Door Courtesy Lights

AlfaDue · #1 (**permalink**) 02-13-2011, 01:57 PM

Last night I noticed the red and lower white door courtesy lights were all out. Found the fuse in number 5 slot in supplementary fuse box, swapped it out from another in use and found the fuse to be the problem. The question is the fuse that was in there was a 20a while manual calls for a 10a. Should I go back to a 10a or just replace it with another 20a? Does anyone have any experience with this and will share their wisdom on the subject?

**Alfisto Steve** · #2 (**permalink**) 02-15-2011, 12:31 AM

I would put 10A fuse in and if it blows you need to do some troubleshooting as doubling the amps of fuse maybe masking a problem. Not good idea to do that.

ChazzyD · #3 (**permalink**) 02-15-2011, 05:28 AM

Sometimes the wires to the courtesy lights can get pinched when reinstalling the armrests or from doing any other door panel repairs. Have you had any of the door panels removed recently? At some point we are probably going to start seeing wires in the door jambs failing too as these cars get older. They can bend back and forth only so many times. Of course that normally happens with driver's doors first. Anyway, put the proper value fuse in there and hope that your done.
Charles

AlfaDue · #4 (**permalink**) 02-15-2011, 07:52 PM

Will do, and will report back. Thanks.

SpiralArchitect · #5 (**permalink**) 02-18-2011, 08:22 AM

A given wire gauge can only carry a limited number of amperes. When that limit is exceeded, the wire dissipates power as heat, sometimes enough to melt and burn.

A few weeks ago I was wiring a Nokia hands free kit on my brother's Renault.
Took the center console off and found the cigarette lighter wiring. As the hands free kit had 0,50mm wiring, having the full 20 A from the lighter circuit on that wire would be a fire hazard, should it short circuit. So, I used some wire the same size as the one on the lighter to take power to a free fuse holder with a 3 A fuse, from then on I used the thin wire.

In short, the fuse is to be always the weakest element. Having a 20A fuse in a circuit designed for 10A is no protection, it's a fire hazard.

As Steve recommended, fit the prescribed fuse. If it blows, check for cracked wires, etc. Play it safe.

AlfaDue · #6 (**permalink**) 02-21-2011, 10:47 PM

So far so good. I did notice at first a dodgy connection when fitting the new fuse, maybe for the whole supplementary fuse box? How is the box itself connected (before I go in and break something)? Now if I can just get the side view mirrors to work---will be starting with the switch...