QuestionQUESTION: Dear Sir:
I have a 2004 certified used Deville.I bought it with a quarter top on it witch has opera lights.The lights are 110 volts.I bought it in Florida and I live in Jersey.Because of the add on top,The Cadillac dealer here in Jersey,won't touch my problem. Their is a short in the door.I don't want to go back to Florida to have this fixed.If you can tell me how this is connected in the door.I or my son,could fix it.A wiring diagram would be great. I know that if I go back to Florida I can have this fixed by the dealer.
Thank you ever so much for your time.
ANSWER: Hi James,
It's anyone's guess as to how the opera lights are wired in.
I cannot understand why the opera lights would be wired into the door circuit. That makes no sense.
In theory, if lights are 110 v, there should be an inverter somewhere and the opera lights should be wired into the parking light circuit or tail light circuit.
The reason it makes no sense to wire into the door is that assuming such, the opera lights would only be on when the door is open or the courtesy or dome lights on.
Now, you have not expounded on the short in your door and to what is going on there, and why you would suspect this problem as being related to the after market opera lights.
Are dome light fuses popping? If so, may be some other problem linked into that circuit like a bad cigarette lighter etc.
As for a wiring diagram for your 2004 Cadillac, try ebay or google "Helm", the makers of these manuals. The only caveat is that any after market wiring will not be addressed obviously.
The inverter for the opera lights can be located anywhere, under the rear seat, in the trunk or even the dash. It totally depends on what was convenient for the after market installer.
This may be an easy fix and on the other hand it can be a nightmare. The first thing you must do is see why there is a short in the door and what is on that circuit.
Rob
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Caddy 006
QUESTION: I apologize for not saying that I never was aware that the light was not working on the car as you know this is not that bright so I did not notice it. Probably didn't work when I got the car.so then I did see that it was out.Shortly after i came home, I discovered that the rear window would only work when the door was open,closed it would not work.So I took the car to the dealer and when they pulled the panel they seen the wires for the inverter and the opera light wiring and told me because of that the warranty was void. At the time I didn't have a clue as to what this wiring was,So I had the inverter removed.That move cost $180.Now the light,which is on the door,was not working. Well the car was hit and I put it in the body shop. I got a new inverter ,I had the them put it in . Light is now working but lighters in the back keeps blowing fuses. Lighter was working before I had the new inverter installed as I used a small air pump plugged into the rear lighter. That's why I suspect that My problem is the wiring of the inverter. With no fuse in the lighter circuit,Its just a wire going no where. I hope I have given you a better description of what I have here. I liked your response very much and will search for a diagram. Thanks again,I think you gave me a great answer to my problem.
AnswerHi,
First, a very common problem to cause the windows to work at times is broken door wiring.
The wiring for the windows, locks and other accessories goes through rubber boots and into the doors. These wires break commonly when opening and closing the doors. Could also be the door lighting problem.
Door jamb pin switches commonly fail, causing the dome light not to come on when opening the door.
As for the rear cigarette lighters. Sometimes the rear glasses are left down a little. It rains and the water goes into the lighter eliment, even with the lighter plugged in.
The lighters are commonly mounted horizontally on the arm rest on the door creating this problem.
I know what I am telling you is very general. It scares me when body shops get into things they generally know nothing about--electrical.
Here is what I would do. Remove the connectors for both rear lighters.
Put your fuse in and see if it doesn't blow. Next, connect the right rear door lighter. If the fuse does not blow, you have isolated the problem to the lr lighter.
Get a new lighter element and install.
As for the rear door lighting--You did not specify if it is dome or the door itself. Check the door jamb pin switch.
As stated before, the inverter should have nothing to do with any of the problems you describe because it should be hooked only in the main lighting circuit.
Rob
