[dangerm0use]

i bought my car used. i think the previous owner had an accident then repaired it. my problem i have is that the left side of the vehicle has electrical problems. descriptions below:

-interior dashboard lights sometime go off when i hit a bump or whenever it wants. i "hit" the top of the console with my open palm and it comes back on.

-the drivers side door does not illuminate the interior dome light when it is open. the passenger door does however.

-the right side of the car has no electrical problem. since i bought the car (2/16/05) the left high beam never comes on when i try to turn the hi beams on. i recently replaced the left bulb (4/1/05) and only the low beam comes on. when i pull back the switch to make the hi beams come on temporarily, only the right one comes on and left light turns off.

-the left brake light does not illuminate when i apply the brake. it comes on though when i manually turn on my night time driving lights. it still however does not illuminate like it is supposed to when i apply the brake. it just stays normal.

from these descriptions, you can see that "something" is wrong with the left side of my vehicle. could this have been caused by some wiring shortage? a fuse (if so where)? or something else? how can i fix this and be able to use my entire car comfortably without having to worry about what causes the problems? has anyone had problems like this before? is there a way for me to check the problem or do minor replacements to see if it is something major? i dont want to do a diagnostic if i can avoid it. what does it look like the problem might be? if anyone can help please do. thanks.

 

[Catman]

That is a tough one! The only thing I can tell you is that there is a fuse box by the handle of the emergency brake, and one in the engine compartment close to the Air Filter in the front right of the engine compartment. That being said, it sounds more like a short, then a fuse. Good luck! Sounds like you will need it. Only other thing is my Dad wrecked the '69 Delta 88 years ago. It blew fuses. I found a wire shorted/grounded out in the wreck area. It sounds like you will need to trace wires and look for something that is shorted out or loose to resolve this problem. That is just a guess. Bummer.

 

[toolapcfan]

I'd check out your dimmer switch for the dash lighting problem. All dashboard lighting is powered and grounded through that switch.

For your dome light, try wiggling the pin switch (lower right corner of the door jamb on the body of the car, or lower left if you're checking the one on the passenger's side). Chances are that switch is corroded and in need of replacement.

As for your headlights, each headlight has its own fused circuit, so they operate independently of each other, so my guess is that your headlight switch is the problem.

For your brake light, I would pull the bulb and make sure someone didn't install the wrong type of bulb. Another problem could be corroded contacts in the socket that the bulb fits into.