Interior Lamps Not Turning Off

I just got back from college to find that my car's battery is dead and it will not start. Upon further inspection it seems that the interior lamps, including the door lights, rear reading lamps, and front reading lamps do not turn off after the car is shut off. I already tried playing around with the twilight sentinel but nothing happened. I pulled the interior lamp fuse under the rear seat and they finally turned off. Is this a relay problem? The only one that seems relevant is the Direct Accessory Power Relay, but i would like to know if it controls those lights before i purchase a new one. Any help would be appreciated.

You need someone with a 96 wiring diagram to help.
I don't know if a relay could be at fault or the LCM (Lighting Control Module). It is powered HOT at all times also.

Edit: After looking at the 98 wiring diagram, I found that the LCM ( actually called the Lamp Control Module) does not directly control the interior lights.
The BCM (Body Control Module) and the RFA (Remote Function Actuator) control all of the interior lighting circuits.

Also, might want to check the easy things first, like a stuck or bad door jam switch. Either one of these can cause all interior lights to stay on.

Hmmm, the '98 has a timer - ie even if I leave the door open, the lights turn off after 10 minutes. Not sure how the '96 is set up though. It can't be too different from the '98.

OK, as cars get more complicated we naturally tend to think problems are complicated... It sounds to me like you just have one of the oldest, most common boo-boos in the book.

I didn't see any mention above of turning off the Dome Light switch in the Headlight knob. If you turn the knob so your instruments are all the way bright (CCW, I believe), there is a detent and then it turns on the dome lights, i.e. the readling lights, the courtesy lights, the door lights, etc...

Put the fuse back in, close the door and play with the Headlight knob and I'll bet you're back in business.

deekster_caddy wrote:

Hmmm, the '98 has a timer - ie even if I leave the door open, the lights turn off after 10 minutes. Not sure how the '96 is set up though. It can't be too different from the '98.

According to the poop sheet for my car, RAP was new for '97, I'll bet BuRP was, too...

(Retained Accessory Power, Battery Rundown Protection)

Eldo wrote:

OK, as cars get more complicated we naturally tend to think problems are complicated... It sounds to me like you just have one of the oldest, most common boo-boos in the book.

I didn't see any mention above of turning off the Dome Light switch in the Headlight knob. If you turn the knob so your instruments are all the way bright (CCW, I believe), there is a detent and then it turns on the dome lights, i.e. the readling lights, the courtesy lights, the door lights, etc...

Put the fuse back in, close the door and play with the Headlight knob and I'll bet you're back in business.

Well I'm blaming my brother since he moved my car while i was gone....Thanks a ton.

L67 wrote:

I already tried playing around with the twilight sentinel but nothing happened.

I ASSumed after reading this that the headlight switch was tried and wasn't the issue.

Rickw wrote:

L67 wrote:

I already tried playing around with the twilight sentinel but nothing happened.

I ASSumed after reading this that the headlight switch was tried and wasn't the issue.

Haha i pulled it out, and also moved the timing dial, but i forgot to move the dome light knob Honest mistake

L67 wrote:

Eldo wrote:

OK, as cars get more complicated we naturally tend to think problems are complicated... It sounds to me like you just have one of the oldest, most common boo-boos in the book.

I didn't see any mention above of turning off the Dome Light switch in the Headlight knob. If you turn the knob so your instruments are all the way bright (CCW, I believe), there is a detent and then it turns on the dome lights, i.e. the readling lights, the courtesy lights, the door lights, etc...

Put the fuse back in, close the door and play with the Headlight knob and I'll bet you're back in business.

Well I'm blaming my brother since he moved my car while i was gone....Thanks a ton.

You're very welcome! I'm glad I caught you before you started messing with relays or (horror) modules...

{Never ASSume... }

Eldo wrote:

L67 wrote:

Eldo wrote:

OK, as cars get more complicated we naturally tend to think problems are complicated... It sounds to me like you just have one of the oldest, most common boo-boos in the book.

I didn't see any mention above of turning off the Dome Light switch in the Headlight knob. If you turn the knob so your instruments are all the way bright (CCW, I believe), there is a detent and then it turns on the dome lights, i.e. the readling lights, the courtesy lights, the door lights, etc...

Put the fuse back in, close the door and play with the Headlight knob and I'll bet you're back in business.

Well I'm blaming my brother since he moved my car while i was gone....Thanks a ton.

You're very welcome! I'm glad I caught you before you started messing with relays or (horror) modules...

{Never ASSume... }

All i did was make an ASS out of U and ME...well just ME in this case.

Wanna' hear a hot one??
I went out to my car today and had a dead battery!

I know what I did, I left the parking lights on after using the underhood light to look at something (that was one of my other early peeves - I changed out the trunk & hood bulbs with the brightest bulb that fits them both and added a second socket/lens unit in the front of the trunk.)

What doesn't make sense is that, as I said earlier, my '97 DOES have BuRP. I leave my trunk open all the time and it times out in the usual GM 9-minute "10 minutes"...

Interior & exterior lights use different modules, but they're both supposed to have rundown protection. After I take it for a good ride I'll sit out there & watch 'em for 9 minutes. I just hope it didn't hurt my battery - I like the original unit and I force-fed it with distilled water 2 years ago when it was dying and it's been perfect ever since...

OK, if anyone's interested I found the answer to my dead battery scenario...

For some reason, the BRP for the exterior lights only operates if you've turned the parking or headlights on manually with the key on... Then, if you take the key and walk away, they will time out like all the interior and trunk lights do, after 9-10 minutes.

If the ignition is off and you just reach in and pull the knob, they run til the battery dies.