| Author | Message | ||
     Glen Poolen Frequent User Username: wgipps Post Number: 256 Registered: 03-2018 |
Hi. Shadow 1. These 2 lights are always on - doors open or closed. Both sides of the car. The manual says there should be a switch on the facia, all i have is the map light on/off switch in that position. How do I turn them off?  .  | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2241 Registered: 05-2012 |
Hi Glen The fascia switch is the headlamp/sidelamp switch. You push it in to turn the light off and pull it out for on. There may of course be an electrical problem, but this is the location of the switch. Geoff | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2242 Registered: 05-2012 |
Looking at it more closely, the rear of the light fitting is illuminated so it is more likely to be one of the door switches that has failed to permanently on. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 739 Registered: 05-2016 |
I had that problem with my Shadow 11, the fault was in the door area but not the switch, it was a small rubber grommet in the door itself that made contact with the switch in the A-pillar. The rubber grommet was worn out so it didn't press on the switch when the door closed, as a result the switch remained in the "on" position even though the door was closed. A new rubber grommet cured the problem. | ||
| Glen Poolen Frequent User Username: wgipps Post Number: 257 Registered: 03-2018 |
Your right Geoff. Its not the headlamp switch - pull on/push off works the drivers side lamp front half. These 2 are the back halves of that light so its going to probably be the door switch system. I think it unlikely that both door switches have failed at the same time. Ive had some work done recently on the indicator system so im going to lean toward a gremlin somewhere. Thanks | ||
| Mark Aldridge Frequent User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 726 Registered: 10-2008 |
Glen, has the car got wet recently ? If so check the front door switches. The drivers door switch on my Shadow1 was a pain. I replaced it with a sealed microswitch from RS components, attached to a bracket behind the original chrome face plate. No problems since. mark | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 663 Registered: 11-2017 |
The little rubber bumpers that keep the courtesy switch depressed often shrink with age and compression and can be a source of courtesy lamp "on" issues. The rubber bumpers are available in several thicknesses, but a little ingenuity to make the existing ones thicker will work also. | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 340 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,... Those lights look,.. White,... Are they LED's? Graham. | ||
| Glen Poolen Frequent User Username: wgipps Post Number: 258 Registered: 03-2018 |
Yes they are LED's. Ive replaced every interior light with LEDS. You can actually see in and around the inside of the car at night time simply by the cars interior lights. The dash/gauge/facia lights are all now blue. I went to replace the exterior lights as well but a couple of tail lights wouldnt work as LEDs so i had to leave them normal bulbs. Dont know why - im thinking it might have something to do with resistence or something. Not important - they still work as normal. Headlights are new LEDs and work amazingly. Used them for the 1st time last night. There are a few companies around that do curved/domed glass 5 3/4" LED headlights. I got Narva ones - i think only a true enthusiast would spot them as non genuine. But like always when doing such things to old cars, Ive kept the original headlights for prosterity. About 99% of the lights on her now are LED. My interior light problem - when i started to drive last night they were still on and it was really bright inside the car - it was going to be a really annoying drive home. But after a few seconds, they turned off. Which was good. But it also means i now need to find the electrical gremlin. They both went off at the same time so im not sure that the individual door buttons are the problem for each individual light - if they are on the same circuit one of them might have failed. Will see i guess. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 740 Registered: 05-2016 |
I think that the reason your tail lights wouldn't work with LEDs is that when you're converting to LED you need to retain at least 1 old bulb on that circuit as an earthing point. Headlamps, tail lights and rear number plate light would be on the same circuit so if you leave the original bulb in the number plate light then you might be able to use LEDs in the other lights on that circuit as the old number plate bulb should act as earth/ground. Until you sort the interior light issue you could simply remove the fuse so you won't be dazzled while driving at night. | ||
| Jeff Young Frequent User Username: jeyjey Post Number: 434 Registered: 10-2010 |
LEDs also won't work as direction signals because they don't eat enough current. (The flasher works by heating up a bi-metal plate which then disconnects the circuit, cools, and re-connects, over and over. Not enough current slows the cycle down, perhaps even to point of being always on.) | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2243 Registered: 05-2012 |
LEDs will also cause the brake bulb failure warning light to not work, if fitted to your car. See Tee-one topics Ch36, page 526. | ||
| Alan Dibley Frequent User Username: alsdibley Post Number: 282 Registered: 10-2009 |
"LEDs also won't work as direction signals because they don't eat enough current. " - but there are special flasher units available for LEDs that don't have this problem. Alan D. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 742 Registered: 05-2016 |
Ignore my observation regarding earthing a lighting circuit when converting to LEDs. I was thinking of the LED indicator flasher circuit where at least one incandescent bulb is needed somewhere in the loop. | ||
| Glen Poolen Frequent User Username: wgipps Post Number: 259 Registered: 03-2018 |
The indicators are LEDs. I think it was the tail or brake lights that wouldnt work. | ||
| Martin Taylor Experienced User Username: martin_taylor Post Number: 186 Registered: 07-2013 |
The bakerlite insulator fails in the early switch’s and will conduct enough current to light an LED, until it warms up and resistance increases, if standard bulbs are fitted they simply put a slow drain on the battery without illuminating the lamp. It is usually the drivers switch as this is the most worn, the rubber bung wears and doesn’t open the switch fully, as there is a whacking soienoid in the circuit there is a big arc every time the switch opens which burns the insulator, to test disconnect the switch or test with a megger after removing. On later cars they fixed the problem by installing micro switches and a relay to drive the solenoid. A diode in parallel with the fast levelling solenoid will protect the switches, however they take an average of thirty years to fail. | ||
| Glen Poolen Frequent User Username: wgipps Post Number: 260 Registered: 03-2018 |
What do you suggest Martin - try a new switch on the drivers side to start with? | ||
| Martin Taylor Experienced User Username: martin_taylor Post Number: 187 Registered: 07-2013 |
Pull the wires out of the switch to prove it first, they are not cheap to replace but can be taken apart and the bakerlite cleaned with light emery. | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 752 Registered: 05-2016 |
While I was attempting to diagnose the fault with my interior lights staying on I simply removed the fuse (fuse 15 in Silver Shadow 11 serves interior lights and boot and under bonnet lights). It simply meant that I had no interior lights for a while but that suited me better than having them constantly illuminated. I'm assuming there's one fuse in the earlier Silver Shadow that does the same job but I'm not sure about that. | ||
| Randy Roberson Frequent User Username: wascator Post Number: 848 Registered: 05-2009 |
My ‘77 Wraith II was caught out in a shower December 31, and now the same two lamps over the b-pillars won’t go off. I tried WD-40 hoping to push any water out; did not work. I will make further attempts at correcting this tomorrow. This topic is timely and helps of course! | ||
| Larry Kavanagh Frequent User Username: shadow_11 Post Number: 756 Registered: 05-2016 |
Hi Randy, If the light goes out after a few seconds when you depress the switch with your finger then the switch is probably OK but the rubber stopper in the door may have a hole worn in it so it's not pressing on the switch. Often the metal switch wears out the rubber stopper especially after 40+ years of opening & closing the door. Anyway fuse 15 should knock it off until you diagnose the problem. | ||
| Randy Roberson Frequent User Username: wascator Post Number: 849 Registered: 05-2009 |
I tried depressing the switch buttons below the surface to no effect so I suspect one or both have water inside. The rubber pads on the doors seem to be OK. | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Frequent User Username: wraithman Post Number: 669 Registered: 11-2017 |
Your lamp delay module is shot. | ||
| Martin Taylor Experienced User Username: martin_taylor Post Number: 188 Registered: 07-2013 |
Early shadow’s do not have a delay module | ||
| Mark Aldridge Frequent User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 729 Registered: 10-2008 |
Randy,remove strip and clean the switches. Hopefully this cures the issue until the next soaking ! In the UK in daily use, sealed microswitches were the only long term answer. On a 1975, the interior light switch also affects the selflevelling Mark | ||
| Randy Roberson Frequent User Username: wascator Post Number: 850 Registered: 05-2009 |
My car has returned to normal operation: Inobserved the lamps going off about ten seconds after closing the door. |
