# Interior Lighting question



## rbtec (Feb 3, 2012)

That's how it is.


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## StoneCrab (Sep 14, 2011)

What I found odd is that the interior lights behave differently when opening the drivers door versus the other doors. Opening the drivers door turn on the dome light and lights the dash lights and displays the DIC. Opening the other doors only turns on the dome light. Also, the drivers door will keep the lights illuminated for a much longer period of time after the door is shut than the other doors. Also, I swear the duration the interior lights stays on after a door is shut is dependent upon how long the door is open. Try it and see if yours does the same - open and quickly close a rear door and the light quickly shuts off. Open and keep it open for a minute and the light stays on much longer after it is closed. Weird, maybe capacitors are not fully charged and drain quickly when the doors are shut quickly? Something as simple as a door switch to turn on the lights is now run through the computer apparently!


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## TheRupp (May 8, 2012)

^ Probably all a battery-saving feature, just like when the hazard lights are left on for a long time.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Aways seem to forget the 2LT has map lights with one flick of the finger to turn them on or off. Helps to find that ignition keyhole in the dark. Not like walking clear back to the barn if you forgot to turn off those lights. If you are not completely helpless yet. Since the wife also drives this car, have to get my hand up there anyway to adjust the rear view mirro.


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

That's why i put those bright ass LED's in my car. They light up everything, i can even see the floor.


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## gman19 (Apr 5, 2011)

iKermit said:


> That's why i put those bright ass LED's in my car. They light up everything, i can even see the floor.


Hey Kermit....did you tie your bright ass LED's into the interior lighting circuit so they go off, or are they on all the time? I have some LED's for my interior footwells, but haven't installed yet. Trying to get a feel for where to tap into the interior lighting so they will go off with the doorsills, etc...

Any enlightenment (LOL) will be appreciated!


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## iKermit (Dec 13, 2010)

gman19 said:


> Hey Kermit....did you tie your bright ass LED's into the interior lighting circuit so they go off, or are they on all the time? I have some LED's for my interior footwells, but haven't installed yet. Trying to get a feel for where to tap into the interior lighting so they will go off with the doorsills, etc...
> 
> Any enlightenment (LOL) will be appreciated!


 
LOL, sorry i got a call as i was typing the message. They are just LED bulbs from eBay, they are bright white, and are a HUGE improvement from the stock ones, it literally lights everything..


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## TechCruzer (Mar 15, 2012)

gman19 said:


> Hey Kermit....did you tie your bright ass LED's into the interior lighting circuit so they go off, or are they on all the time? I have some LED's for my interior footwells, but haven't installed yet. Trying to get a feel for where to tap into the interior lighting so they will go off with the doorsills, etc...
> 
> Any enlightenment (LOL) will be appreciated!


Sounds like two different scenarios... 1. Replacing the stock bulbs with bright LED's 2. Adding LED's in footwells, cup holder's, etc. Both are pretty straight forward.

I did the stock bulb replacements with 12-SMD W5W equivalents, they might not be as bright as others, but I am satisfied with the results. That is the one thing I've noticed about the 2012 Cruze is that alot of the bulbs are the same W5W. Making it easy to hit eBay for the dozen + deals.

I also added LED strips in the foot wells… 6-SMD & connected them to the #6 fuse under the dash with a mini Add-A-Circuit. The foot wells light up when I turn the car on & stay on until I turn the car off & open the drivers door.


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## TechCruzer (Mar 15, 2012)

mhsvideoman said:


> Maybe this is just how the car is... But the only light that comes on inside when a door is opened is the dome light in the middle of the ceiling. In any other vehicle I have owned the map lights come on as well. I looked for the obvious switches and such but havent found anything. Is this how it is on all Cruzes? Mine is the '12 Eco.
> 
> Thanks all!


My 2012 ECO does the same thing... there is not a factory option anywhere to tie the lights together with the dome. But as I & many have pointed out just upgrade the bulb in the dome light with a real bright multi-LED.


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## LV-426 (Aug 15, 2012)

Hello fellow Cruze fans. 
I just wanted to share a mod I just performed on my 2012 LS. I too was annoyed by the fact that the map lights up front didn't turn on when unlocking the car and or opening the door, or using the dome switch will turn on the map lights too.

All I did was run one single wire from the dome light forward to the map lights. It is really very simple to do.
I will post some pictures tomorrow showing where I tapped in. It does require one soldered connection at the map light though.


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## TechCruzer (Mar 15, 2012)

LV-426 said:


> I will post some pictures tomorrow showing where I tapped in. It does require one soldered connection at the map light though.


That is good to hear... yes, please post pictures & a 'How To'. Thanks!


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## Doodlebug19 (May 11, 2013)

Before, when getting into and exiting my car, the dome lights would all turn on. Now, none of my lights turn on and I don't know why. I hate getting into a pitch black car because I can't see a thing! Please help, I don't know how to turn them back on!!


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ha, my granddaughter found this switch before I did.

"Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are located
in the headliner.
((Dome Lamp Override): Press
to turn the lamps off, even when a
door is open.
H (Door): Press to turn the lamps
on automatically when a door is
opened.
'(On): Press to turn on the
dome lamps."

I was also wondering why my dome light wasn't coming on, she was playing with this dome light switch.


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## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Doodlebug19 said:


> Before, when getting into and exiting my car, the dome lights would all turn on. Now, none of my lights turn on and I don't know why. I hate getting into a pitch black car because I can't see a thing! Please help, I don't know how to turn them back on!!


Hey doodlebug19

Just for reference the dome lamp instructions are on page 6-5 of your manual. Hope this helps!

Jackie
Chevrolet Customer Care


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Any car I have seen with a dome light switch, was mounted in the front of the switch. Cruze mounts theirs in the rear, easy to see when riding in the back seat, but certainly not from the front. 

Easiest way to find stuff in the Cruze manual is to download it and use Adobe Arcobat Pro to run a search. 500 pages of mostly all safety information repeated over and over again. Did download a Chrysler manual, same stuff in only 80 pages, with just one safety bit in the front. Somebody at GM must be awfullly paranoid. Their shop manuals are the same way.

I mean when trying to learn how to use my cell phone with the radio, constantly repeated that same long safety information over and over again for each step. I copied and pasted that section to Word. Got over five pages, deleted all that repeated safety information and reduced it to little over one page that I could follow.

If you don't have enough brains not to play with this stuff while driving, shouldn't be driving.


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## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

Yeah I hate fishing for the dome light. Wish there was a switch on the dash for turning all interior lights on.

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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Wonder is that dome light can be reversed, looks symmetrical.


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## Sonic (Oct 21, 2012)

There is another option

See my post:

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/36-audio-electronics/5891-reading-lights-swap-2.html#post145390

Basically you swap out your map light section with the one from the Buick Verano/Chevy Volt - Not only does it allow you to have a light near the map lights when you open the door but it also adds ambient lighting at night. Its only a couple wires and pins - the rest of the topic if you read it from front to back includes a How too and part #'s.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

LV-426 said:


> Hello fellow Cruze fans.
> I just wanted to share a mod I just performed on my 2012 LS. I too was annoyed by the fact that the map lights up front didn't turn on when unlocking the car and or opening the door, or using the dome switch will turn on the map lights too.
> 
> All I did was run one single wire from the dome light forward to the map lights. It is really very simple to do.
> I will post some pictures tomorrow showing where I tapped in. It does require one soldered connection at the map light though.


At times hate being an electronic engineer, tend to think about millions of bits of code in flashram and literally millions of transistors that can develop leaks where just one can leave you stranded. With the dome light, know for sure a power MOSFET transistor is used, when I close the door, doesn't switch off hard, but slowly dims, easy enough, a small capacitor is used in the gate. This places that MOSFET in the linear mode, at half voltage, current is still 70% of the full current. That MOSFET would be getting very hot. And by adding an extra lamp to it, would double that power.

Then pressure to keep cost down, while an over rated MOSFET may cause a fraction of a cent more, won't let you to that, stockholders come first.

Ha, just let us know how long it lasts. Want a small fortune for replacements, even though they only cost pennies to make. 

Son's blower motor went out, back in even the 70's, retail price on a GM blower was six bucks. But why pay that much? Had screws, and a set of new brushes was a quarter and 20 cents more for new bushings. Used machined pole pieces with extra coils of wire on them basically a hand operation. Replaced by super cheap ceramic magnets, no screws, spot welded together, so can't even change the brushes without wrecking it. 130 bucks is what the dealer wants for this POS blower motor Made In China, asked about a Four Seasons, you would never be happy about that.

Least we were lucky to find an OEM on ebay some guy purchased and didn't use and couldn't return it, got that for 38 bucks, but still way too much for this POS blower motor.

Can't even drive a car today without a working blower motor.


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## Stoney (Jan 19, 2014)

I have a 2012 cruze ls and i cant get the interior lights to come on when i enter the vehicle. I just bought the vehicle and can't figure it out. I am sure it is something simple. Help me out please!!!!!


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

The dome lamp is the only lamp that will come on with the door open.
It has a three position switch to the rear of the lens.
One position is no lamp at any time, center position is conventional, on with doors open, third position is lamp on at all times.
Yours should be in the center position.

Rob


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## pL2014 (Dec 29, 2013)

I got to reading this thread and the other that details the reading light swap from the Verano. I was pretty excited to do this in the spring. Today I went out to the car to pick up a few things from the hardware store and I was excited to discover that the '14 (LTZ at least) has the 3rd light that comes on with the doors in additon to the dome light. I do sort of wish I had the smaller light for the gearshift cupholder, but I don't think the swap is worth it for that.... My Oddyssey has a light that dimly illuminates the cupholders at night. It's actually handy.


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