Chris`I Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 is it possible to change the bulbs in the dome lights with out taking the whole system out and causing any dmamge, i just fancy updating the inteiror light. and if so, what type of bulb are we looking at? Yes very easy, and in most cases you wont ever do damage. Its when you go shorting 2 circuits that arent meant to be connected that you get into trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 is it possible to change the bulbs in the dome lights with out taking the whole system out and causing any dmamge, i just fancy updating the inteiror light. and if so, what type of bulb are we looking at? Yes very easy, and in most cases you wont ever do damage. Its when you go shorting 2 circuits that arent meant to be connected that you get into trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waylander Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Husky I did some more research on this problem and according to this link, we may have F£$%ED up our BCM, also confirm what Chris said . Part of the BCM controls the lights and thier dimming feature http://m.350z-tech.com/lofiversion/inde ... 41373.html I tried what these guys recomended by opening both doors and disconnecting the battery for 5 mins to see if would solve the problem, but no luck. Maybe you should give this a go and see if it helps out your car dome light problem. Below the link for the procedure http://www.350z-tech.com/zwiki/TSB_03-0 ... noperative Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 bugger, time to call the warranty people they are gonna love me, and i need to get those stock bulbs back in, which is going to annoy me. oh well, stupid design by nissan, a circuit you can short leading straight to the bcm with no protection. makes me surprised they even bothered with fuses in the car part of my job is to make sure everything survives when short circuited and is easily sorted. maybe i should go and nissan on the head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 note to self, don't let hsuky near my electrics; got it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris`I Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 bugger, time to call the warranty people they are gonna love me, and i need to get those stock bulbs back in, which is going to annoy me. oh well, stupid design by nissan, a circuit you can short leading straight to the bcm with no protection. makes me surprised they even bothered with fuses in the car part of my job is to make sure everything survives when short circuited and is easily sorted. maybe i should go and nissan on the head. Fully agree chap, its a retarded design. Glad you have the warrenty to cover it (should be covered btw, mine was fully paid for by extended warrenty). Otherwise I guess Lee might have some for a couple of hundred quid, but you'd need to get Nissan to install and recode the keys/imobiliser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 note to self, don't let hsuky near my electrics; got it i would say that an acceptable note at this point in time everything else ive dont has gone well. just turning a bulb 5 degrees so it doesnt shine in my eye.. how was i to know. annnndd. i have a partner in crime. waylander cheers chris, i think it will be, i will play the innocent, i aint touched nuffin sir, card Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waylander Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 S$%^ I dont have warrenty on my car, arh crap design by nissan Anyway let me know when you have the BCM replaced by nissan and this sorts out the problem with the interior dome light fading issue. I can live with this for a while but its very annoying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 it is a pain in the arse, im going to try the battery reset while i sort some other stuff. in my opinion we arent to blame for this, the fact it is a user servicable part that is so fragile is rediculous. considering how close those contacts are it is entirely possible they would get shorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waylander Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 note to self, don't let hsuky near my electrics; got it i would say that an acceptable note at this point in time everything else ive dont has gone well. just turning a bulb 5 degrees so it doesnt shine in my eye.. how was i to know. annnndd. i have a partner in crime. waylander this has been expensive lesson just to change my normal dome lights into LED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted September 13, 2009 Author Share Posted September 13, 2009 OMG, i just put the originals back in, and they are laughably cr@p. fogot how bad they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcauleyj Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hi, Unsure of where to post this as I had been reading a few forums (here & 350z-tech) about the courtesy lamp auto-dim fault before I had a go at fixing mine. Noticed your post covering this problem so thought I'd post up how I fixed it. I got my Z in mid October 2010 & shortly after noticed that the 'Auto' or 'Door' interior feature for the interior dome/courtesy lights didnt work. Manual operation was fine, but no lights when the door opens/ you take the key out etc. I tried the TSB guide on this issue but the reset procedure did not work. Checked the feed from BCM to the lamp module & it looked to be dead. Read on one of the forums that a few guys had successfully repaired a burnt out track on the BCM - so I thought I'd have a look. Sure enough, there was a burnt out track - see pic. I bypassed the damaged track with a wire strap & that sorted the fault. I'm hoping that particular point in the PCB layout was a weak spot and the rest of the circuit is well de-rated so the prob doesnt manifest somewhere else! Did up a rough guide covering my repair. Hope it is of use to someone - see pdf also attached. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 fantastic job mate, well done i have mine to fix and i hadnt got round to reading up on everyone elses progress. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 So, John, if I decide not to replace the dome light bulbs and steer clear of shorting the circuit, but want to add a courtesey light elsewhere on the car with the fade effect, where would I tap into the system? Would I need to add certain resistors if I say for example wanted to add puddle lights that were in sync with the dome lights? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcauleyj Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Cheers Husky, It was down to you guys talking about it that gave me the confidence to tackle it. Just thought I might as well throw some pics and a short description up incase its useful to others. Still working for me, 2 months down the line John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waylander Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Happy Days Many thanks for the guide Now I have to muster up the courage to actually attempt this !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 thing is, i wonder what i did with my old BCM. i recall pulling it to bits breifly but then got too busy to have a proper look, may have scrapped it when moving house oh well got another one anyhow with the same issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcauleyj Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 So, John, if I decide not to replace the dome light bulbs and steer clear of shorting the circuit, but want to add a courtesey light elsewhere on the car with the fade effect, where would I tap into the system?Would I need to add certain resistors if I say for example wanted to add puddle lights that were in sync with the dome lights? Thanks Hi Bullet, Dont think I can answer this one - but I'll throw out some thoughts: The feed to the courtesy lights is 3 wires (+, - & BCM feed). Its the BCM feed that does the fading & auto control. I cant remember if it outputs 12v for ON or 0V for ON, regardless the fade will be done by gradually increasing or decreasing the voltage output. So it will be the BCM output that you would need to tap into to have this feature elsewhere - whether you tap into it up at the cabin light mount, or down at the BCM connector itself. Only worry I would have in doing this is the possibility of increasing the likelihood of causing another burnt track. (I would imagine that the original problem I had was caused by excess current going through a weak spot on the PCB track). Adding additional lights & therefore drawing more current from the PCB may not be a great idea. I suppose you could add in additional circuitry to either protect the BCM output (using a fuse on the o/p) or use the BCM o/p as an input for to an additional fading control circuit, designed to use power for running the bulbs from elsewhere. Some of the other guys on here may be more up to speed with this sort of stuff & be able to comment. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 It's cos I read on my350z.com how someone added exterior additional lighting by tapping into the dome light circuitry http://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-in ... green.html Interested as to how and where he would/should tap for the door handle/puddle lights... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 So, John, if I decide not to replace the dome light bulbs and steer clear of shorting the circuit, but want to add a courtesey light elsewhere on the car with the fade effect, where would I tap into the system?Would I need to add certain resistors if I say for example wanted to add puddle lights that were in sync with the dome lights? Thanks Hi Bullet, Dont think I can answer this one - but I'll throw out some thoughts: The feed to the courtesy lights is 3 wires (+, - & BCM feed). Its the BCM feed that does the fading & auto control. I cant remember if it outputs 12v for ON or 0V for ON, regardless the fade will be done by gradually increasing or decreasing the voltage output. So it will be the BCM output that you would need to tap into to have this feature elsewhere - whether you tap into it up at the cabin light mount, or down at the BCM connector itself. Only worry I would have in doing this is the possibility of increasing the likelihood of causing another burnt track. (I would imagine that the original problem I had was caused by excess current going through a weak spot on the PCB track). Adding additional lights & therefore drawing more current from the PCB may not be a great idea. I suppose you could add in additional circuitry to either protect the BCM output (using a fuse on the o/p) or use the BCM o/p as an input for to an additional fading control circuit, designed to use power for running the bulbs from elsewhere. Some of the other guys on here may be more up to speed with this sort of stuff & be able to comment. John +1 on everything John (good name btw ) said personally i'm going to have a separate circuit, the BCM just feels too sensitive to me to be fiddling with anymore. It makes sense that the excess current is what burned out the track, by my standards i would say the tracks width was under spec'ed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted January 14, 2011 Author Share Posted January 14, 2011 It's cos I read on my350z.com how someone added exterior additional lighting by tapping into the dome light circuitryhttp://my350z.com/forum/exterior-and-in ... green.html Interested as to how and where he would/should tap for the door handle/puddle lights... this will have been tapped from the pink wire which is the bcm controlled wire, usually its easiest to get it from the passenger pillar for the passenger side and near the bcm (driver footwell) for the driver side. It would seem its pot luck if the track goes or not, there are a number of guys in the US that burned it out too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted January 14, 2011 Share Posted January 14, 2011 So, John, if I decide not to replace the dome light bulbs and steer clear of shorting the circuit, but want to add a courtesey light elsewhere on the car with the fade effect, where would I tap into the system?Would I need to add certain resistors if I say for example wanted to add puddle lights that were in sync with the dome lights? Thanks Hi Bullet, Dont think I can answer this one - but I'll throw out some thoughts: The feed to the courtesy lights is 3 wires (+, - & BCM feed). Its the BCM feed that does the fading & auto control. I cant remember if it outputs 12v for ON or 0V for ON, regardless the fade will be done by gradually increasing or decreasing the voltage output. So it will be the BCM output that you would need to tap into to have this feature elsewhere - whether you tap into it up at the cabin light mount, or down at the BCM connector itself. Only worry I would have in doing this is the possibility of increasing the likelihood of causing another burnt track. (I would imagine that the original problem I had was caused by excess current going through a weak spot on the PCB track). Adding additional lights & therefore drawing more current from the PCB may not be a great idea. I suppose you could add in additional circuitry to either protect the BCM output (using a fuse on the o/p) or use the BCM o/p as an input for to an additional fading control circuit, designed to use power for running the bulbs from elsewhere. Some of the other guys on here may be more up to speed with this sort of stuff & be able to comment. John +1 on everything John (good name btw ) said personally i'm going to have a separate circuit, the BCM just feels too sensitive to me to be fiddling with anymore. It makes sense that the excess current is what burned out the track, by my standards i would say the tracks width was under spec'ed. I did actually mean Husky John first (sorry), but hey, having two John's that know their electronic shizzle is even better So, basically what you are saying John(s), is that it would be better to come up with a seperate circuit altogether which is then activated by what? I'm such an imbecile when it comes to leccy stuff, but would really like to see the solution to this. If you were to "strengthen the track on the BCM first and then tapped into the circuit, would that be beneficial at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcauleyj Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 No probs, I just realised Husky was called John too - after his post! I wouldnt be able to come up with a circuit for the job out of my head, its not something I've done before - so the other John might be able to help there! As for strengthening the problematic track - to determine if this is possible I would imagine you would need to know a few details first like the circuit schematic & PCB layout details (to identify the load capability of the existing design & any other weak areas), as well as figuring out the expected load with your modifications. Knowing these you could determine if the existing circuit could support your additional lights. Also, if you are planning on using LED's then dimming would possibly have to be done in a different manner pwm or whatever, again I think this is the other John's terrotory! BTW John (Husky) - noticed a few of your other posts regarding your LED light mods (especially the headlight ones) - very impressive! John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 No probs, I just realised Husky was called John too - after his post! I wouldnt be able to come up with a circuit for the job out of my head, its not something I've done before - so the other John might be able to help there! As for strengthening the problematic track - to determine if this is possible I would imagine you would need to know a few details first like the circuit schematic & PCB layout details (to identify the load capability of the existing design & any other weak areas), as well as figuring out the expected load with your modifications. Knowing these you could determine if the existing circuit could support your additional lights. Also, if you are planning on using LED's then dimming would possibly have to be done in a different manner pwm or whatever, again I think this is the other John's terrotory! BTW John (Husky) - noticed a few of your other posts regarding your LED light mods (especially the headlight ones) - very impressive! John What part of Greece did you say you were from again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcauleyj Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Yep - got them shoulders well lubed up eh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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