1985 Lesabre map lights

[Stan W.]

The map lights on my Lesabre go on whenever the dash lights are on. On my "52 Special they only come on when I turn the headlight switch all the way to the right. No matter where I turn the switch on the '85 they stay on. Is this normal? 

   Thanks

[JohnD1956]

Are these the lights up in the headliner by the mirror?  Or is it the set of lights in the chrome bezel around the interior light in the center of the roof?

 

 

[Stan W.]

John, they are the two square lights at the top of the radio-climate control bezel.

[JohnD1956]

Those may not be map lights.  They might be instrument panel lights.  They are intended to be on when the lights are on.  They should dim when the headlight knob is turned though.  Buick employed them since at least 1972( my Electra has em) and my 78 Wagon has them too. It's one of the reasons the dash look so great on these cars. There should also be one over the headlight switch.

Edited May 19, 2016 by JohnD1956 (see edit history)

[Stan W.]

Thanks John. No matter what I do with the headlight switch they stay on full. Maybe I need a new switch.

 

[JohnD1956]

The headlight switch is usually very robust and lasts a long time.  Can you provide a picture of the lights?  Maybe there is another separate switch nearby? 

 

My 78 wagon has a map light in the headliner near the mirror.  It has a separate slide switch sort of recessed into the light housing. 

[Stan W.]

John, I got a chance to look at the car today and you are exactly right, they are three small lights in the bottom of the dash, two over the climate control and one over the headlight switch. They do dim when I dim the dash lights. I just thought the backlights in the dash where enough and that these are map lights. I never saw these on any car before and I can't really see a reason for them. I learn something everyday. Thanks for your help,

 

[JohnD1956]

You are most welcome.  The lights usually just give a dim glow to the chrome plating on the switches, although you are right, why put one over the headlight switch since you have to know where that is in order to turn those lights on?  Like what came first, the light on the switch or the switch?  LOL

 

Anyway I like em a lot.  Makes the dash look nice at night.  I just wish they had put a 4th light over the nameplate next to the clock.  It would have provided some balance to the effect of the lighting.  In at least 1984, the Park Ave had a light in the panel over the glove box.  It was a nice touch but again, totally unnecessary. .

[Stan W.]

John, you're right about the one that should be over the name plate. Mine is the collectors edition and I do like looking at that. Thanks for the help, now I know everything is good.

[SpecialEducation]

This technique was also used on Firebirds.  The first time I saw a dash lit like that, it took me a while to figure out where the light was even coming from.  When we bought a new GMC in '96, it became the road trip vehicle of choice for a variety of reasons, but one of them was the lights in the mirror.  We found that by softly lighting the dash from the front side, eye strain was greatly reduced during night driving.  I don't know if that was the intent behind lighting like that, but I like the result. 

[SpecialEducation]

Dad's '89 LeSabre has an accent light over the headlight switch, but nowhere else across the dash...