Door switch interior light

Someone wrote off my 2005 Jimny recently and when I'd finished crying I went out and bought a replacement. Unfortunately all I could afford was a 2001 reg) but I decided that if I bought one in the same colour I could at least pretend I was still in the same relationship; a bit like someone trying to replace a well loved pet with an unfamiliar impostor.

The delusion lasted about 2 weeks, then the exhaust began to rattle, a worrying noise developed around the pulleys, and the interior light worked once or twice when I opened the driver's side door before packing in altogether.

Please can someone help me minimize my sense of loss and tell me how I can sort the failed interior light out. I have a feeling it's got something to do with the contact switch on the door frame that forms a circuit when the door is open. When I press it in by hand it stops the ignition warning beep, but releasing it has no effect on the light.

p.s the passenger side is fine and the light comes on when the door opens.

Can you switch the switches over to test if it is the switch?

Had thought about doing that but haven't got round to it, I'll give it a go.

What I don't understand is that it's a simple switch with one connector and an earth, but seems to have 2 functions, ignition beeper and courtesy light.

Casey wrote:
What I don't understand is that it's a simple switch with one connector and an earth, but seems to have 2 functions, ignition beeper and courtesy light.

Interesting! I sort of agree that if it works at all then it works. If not the "break" in electrical communication would be in the wiring to the light prior to the take off for the bleeper but here's the thing. I may be a voltage drop thing; enough to trigger your bleeper but not the lamp but this is just a hypothesis. I myself would put an electric tester meter on the various parts of the circuit.

Did we get a conclusion..I only ask because my interior lights have never worked when the doors are opened. But today I lubed the switches and low and behold the light came on and off as it should....yippee ...short lived however ,Then the light stayed on even when door was shut, depressing the drivers switch in makes no difference ....
Now the key in and lights on buzzer works.....didn't know we had 1. They are not on all the time only when the door is open as it should be.
Obviously I need a new switch as it has probably slid past the park position so to speek ....
My query is as this post if it is a break circuit how does it know the difference between door light and buzzers ?

Hello all stations this is muppet....cancel my last!
Obviously when the door is open the light comes on, but when closed and the switch works correctly , it isn't depressed all the way past the contact points . So no power to door ...as it is shut the keys in the ignition make a contact ...keys out but lights on ..contact ..only 1 circuit operates at a time ..
In my case I lubed it and it comes out too far and makes contact all the time ...
So just a new switch needed .