From what Ive read,the dash control light,glovebox light,and license plate light are on the same fuse. Ive checked F97 fuse and its fine, glovebox light works when running light or headlights are on (btw, should the glovebox light ALWAYS turn on when opened?), as do the dash control lights. Ive replaced both license plate lights and yet they still wont turn on when I turn on the headlights. Is there some setting that turns them off, or what else can I check?

 

No ideas on this guys?

 

I would get out your multimeter and start checking everything. I would also trace the wires from the lights (you might have to pull off the sound proofing material around the trunk) to see if they are broken anywhere. The only thing I can think of is that the owner before you got in a rear collision. The same thing happened to me and one of my rear light sockets gets no voltage... :/

Basically the only thing that would explain this is that you are getting a short which is blowing the lights as soon as they get power, or somewhere down the line, the wires are severed and don't transmit electricity anymore.

 

Thanks disguay. The lights were working when I bought the car, so luckily I don't have to worry about a secret collision. I'll get out the multimeter and try to figure out where the issue is.

 

Did you use LED's? If so, you should flip them around and plug them in the other way

 

I'm not using LEDs, but thanks. Checked the bulb sockets over the license plate when the headlights are turned on and I get no voltage. I noticed that the sockets look a little crispy and the plastic near the lightbulb is slightly melted due to heat from the bulbs (this may be normal).

This issue gets stranger though. I went over the fuses again and saw that F64 7.5A fuse was plugged into F65, but side markers on both sides were working fine. I switched F65 to F64 and they still all work fine (see fuse info below). This makes me wonder if a previous owner messed with the wiring.

Also, the side marker lights directly behind the front wheel don't ever turn on. I checked the bulbs and changed them with working bulbs to make sure. Still no lights. Yet the marker lights at the very front and very back DO turn on.

Fuse info:
F63 Mini 7.5 Brown Right-hand – front side light, side markers, rear tail lights.
F64 Mini 7.5 Brown Left-hand – front side light, side markers, rear tail lights.

F65 Mini Not used.

 

blaydes, your car has a typical case of the gremlins. Most owners choose to either ignore the gremlins or hunt them down. Hunting them down takes a lot of time and most of the time if you mess with one gremlin, it will get angry and create two or three gremlins

Your gremlin is one of the worst... an electrical issue that could have been messed with before, tweaked, and then left without any explanation. The only way you will get through it is keep testing everything, pulling fuses, and tracing the wires that go to the license plate lights.

I have a couple gremlins after a year or so of trying to track them down... I still don't know why the right side corner markers on my car work and I sometimes I can't get the car into reverse for the life of me even though I have checked everything.