courtesy lamp dimmer timer

After shutting my door, the lights stay on for about 30 seconds then shut off. They used to dim slowly then shut off. No biggie, but I'd like it to do what it's supposed to. This unit in my diagram showing to be somewhere in the right kick-panel. Can I get to this by taking out the glove box? Is it cheap? Is it worth it?

Thanks !

The courtesy lights are supposed to stay on between 20-40 seconds before turning off. My experience is they just turn off. The courtesy timer in my '78 went bad and was sometimes working OK, sometimes staying on and occasionally just coming on at random. What I did for now was remove the light bulbs until I replace the timer. I've been told it's located over the speedometer/tach cluster and also that it's over the glovebox. I have a new timer, but haven't taken the opportunity to find out where it's at. Maybe someone here can say for sure where it's at.

The timer costs $30-$40. There are reproductions on the market as well as the occasional NOS one.

If yours is operating different than what you've become accustomed to, maybe it is going bad.

Also, (interior lights) when I twist my switch, the lights come on for only a second, and flash like there's a short, then go out. I figure it's the light switch, any experience with this? Another expensive part? Hard to replace?

Thanks bunches !

The interior light work by grounding the bulbs. They are hot all the time, even with the car shut off. The timer grounds them. They can also be grounded by the door jamb switches, or the headlight switch. By using multiple ground, they can be controlled at multiple points. Far easier than trying to switch all those hot leads. I don't know where the timer is located, sorry. If the light come on when you turn the headlight switch, then go out, it only made connecton for a brief period. Most likely the switch is bad if the lights can be controlled by the timer and jamb switches. If they do this at all ground points, look to the power supply having a poor connection. Either way it's making slight contact until amperage starts to flow, then the poor connection can't handle it and creates on open connection, shutting the lights back off.

Ken Styer

Don't know what year you have but 79 shop manual shows the timer in the instrument panel harness behind the glovebox.Just wrapped in with the wires. Mike

Duh, I see you have 82. Mike

Timer is definitely behind the glove box in the 80.

thanks guy's, I'll check it out this weekend. Gotta get a second job to pay for the relay and switch probably.