# Interior light issue



## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

Hello people! I have an 03 Xtrail 2.5ltr petrol.
Love it, but it has one annoying issue that I just think can’t be right. It is a model with the large sunroof. It has three interior lights, front middle and back. Middle and back work exactly as you would expect. However the front only comes on manually. So the front of the cabin is always in darkness when opening the doors in the dark. Is this correct for the Xtrail with sunroof ? Or should the front light come on automatically when you open the door? As I would expect it to?


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## X-hale (Apr 17, 2017)

The switch on the light should have 3 positions. On manually, on with the door opened and off.


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## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

Thanks for your reply X-hale, the thing is, that would be correct for the middle and back roof lights but the front only has a push button for on and off. And operation buttons for the sunroof. I think I may have to make an interior light that operates from the back ones. Thing is, normally when you turn your car off at night and pull the key the interior lights come on, and you can see what you are doing before you get out. Not with the Xtrail with sunroof, you are just left sitting in the shadow of the front seats, can’t see anything. Then you have to fumble about for the push button on the front interior light and inevitably completely forget to turn it off after and hey presto! Flat battery in the morning! Most irritating ?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

No you have a broken wire or a bad switch. The dome light comes on automatically when you remove the ignition key as well as when you open the door. What about the lights at the base of the front doors, do they turn on when you open the door?


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## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

Hi Quadraria10
I don’t think it has lower door lights
It is a 03 model. All interior lights work as they should except the front one which can only be operated manually with a push button. It just does not come on automatically. So if you are in the back of the car it’s fine, it’s just the front that’s in darkness. I can’t understand why it’s doesn’t come on automatically with the other two interior lights.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Do you see any inscription around the button? 
On the 2005/2006 there's on/door/off

If your button only goes on/off ,it probably got replaced or you have a bad ground(switch at the frame,when door closes).


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## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

Hi Otomodo!
I think if it was a bad ground switch the other two interior lights wouldn’t work. But they work perfectly.
I am not near my Xtrail at the moment, it is actually my wife’s car, she is a twilight community nurse, thus the need for an interior light!. When I get a chance I will post a picture of the offending light so you can maybe see if it is similar to yours. I am beginning to think it’s just a design fault.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Like this?


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## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

Hi Otomodo. I think maybe that’s what it should look like, but it is actually just a push in switch, not a three way rocker switch like yours. Wife’s out at work in the Xtrail at the moment, but I will post a shot of it when she gets home.


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## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

This is how the button and light look in my Xtrail, you can only push the button in!
But looking at it this closely maybe it has two bulbs (it doesn't say so in the manual) 
I think I need to remove the cover and check.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Take the whole assembly out and check for broken wires or unplugged. 
I bet there is only 1 bulb inside


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## cheesybug (Nov 21, 2019)

You are correct. There is only one bulb. Also there are no other wires to the light except a red and black to the push switch. As far as I can see there really are no front interior lights linked to the door switches, not on the doors or the roof. It’s crazy! I am going to have to do a mod. And install an LED fed off the rear roof lights.


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## Daniarcron (7 mo ago)

Something similar happened to my interior lights, and I didn’t know what to do. Eventually, I decided to fulfill the dream I’ve always had and to install multicolored LED lights and replace the standard with them. These interior car lights are much better than the old ones because they have multiple colors, are controlled remotely, and can be synchronized with the music I listen to. after using these lights for more than three months, I can tell that they are much better than regular ones. I would never go back to boring standard interior lights. My chosen option makes my car look like a UFO while driving at night.


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