Astra H / Zafira B - interior lighting

JustAnotherSaver

I believe these use a lot of the same parts the same way the Astra G & Zafira A did?

For anyone who has experienced either or both, did you also experience inconsistent interior lighting? Specifically the glovebox & boot light?

I've had both out in my wife's Astra H which we bought this week. I'm not convinced the glovebox bulb holder is in tip top condition - the metal contacts or the switch itself seem quite weak. I had to do some bending of the contacts which helped for a short while but now it's gone back to not working.

The boot light is more confusing as i can't find anything that seems wrong with it. I've taken it out & the contacts look fine. The bulb hasn't blown. I put a new white LED one in there which initially worked but then later on decided not to.

I put a known working halogen(?) bulb back in there & that didn't work either.

Like i said, the boot light contacts look ok, the wiring connector to it looks fine, nothing seems frayed at all so i'm clueless there.

I assume the fuse is Fuse #13 in the engine bay - a 5amp one, which had blown on me this week but i've since replaced & it's still in good order.

rich13348

Have you got a multimeter and do you know how to use it? Might be the next step.

JustAnotherSaver

rich13348 wrote: »

Have you got a multimeter and do you know how to use it? Might be the next step.

I don't have one. I do have a better idea how to use one than i did a few months ago but with the way i manage to balls things up i'd probably say no

rich13348

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I don't have one. I do have a better idea how to use one than i did a few months ago but with the way i manage to balls things up i'd probably say no

Maybe time to seek professional help. Checking continuity of wires and voltages at terminals would be my next step in diagnosing the problem.

JustAnotherSaver

rich13348 wrote: »

Maybe time to seek professional help. Checking continuity of wires and voltages at terminals would be my next step in diagnosing the problem.

I did a bit of googling & it appears like it may be a common problem - that both of them don't work at the same time.

My sister also has an 05 plated one & she mentioned that at one time they both didn't work. They both do work now though (nobody has even touched them) but they didn't work at the same time.

My wife isn't really fussed about the lighting in the glovebox or boot. Would just be helpful if they worked. She came from a MK4 Golf which has a glovebox that you could maybe squeeze a single penny in there & no light and a boot that also had no light.

Was at the supermarket a few weeks ago & saw this woman had a torch with what looked like a magnetic back. She pulled it off the side, turned the light on, put it back & put her shopping in.

Not a bad workaround if you have something metal to stick to.

rich13348

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

I did a bit of googling & it appears like it may be a common problem - that both of them don't work at the same time.

My sister also has an 05 plated one & she mentioned that at one time they both didn't work. They both do work now though (nobody has even touched them) but they didn't work at the same time.

My wife isn't really fussed about the lighting in the glovebox or boot. Would just be helpful if they worked. She came from a MK4 Golf which has a glovebox that you could maybe squeeze a single penny in there & no light and a boot that also had no light.

Was at the supermarket a few weeks ago & saw this woman had a torch with what looked like a magnetic back. She pulled it off the side, turned the light on, put it back & put her shopping in.

Not a bad workaround if you have something metal to stick to.

Maybe a fuse issue or dodgy connection in fusebox. If you check the handbook it will probably tell you they share a fuse.

The magnetic torch is a good idea. Or you could put Velcro on it and stick it to the fuzzy carpet.