My friend has a '96 Impala that has a problem with the interior lights. The courtesy lights and the map? lights on the bottom of the rear view mirror won't go out unless the relay in the
convenience center is removed, and even then, there is a drain
on the battery that lights up my test light like there is a small light
on somewhere. And the rocker switches under the map? lights
don't turn off the lights in either position. One problem is that I don't know how the lights are supposed to operate.
Do the interior lights shut off as soon as the door is closed, or
does the circuit have an automatic dimmer ?
Any info will be appreciated!

 

You may get a better responce/answer here.

http://www.impalassforum.com

 

on a 96' impala, the door pin is just an input to an electronic module. computer then decides, based on pin switches & various other paramaters whether to engage the relay which turns on interior domelights.

if you get desperate, could pull all the domelight bulbs out of their sockets and carry a flashlight in the car.

or there's always http://www.alldatadiy.com
is not cheap and the $25 fee only allows you to access one car. and after a year, you need to pay another $25 for another years access. gm shop manual is much better investment if you plan on keeping car for a while.

 

Thanks for the input. I'll start my quest for the gremlin at the driver's door switch. Maybe it broke or the wire fell to ground.

 

Actually, our illustrious Tech moderator Vader, has two of them. So who knows where a better answer might come from?

 

Thanks, Jza. I Got an e-mail from a guy named Ed from that
board yesterday. He said the lights don't have auto dimmers. That helps me a lot. I had to replace a few boards on my fence today because of the high winds lately, so I didn't get over to check out those lights. Home ownership CAN suck, but it does beat renting! Maybe I'll check those lights tomorrow after work.