Interior Lights Not Working: Driver Footwell and Passenger Vanity

vegamanx · 06-05-2019, 08:35 PM

Hi. Just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues and if this is a gremlin. I've searched and skimmed over all 17 pages of potential threads, but few leads. I've got an N51 2009 E88 w/ S322A Comfort Access and S463A Light Package, if that helps.

Issues:
- My footwell light stopped lighting up recently and the passenger vanity light (supposed to light up when visor is partially flipped down) just went out 2 weeks ago. I assumed the car was getting old and the bulbs simply burned out so this gave me a good reason to upgrade to brighter LED bulbs. I began replacing all the bulbs this morning w/ a full set of LEDs from PrecisionLED.com. (Good bulbs, btw.) However...

What I've done so far:
- Aside from the center light console being a pain in the butt to remove, neither the footwell nor passenger vanity lights went back on and all the bulbs are in working order (none are burned out). This makes me think this is a (broken) wiring issue.

- I tested the visor leads w/ a multimeter and no voltage. I compared w/ the driver's vanity leads just to make sure and there was a voltage across it.

- I also checked the fuses (PITA to access and remove) and it ended up being #61 that takes care of the lights. However, the fuse isn't blown since the driver's side vanity/dome/maps/passenger footwell lights still work.

Questions:
- For the passenger vanity, I'm wondering if it is the switch? Any tips on diagnosing this? Remove the trim along the windshield of the car? (I don't want to have to do that.)

- As for the driver's footwell, I think it's just the wiring, bc from the online manual I just found (Thx, ajoosten: LINK IF INTERESTED), both footwells are connected in parallel from the footwell module w/ no switches. So if one goes on, the other should too. Or am I missing something? I'd rather not remove the front cover under the steering column and start messing w/ the wires for the footwell light.
Wiring Diagram ("Make-Ups" on the left and Footwells on the right)

- Could both have issues w/ the Footwell Module?

In any case, I want to get this fixed. Otherwise, I have 3 LEDs that I bought and I can't even use and the car feels lopsided.

Let alone I can't see which pedal I'm pressing when I'm driving in the dark. J/k!

Thx in advance!

dtla1 · 06-06-2019, 11:41 AM

Not exactly the same thing, but I recently switched my interior lights out to all LEDs and noticed some weird behavior. Not all the time, but if I turn on a light, say the passenger map light, before turning on the car, then turn on the car, that light will turn off, and for the rest of the time while driving the car that light will not work at all including the footwell light that's also supposed to turn on (I think the center map light makes both footwell lights turn on also?).

Once the car's ignition is cycled then those lights will start working again. It's so weird.

vegamanx · 06-06-2019, 01:48 PM

Yeah, yours is a different issue. I'd be careful of wiring issues with cheap designed bulbs as there might not be diodes in place as safeguards and such that might cause polarity issues. Cheap stuff made in China can be poorly designed and incorrectly wired. That's why I chose to go w/ more expensive bulbs. Here's the description of what I got for my car:
E88 Bulbs

Side story: at a friend's summer wedding in the East Bay near SF, the couple bought a bunch of little fans (the cheap "Made in China" quality type) that can attach to your phone's charging port. The fan would draw power through your phone's battery to power the fan. This was a novel idea, except the little cheap fan fried the charging port of another friend's iPhone and he basically had to get a new phone.

dtla1 · 06-06-2019, 02:57 PM

Yeah, I'm thinking my issue has more to do with a canbus requirement. I'm not too knowledgable in what that all means but I think my map/dome lights are non-canbus currently but I need to get some with canbus.

For what it's worth, I bought my LEDs from Sirus LED.

vegamanx · 06-06-2019, 04:22 PM

Oh. Those look like they are decent bulbs. But the dome/map lights are different from the other bulbs, even if similarly shaped.

This Bulb Guide shows 2886x vs 2825 or 6411, depending on location.

06-05-2019, 08:35 PM	#1
vegamanx New Member 9 Rep 21 Posts Drives: 2009 128i E88 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	Interior Lights Not Working: Driver Footwell and Passenger Vanity Hi. Just wondering if anyone else has had similar issues and if this is a gremlin. I've searched and skimmed over all 17 pages of potential threads, but few leads. I've got an N51 2009 E88 w/ S322A Comfort Access and S463A Light Package, if that helps. Issues: - My footwell light stopped lighting up recently and the passenger vanity light (supposed to light up when visor is partially flipped down) just went out 2 weeks ago. I assumed the car was getting old and the bulbs simply burned out so this gave me a good reason to upgrade to brighter LED bulbs. I began replacing all the bulbs this morning w/ a full set of LEDs from PrecisionLED.com. (Good bulbs, btw.) However... What I've done so far: - Aside from the center light console being a pain in the butt to remove, neither the footwell nor passenger vanity lights went back on and all the bulbs are in working order (none are burned out). This makes me think this is a (broken) wiring issue. - I tested the visor leads w/ a multimeter and no voltage. I compared w/ the driver's vanity leads just to make sure and there was a voltage across it. - I also checked the fuses (PITA to access and remove) and it ended up being #61 that takes care of the lights. However, the fuse isn't blown since the driver's side vanity/dome/maps/passenger footwell lights still work. Questions: - For the passenger vanity, I'm wondering if it is the switch? Any tips on diagnosing this? Remove the trim along the windshield of the car? (I don't want to have to do that.) - As for the driver's footwell, I think it's just the wiring, bc from the online manual I just found (Thx, ajoosten: LINK IF INTERESTED), both footwells are connected in parallel from the footwell module w/ no switches. So if one goes on, the other should too. Or am I missing something? I'd rather not remove the front cover under the steering column and start messing w/ the wires for the footwell light. Wiring Diagram ("Make-Ups" on the left and Footwells on the right) - Could both have issues w/ the Footwell Module? In any case, I want to get this fixed. Otherwise, I have 3 LEDs that I bought and I can't even use and the car feels lopsided. Let alone I can't see which pedal I'm pressing when I'm driving in the dark. J/k! Thx in advance! __________________ ------------------------------------------- 1. 2001 Mazda Miata LS (soon to be sold) 2. 2009 BMW 128i E88 3. 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE (wife's mode of transportation)
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06-06-2019, 11:41 AM	#2
dtla1 Colonel 828 Rep 2,232 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, Space Grey Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (2)	Not exactly the same thing, but I recently switched my interior lights out to all LEDs and noticed some weird behavior. Not all the time, but if I turn on a light, say the passenger map light, before turning on the car, then turn on the car, that light will turn off, and for the rest of the time while driving the car that light will not work at all including the footwell light that's also supposed to turn on (I think the center map light makes both footwell lights turn on also?). Once the car's ignition is cycled then those lights will start working again. It's so weird.
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06-06-2019, 01:48 PM	#3
vegamanx New Member 9 Rep 21 Posts Drives: 2009 128i E88 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	Yeah, yours is a different issue. I'd be careful of wiring issues with cheap designed bulbs as there might not be diodes in place as safeguards and such that might cause polarity issues. Cheap stuff made in China can be poorly designed and incorrectly wired. That's why I chose to go w/ more expensive bulbs. Here's the description of what I got for my car: E88 Bulbs Side story: at a friend's summer wedding in the East Bay near SF, the couple bought a bunch of little fans (the cheap "Made in China" quality type) that can attach to your phone's charging port. The fan would draw power through your phone's battery to power the fan. This was a novel idea, except the little cheap fan fried the charging port of another friend's iPhone and he basically had to get a new phone. __________________ ------------------------------------------- 1. 2001 Mazda Miata LS (soon to be sold) 2. 2009 BMW 128i E88 3. 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE (wife's mode of transportation)
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06-06-2019, 02:57 PM	#4
dtla1 Colonel 828 Rep 2,232 Posts Drives: 2011 135i, Space Grey Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Silicon Valley iTrader: (2)	Yeah, I'm thinking my issue has more to do with a canbus requirement. I'm not too knowledgable in what that all means but I think my map/dome lights are non-canbus currently but I need to get some with canbus. For what it's worth, I bought my LEDs from Sirus LED.
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06-06-2019, 04:22 PM	#5
vegamanx New Member 9 Rep 21 Posts Drives: 2009 128i E88 Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	Oh. Those look like they are decent bulbs. But the dome/map lights are different from the other bulbs, even if similarly shaped. This Bulb Guide shows 2886x vs 2825 or 6411, depending on location. __________________ ------------------------------------------- 1. 2001 Mazda Miata LS (soon to be sold) 2. 2009 BMW 128i E88 3. 2015 Toyota Highlander XLE (wife's mode of transportation)
	Appreciate 0 Quote