Trunk light problem
sudaloo
06-12-2009, 10:42 AM
Car: 2000 Kia Sephia....40,000 mi
After torrential downpours, I discovered water had soaked the carpet in the trunk. I wanted to leave the trunk open for a few hours to help dry it out. I needed to disengage the trunk lightso as not to drain the battery and was having trouble doing so. A co-worker popped the plastic cover out and proceeded to try to pop the bulb out with the screw driver. When the screw driver made contact with the copper piece the bulb touches, there was a snapping noise and the light went out. He said...."Oh oh, I hope it didn't burn out a fuse" and he left....sigh : (
So the light was now out, and I left the trunk open for about 4 hrs while I went in to work.This was in the parking garage. When I left work, I found the radio did not work, and the interior dome light didn't work.
I stopped at discount auto and a very nice sales man checked the fuses for radio and dome. They appeared to look fine, but he replaced them to be sure, and still no radio or dome light. He replaced the trunk bulb and it did not work either.He refused to even let me pay for the bulb and fuses. How nice he was!
I decided to take it to Tire Kingdom and consult with a mechanic, but first wanted to make a quick stop and shampoo and vacuum the carpet in the trunk to get rid of the musty smell.
I had my driver side door open while doing so for about 1/2 hr. When I went to start up my car,it made a click and would not start.
I called Tire Kingdom and they sent someone to jump me. I then followed him to the shop and he tested the battery which was 3 yrs old, and said it was a bad battery, the Alt was Ok. He said the fact that the battery was going low, probably was why the radio stopped working even before the battery finally died.
I had him replace the battery. BUT the radio now comes on...you hear a click and see a light but the tuner doesn't work so no sound and you can't operate the radio. The dome light does not come on and the trunk light does not come on.
He said the radio may just need to be re-set at the dealer, but he does not know why the 2 lights are not coming on esp with no evident problem with the fuses. He said it could be a problem with the wire b/c of what happened when the work mate touched the copper. But he sees no connection to why that would have affected the radio( if it did) and he believes the battery going dead was just co-incidental to the other problem. As it was 8pm, we did not proceed any further on the problem.
Could this turn out to be a major electric or wiring problem? I'm scared to death that what the worker did could have caused a major problem.
I'm hoping for some feedback before I go and have it checked by the dealer as I fear my ignorance makes me vulnerable to them "selling" me more service and expense than needed. Been there done that....a lady being taken advantaged of by mechanics in the past. You all know what I'm talking about.
There are no burn marks on the trunk light wire.
Any thoughts out there?
Sudaloo
After torrential downpours, I discovered water had soaked the carpet in the trunk. I wanted to leave the trunk open for a few hours to help dry it out. I needed to disengage the trunk lightso as not to drain the battery and was having trouble doing so. A co-worker popped the plastic cover out and proceeded to try to pop the bulb out with the screw driver. When the screw driver made contact with the copper piece the bulb touches, there was a snapping noise and the light went out. He said...."Oh oh, I hope it didn't burn out a fuse" and he left....sigh : (
So the light was now out, and I left the trunk open for about 4 hrs while I went in to work.This was in the parking garage. When I left work, I found the radio did not work, and the interior dome light didn't work.
I stopped at discount auto and a very nice sales man checked the fuses for radio and dome. They appeared to look fine, but he replaced them to be sure, and still no radio or dome light. He replaced the trunk bulb and it did not work either.He refused to even let me pay for the bulb and fuses. How nice he was!
I decided to take it to Tire Kingdom and consult with a mechanic, but first wanted to make a quick stop and shampoo and vacuum the carpet in the trunk to get rid of the musty smell.
I had my driver side door open while doing so for about 1/2 hr. When I went to start up my car,it made a click and would not start.
I called Tire Kingdom and they sent someone to jump me. I then followed him to the shop and he tested the battery which was 3 yrs old, and said it was a bad battery, the Alt was Ok. He said the fact that the battery was going low, probably was why the radio stopped working even before the battery finally died.
I had him replace the battery. BUT the radio now comes on...you hear a click and see a light but the tuner doesn't work so no sound and you can't operate the radio. The dome light does not come on and the trunk light does not come on.
He said the radio may just need to be re-set at the dealer, but he does not know why the 2 lights are not coming on esp with no evident problem with the fuses. He said it could be a problem with the wire b/c of what happened when the work mate touched the copper. But he sees no connection to why that would have affected the radio( if it did) and he believes the battery going dead was just co-incidental to the other problem. As it was 8pm, we did not proceed any further on the problem.
Could this turn out to be a major electric or wiring problem? I'm scared to death that what the worker did could have caused a major problem.
I'm hoping for some feedback before I go and have it checked by the dealer as I fear my ignorance makes me vulnerable to them "selling" me more service and expense than needed. Been there done that....a lady being taken advantaged of by mechanics in the past. You all know what I'm talking about.
There are no burn marks on the trunk light wire.
Any thoughts out there?
Sudaloo
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