I've got an 88 GXL, and the lights wont turn on when you open the door. The 3 position switch seems fine, as it works when you select the far left position (to keep the light on constantly), but will not work to turn the inside lights on when you open the door. I took the whole thing down to check for pinched wires and bad grounds, but found no evidence of either, so I cleaned the grounds anyway. The map lights on either side of this light work fine. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. Its not really that important, it's just annoying. BTW I did a search first, didnt find anything helpful. OH, and i did check fuses too.
thanks

 

Well, it sounds to me like you have the VERY COMMON rx-7 electrical gremlins. What happens is : after a while the CPU (which controls lights, horn, wipers, almost everything electronic inside the car) starts to get bad/cold weld points, these points break and things stop working in your car. Best thing to do would be to either

a: resolder all the joints in your CPU (Drivers side,next to left foot) -OR-
b: Find a cpu from a junkyard car. only problem with this option is the solder joints my possible be bad (again)


-Markus

"Good luck, Let us know" CHEERS!

 

Hmm, I'll give that a try then. Thanks

 

CPU does not control the actual dome light.

If the doors open do not activate the domelight, the either the door switches are bad (very common) or the dome light switch is burnt out (occasionally).

But you could unplug the CPU and the domelights would still work. Again the CPU has nothing to do with the door trigger to the dome light.

 

Hurrrm, DAMNIT! Icemark your too smart man. lol
I guess we learn something new everyday

P.S How did you get so good with Rx-7s? You do know that your never wrong correct?

-Markus

"If i ever need anything your the one to ask" CHEERS!

 

I am occasionally wrong, just not this time, sorry.

 

Ok, Icemark was right. It was the door switches. I just happened to reach down and wiggle the one on the drivers side, and Beep.....Beep......Beep. The lights came on, and the door buzzer started working. Took the switches out and cleaned the contacts. Works like a charm now.
And BTW, my clock wasn't working either, so i read all the posts about people's clocks not working. I though to myself, "How could the solders be bad?" and went looking for other solutions. Well today I had some time on my hands and decided to pull out the idiot light panel.
I pulled the whole thing apart and carefully examined the solder joints. While most of the solders for the plug looked okay, I went ahead and re-soldered them any way. I was thinking that it was a waste of time, as that couldn't possibly be it. Well. guess what, it was. I can actually tell what time it is now. So to everyone who has taken the clock out before and looked at it, and thought it looked fine, SOLDER IT ANY DAMN WAY!!!!
Anyway, thanks for all the help guys. I used to be a Honda technician for a very reputable nationaly known performance shop, and i can tell you, that I never had the kind of comraderie in the Honda community that I've found here. Im really glad to be a part of this site. so Thanks alot

 

FWIW, coat the door switch contacts (the chromed part) with vascelene and you'll never have that problem again.

It's often difficult to tell if a solder joint is bad by eye. By the time you have inspected it properly with a magnifier, you could have just resoldered it.

 

True. I should've just listened in the first place.