Interior light problem - please help!

Hey guys, I just got a 1992 Thunderbird 3.8 V6 a few weeks ago as my first car.......Has quite a bit of miles on it (175K) but it runs like a dream, besides the engine mounts being shot.

But I have a few problems with it: for one, when I bought the car the interior lights weren't working. When I took her home and checked the fuses, I noticed that one of them was gone, and it was the interior lighting one. As soon as I popped that fuse in, the lights stayed on, and boy did it look nice. But I closed the door and waited for a good minute, and the lights stayed on. I tryed starting her and then turning her off, but nothing. The door switch isn't the problem because I tested that.

When I did test it, the lights would stay on for a bit while the door was closed, but would make a click noise and flash the lights off very quickly then get them back on.

So waht could it be? I scourged the internet and these forums and found no good answer. I read maybe resetting the computer would fix it, but I don't exactly know how to do that....any help would be greatly appreciated guys, thanks.

I believe that resetting the computer is as simple as disconnecting the negative battery cable for 10 minutes. Wait 15 just to be on the safe side, it sucks to wait 10 minutes for no results, and then do it again and wait 15, and still get no results, cuz then youve just wasted about 30 minutes. Now, when you reconnect the battery cable and go to test the lights, theres one very important thing to remember, based on my years of experience... cross your fingers, and be very doubtful. Optimism is bad luck when it comes to trouble shooting... these kind of problems are always solved when you least expect it. Unless you actually know what youre doing. Let us know if that works. Good luck. (fingers crossed for ya)

well, did u use a voltmeter to check the connections or if they had power running to them or not?? the main problem could be the fuses... simpliest thing to do is check them with the meter then move ot the light itself.

Thanks for the speedy response guys!

No, see the problem isn't the interior lighting not turning on, see they TURN on, they just dont turn off once I put the fuse in.

I did actually reset the computer and nothing happened....Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated..

I dont know anything about relays, but I know that if they arent working, they can cause problems.. maybe some of you other guys who read this could offer any opinions about it being a relay. I would just take everything from the interior of the car... out. and then I'd check all the wires everywhere. The reason I'd do that is because I dont have any idea, so I would use this as a learning experience. Every time I take more of my car apart, I learn more and more about it, so theres probably a much easier way to solve this, but if youre like me, you'd have fun takin it all apart. If not, im sure somebody will have a better idea soon.

I know this sounds really dumb but I have done it. The switch that turns your headlight on and off twist it and see if the lights turn off because u can turn them on with that. If that dosent work look around for creative wiring alot of times on older cars the cost of the parts is to much to pay when you can make it yourself for less. Like in my car part of the wiring harness burnt up so I had to run new wire for the stereo and brake lights.

Hmm, well thanks for all the help, I tried a few things and stlll the problem persists....

I tried looking behind the glove box and found nothing useful, and the dimmmer switch didnt work, but thank you very much for the ideas!

I noticed that in the passenger side footwell, on the right side there are some large headed cables that arent plugged into anything...Maybe I'll take a look at that.

But I noticed something yesterday when working on it that I never noticed before. The lights stay on when the car is off and the doors are closed or open, but when I turn the car on to ignition, they go off.....Odd. Now that I think about it I never tested if they came on while the car was on and I opened a door, I'll try that.

ANy more ideas? they are greatly appreciated guys, thanks!