interior courtsy lights

Have a '77 Corvettte and the courtsy lights do not come on when the door is opened. Have checked the fuses and they are all good. Clock works and lights come on when you turn the light switch for them to come on. What can I check to make them work?

Mike,
I think I would check the switches on the door. If you have identified that the lights work, and that the fuses are good, maybe the switches are not functioning.
You should be able to get to them under the kick panels.
Glenn

Hi Mike
I have a 78 and my interior lights never go out!
My car has an option package with a delay timer that
keeps the interior lights on for 30 seconds,or until you turn the key,and mine failed closed.
Maybe your car has the same option but failed open.
My 78 was built Nov 77.
The delay timer is not expensive but it is located in the wiring harness behind the dash!
I can live without a dome lite for now!
Steve

|UPDATED|3/3/2004 8:41:43 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

I have the same problem with my courtesy light timer. For the time being I just removed with light bulbs. I have a new timer, but haven't taken the time to replace it. The electical troubleshooting guide shows it behind the dash above the fuse box, but I've also been told the book is incorrect and it's above the glovebox. When the weather gets warm to stay I'll find out.

One thing is consistant on Corvettes...there is no consistantcy and nothing comes easy.

Glen,
Thanks for the response. Tonight I will try to take off the kick panels and get to the switches.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the response. I do not know for sure if my '77 has a light timer? What does it look like?

The timer is a flat thing that's orange in color that has other wires plugged into it. It's not very big and is supposedly taped into the wiring harness behind the speedometer/tach cluster and above the fuse box...at least it's supposed to be in my '78. The '77 may be different as the guage cluster changed in '78.

I was hoping that maybe I could just eliminate the timer and let the courtesy lights simply go on and off with the door switches. There turns out to be several things running through the switch making that impractical.

If you need a switch, they run about $30-$40, depending if you find NOS or a reproduction.

Hi Gunslinger!
In 78 they changed the wiring harness mid year(maybe July) and the interior light delay timer was changed to a location where you can acctualy service it.
Steve

Thanks Steve...

My '78 is a very early one...assembled in September or October of the model year, so I expect the timer will be in the more inaccessible spot.