BMW 540 interior lights won’t shut off

I will be driving along and the interior lights come on and the dash read out says ?Door Open?. Sometimes it happens when I hit a bump, sometimes not. I can go days without it happening, and then it can happen dozens of times in one day. Sometimes, I can turn the lights off by hitting the switch above the mirror, and sometimes I can?t turn them off, even after I park the car. There is a draw on the battery obviously when it sits in my garage all night with the lights on!

Anybody know how I can resolve this? I am afraid to take it to my repair shop because they?ll charge me hundreds and who knows if they?ll even find the problem? What is it that activates the light when you open the door? Is it a mechanical thing or an electrical switch?

Thanks.

Reply to
plettalica
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Depends on what year the car is, but it should be an easy thing for an electrical specialist to find. Next time it happens, open all the doors one at a time and press in on the plunger of the door switch. Wiggle it back and forth.

Popular reasons for this to happen include the door switches failing, the doors themselves sagging and not pressing on the plunger enough, or wiring getting pinched or damaged and shorting to ground.

--scott

Reply to
Scott Dorsey

Hi,

Had the same problem with my 7 series (e38) turned out to be the interior light switch inside the drivers door. Its part of the lock mechanism so slamming the door sometimes allows the light to go off. The whole switch assembly was loose and just needed tightening up. You have to remove the door card though.

Paul

Reply to
paul mcmillen

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