Help with minor but disabling electrical problem

[trinacriabob]

Even the base 92 Regal coupe has the dashboard lights that stay on for 30 seconds

after you shut the doors.

Tonight, after going into Borders for an hour, I noticed the dash lights were still on when I got back to the parked car. When I got home, they failed to go off after 30 seconds. I fiddled with various controls to no avail.

Come to think of it, about 2 months ago, driving through a forested area in the middle of the day, the dash lights came on and I DO NOT have the twilight sentinel option, so no automatic lights (it's a 92), but this never happened again until tonight.

I have to get to work tomorrow, so I pulled the fuse and it's a temporary fix.

HELP...what or where is the device that regulates this 30 second timing for the dash lights and is it a reasonably easy fix? Have you heard of this problem?

Sidebar: the console shifter light is on the same fuse and several years ago it went out, probably because of the soft drinks that have splashed down into shift area.

Edited September 23, 2008 by trinacriabob

[fightingbee]

Most likely controlled by the box known as the "multifunction alarm module" or "convenience center" which is basically the chime unit and a cluster of relays in one unit. I assume the door jamb switches work correctly, right?

[trinacriabob]

Most likely controlled by the box known as the "multifunction alarm module" or "convenience center" which is basically the chime unit and a cluster of relays in one unit. I assume the door jamb switches work correctly, right?

Yes, the door jamb switches work. The convenience center, under the dash, has a lot of things attached to it. Is it just one piece of it that plugs in? I hope so.

[76ChevyTrucker]

More or less yes, its normally just one big module. I'd say its either that, or you've got a wire nicked and its shorting out to ground and connecting the power, keeping the lights on.