Honda Car Forum

Hello,
I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put the
switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle position it
does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions? I'm thinking
that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd check here first.

Thanks,
Rosscoe

"Me" <help@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:W9OdnX_t9pUhNX3YnZ2dnUVZ_rylnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
> Hello,
> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put the
> switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle position it
> does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions? I'm
> thinking that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd check
> here first.

Check the door switches first. It may not "know" the door is opened. Does
your dash have an indicator to show you if and which door is open? Is that
working?

The door switches work by grounding a circuit when the door is open. When
the door is closed, that circuit goes open.

"Seth" <seth_lermanNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:gk2Eh.19$LI.2@newsfe12.lga...
> "Me" <help@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:W9OdnX_t9pUhNX3YnZ2dnUVZ_rylnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>> Hello,
>> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put
>> the switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle
>> position it does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions?
>> I'm thinking that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd
>> check here first.
>
> Check the door switches first. It may not "know" the door is opened.
> Does your dash have an indicator to show you if and which door is open?
> Is that working?
>
> The door switches work by grounding a circuit when the door is open. When
> the door is closed, that circuit goes open.
>
I'll check the door switches. I didn't bother to do that since it doesn't
appear to work on any of the 4 doors. No indicator on the dash...at least
not that I'm aware of. Hmmm. What exactly am I looking for on the door
switches?

"Me" (help@yahoo.com) writes:
> "Seth" <seth_lermanNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:gk2Eh.19$LI.2@newsfe12.lga...
>> "Me" <help@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:W9OdnX_t9pUhNX3YnZ2dnUVZ_rylnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>>> Hello,
>>> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put
>>> the switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle
>>> position it does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions?
>>> I'm thinking that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd
>>> check here first.
>>
>> Check the door switches first. It may not "know" the door is opened.
>> Does your dash have an indicator to show you if and which door is open?
>> Is that working?
>>
>> The door switches work by grounding a circuit when the door is open. When
>> the door is closed, that circuit goes open.
>>
> I'll check the door switches. I didn't bother to do that since it doesn't
> appear to work on any of the 4 doors. No indicator on the dash...at least
> not that I'm aware of. Hmmm. What exactly am I looking for on the door
> switches?
>

Check to see that they are not seized, since they will only seize in the
door-closed position. The plungers should move in and out freely. They
probably have rubber boots on them but you should still be able to
feel the plunger moving without removing the boots.

It would be strange for all four to seize before you noticed it, but I
have had many door switches seize, and have never had a problem with a
light housing.
Dan

(This account is not used for email.)

Me wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put the
> switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle position it
> does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions? I'm thinking
> that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd check here first.
>
> Thanks,
> Rosscoe

Usually the middle position is off regardless of doors open or not. One
side of middle is on, the other side of middle is on when one or more
doors are open. Perhaps you don't have a problem at all?

--
================================================== =====
A very modest collection of Honda tech info can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/ng_randolph

"Randolph" <trash@junkmail.com> wrote in message
news:45E0EB03.3C5AB095@junkmail.com...
>
> Me wrote:
>>
>> Hello,
>> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put
>> the
>> switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle position it
>> does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions? I'm
>> thinking
>> that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd check here
>> first.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Rosscoe
>
> Usually the middle position is off regardless of doors open or not. One
> side of middle is on, the other side of middle is on when one or more
> doors are open. Perhaps you don't have a problem at all?
>
No, the housing says "OFF" at one end and "ON" at the other with the middle
being blank. I've tried all positions and the light is only on in the "ON"
position. I would assume that there is a position that allows the light to
come on when the door is open. Maybe not?
Rosscoe

================================================== =====
> A very modest collection of Honda tech info can be found at:
> http://www.geocities.com/ng_randolph

Me wrote:
> "Randolph" <trash@junkmail.com> wrote in message
> news:45E0EB03.3C5AB095@junkmail.com...
>> Me wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put
>>> the
>>> switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle position it
>>> does not come on when you open the door(s). Any suggestions? I'm
>>> thinking
>>> that the whole light housing needs replacing. Thought I'd check here
>>> first.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Rosscoe
>> Usually the middle position is off regardless of doors open or not. One
>> side of middle is on, the other side of middle is on when one or more
>> doors are open. Perhaps you don't have a problem at all?
>>
> No, the housing says "OFF" at one end and "ON" at the other with the middle
> being blank. I've tried all positions and the light is only on in the "ON"
> position. I would assume that there is a position that allows the light to
> come on when the door is open. Maybe not?
> Rosscoe
>
> ================================================== =====
>> A very modest collection of Honda tech info can be found at:
>> http://www.geocities.com/ng_randolph
>
>
middle is the position that allows the doors to switch it on. double
check in that position.

"Me" <help@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:Ab-dnRGQxfFlX33YnZ2dnUVZ_rqhnZ2d@comcast.com...
>
> "Seth" <seth_lermanNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:gk2Eh.19$LI.2@newsfe12.lga...
>> "Me" <help@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:W9OdnX_t9pUhNX3YnZ2dnUVZ_rylnZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>>> Hello,
>>> I have a '97 Honda Civic LX. The interior light comes on when you put
>>> the switch in the "ON" position but when you put it in the middle
>>> position it does not come on when you open the door(s). Any
>>> suggestions? I'm thinking that the whole light housing needs replacing.
>>> Thought I'd check here first.
>>
>> Check the door switches first. It may not "know" the door is opened.
>> Does your dash have an indicator to show you if and which door is open?
>> Is that working?
>>
>> The door switches work by grounding a circuit when the door is open.
>> When the door is closed, that circuit goes open.
>>
> I'll check the door switches. I didn't bother to do that since it doesn't
> appear to work on any of the 4 doors. No indicator on the dash...at least
> not that I'm aware of. Hmmm. What exactly am I looking for on the door
> switches?

No indicator on the dash? You don't have a picture of a car with red lights
at each door and trunk/hatch location?

The door switch will either be a plunger in the hinge area, or an "L" shaped
slider on the latch side.

Seth wrote:

>> I'll check the door switches. I didn't bother to do that since it doesn't
>> appear to work on any of the 4 doors. No indicator on the dash...at least
>> not that I'm aware of. Hmmm. What exactly am I looking for on the door
>> switches?
>
> No indicator on the dash? You don't have a picture of a car with red lights
> at each door and trunk/hatch location?

I don't know about the OP's car, but my 2004 Civic has only a single
door/trunk ajar light. It does not have a set of lights that indicate which
door specifically is open like older Hondas did.

"High Tech Misfit" <me@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:q3dt7l48du1x.dlg@hightech.misfit...
> Seth wrote:
>
>>> I'll check the door switches. I didn't bother to do that since it
>>> doesn't
>>> appear to work on any of the 4 doors. No indicator on the dash...at
>>> least
>>> not that I'm aware of. Hmmm. What exactly am I looking for on the
>>> door
>>> switches?
>>
>> No indicator on the dash? You don't have a picture of a car with red
>> lights
>> at each door and trunk/hatch location?
>
> I don't know about the OP's car, but my 2004 Civic has only a single
> door/trunk ajar light. It does not have a set of lights that indicate
> which
> door specifically is open like older Hondas did.

Hmmm. My old Accord LX-i had it as does my '01 Accord EX-V6 as well as my
'7 Odyssey EX-L.

Maybe it's the Civic's that don't have it?