Interior dome lights not working

[BigEd87]

I have a 2008 buick lucerne and the dome lights/reading lights work when they are manually turned on but do not turn on when opening any of the doors. I thought it was a fuse but they are all okay. I don't know how to troubleshoot this one.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

There are settings in the Drivers Information Center aka DIC which may be something to check. It's not clear if the problem just occurred, rear seat lights work or has been constant and that may require additional checking.

 

[BigEd87]

There are settings in the Drivers Information Center aka DIC which may be something to check. It's not clear if the problem just occurred, rear seat lights work or has been constant and that may require additional checking.

I checked the DIC but there is not an option for that. I reset it to factory defaults to see if that will help but it did not. Any other ideas? I have other random lights that don't work such as the a/c light on the hvac controller (even when I know it's on).

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

If there are other items also not working it's best guessing on a connection, harness, ground fault or BCM.

Factory stereo or aftermarket?

When using the key fob to open or lock do the front interior lights work - floor well and overhead console?

 

[BigEd87]

If there are other items also not working it's best guessing on a connection, harness, ground fault or BCM.

Factory stereo or aftermarket?

When using the key fob to open or lock do the front interior lights work - floor well and overhead console?

I do have a a aftermarket stereo. Though everything was working fine for awhile after installation. I'll pull it out and put the stock back for tests. Nothing I do will turn on the dome/reading lights except for manually turning them on.

 

[BigEd87]

I do have a a aftermarket stereo. Though everything was working fine for awhile after installation. I'll pull it out and put the stock back for tests. Nothing I do will turn on the dome/reading lights except for manually turning them on.

And the floor lights do turn on but that's it.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

No rear seat lights when the door is open or fob used also? If so this may be harness, connection or fuse box. The 08 and up rear seat fuse box has a issue with the fuel pump relay and can damage the fuse box, not saying it's the problem but something to be mindful of. The other item is the drivers door wiring harnesses inside the bellows between the door and frame that can have cracked or have hairline breaks, again it may not be the problem but on the list of suspects.

 

[BigEd87]

So I disconnected my aftermarket stereo but did not connect the factory. The issue persists though. I figured I didn't need to plug anything into the radio wiring harness to test.

Regarding the door issue, wouldn't that only be the case if that was the only door doing that? No matter what door I open the dome/reading light does not turn on.

I have a regular Bluetooth odb2 reader and torque pro but there aren't any faults found.

Is there a way to test the fuse box issue 2007lucernCXL mentioned?

 

[engmate02]

So I disconnected my aftermarket stereo but did not connect the factory. The issue persists though. I figured I didn't need to plug anything into the radio wiring harness to test.

Regarding the door issue, wouldn't that only be the case if that was the only door doing that? No matter what door I open the dome/reading light does not turn on.

I have a regular Bluetooth odb2 reader and torque pro but there aren't any faults found.

Is there a way to test the fuse box issue 2007lucernCXL mentioned?

I had this issue before after replacing the dome like bulbs and accidentally shorting the wires. What it was was blow the fuse, and in 2006&2007, the interior light dimming circuit had a shared fuse with the front right turn signal.

However in 2008+ it had its own fuses. For your vehicle it would be fuse 35 and fuse 32.

Something else I should note is that just because a continuity meter says that it is good, doesn’t mean it is. That’s what screwed me up, I thought I had fried the BCM, but it turned out the meter was giving a false reading because when I pulled the fuse out I could clearly see it was blown inside. That is something I would check.

If both 10a fuses are good, you will then have to go to the BCM and check to see if there is voltage going to Pin #2 on the X3 & X4 connector, if there is voltage, it’s possible your BCM may be fried, otherwise there could be a break in the wire from the fuse block to the BCM, or the fuse is bad/blown.

Hope this is able to help a bit, I understand the frustration.

 

[engmate02]

Oh, forgot to also ask, when you open the drivers door while the vehicle is in gear, does it say anything about it on the DIC and chime? This is a good way to isolate the issue, I highly doubt all of the door latches failed, but I guess it’s worth putting out there.