doesn't work you can take it back easily. They should both be Red/White wires on both connectors, there is a diagram below with location of connectors, but in a LHD, so those connectors will be on the drivers side, there may be some variance between LHD and RHD, but if you get a multimeter and check connections from your interior light to those connectors you should be able to work it out, fingers crossed the colour code is the same. You could also check connector B19 at the interior light to see if there is 2 x R/W wires running to it, but I don't think you will be that lucky, then use a multimeter to figure out which one to reconnect after you cut them. Also check the other connectors you might get lucky the problem is you have to cut one to ID which wire. I think depinning is the safest, there is a slight chance it might throw a warning light, some other circuitry I saw suggested that. Should be pretty easy to work out which connector is which as they usually have different pin counts, that should narrow it down if the layout is different to RHD. Have fun.
Read this first !!! Sorry mate I may of been a little premature, I think this is more likely how the process is triggered and will be more effective. Even if my first suggestion worked for the light it may still cause voltage drops and screw with your alarm. And it is simpler, chase up a green wire on B72 check it gets earth when you open and close door and snip or depin if you can be bothered. I have left the other up in case it is require also. Remember that these diagrams are from a LHD, so if it completely different just go to the "time control module" (M1) pin 18, but I think its buried behind all the connectors and the connectors will be easier to get to. Hope I haven't made this harder then what it is.
Maybe find the alarm feed that tells it to set when the ignition goes off and get a cheap timer kit and cut the wire then install the timer to delay the alarm trigger giving the lights time to dim ?. Should be quite easy once you know which wire sets the alarm arming
Thanks brisz! - ill definately have to get into this one... Twin Terrror - its not automatically arming, it when I press the alarm button, which the reciever is in the unit itself meaning I couldn't use a timer kit?
I'am always waiting around for the turbo timer to time out, yes I do have an excuse because I am old and live in the world of 7 day weekends.
What alarm do you have? Some alarms you can program the (ive left my door open) alert out of them so you can lock the car while the interior light is still fading out. Downside of this is that if you have actually left a door open you wont know.
Its a Rhino alarm, but id like to have the door ajar warning, as it is something that i use - ill have to have a look through the wiring and see if i can find anything out of the diagram up before - away with work atm, so its another day job - like the rest of them!
This is the easiest solution for you even though it requires running a few meters of wire. Run a wire from the drivers door switch and run another wire from the passenger door switch and connect both to your negative door sense on the alarm. These switches are hard switches and have nothing to do with the timed dimmer circuit. The switch wires are easy to get to as you just need to pop the trim a few inches so that you can get in there. Should have you sorted
Finally got round to doing it - ended up using this method thanks ztoy - was far simpler.. To those who were questioning the seperation of the two cirucuits. I suggest that this has to do with the chime from leaving the key in and the drivers door open - and also the fading of the interior light only coming from the drivers door. Now that I have connected these three circuits (boot, drivers & passengers) - all three chime with the key in, and they all fade the light now.. - Just two things i noticed straight up when wiring it all together. Thanks for your input guys - i actually tried to find the harness to depin because i wanted the feature gone full stop, but i presume the mix of having a LHD and 96 manual diagram wouldn't let me find the same connectors :-/
Bob, I have a circuit diagram somewhere that shows how to integrate the alarm with the turbo timer. It allows arming of the alarm while the engine is running on the turbo timer, but if the alarm is triggered it shuts off the turbo timer. It's simple but clever. I'll dig it out on the weekend and send you a copy.
