The LCM

[jmsa540]

I'll go ahead and add something to this thread..

Today while driving, my battery light came on and quickly went off, it was literally less than two seconds.

Now, question, when your auto lights come on and you manually turn the switch to off, they still stay on until it gets brighter outside (sunlight) then they manually turn off. I can at anytime turn my headlights on and off manually (once the auto lights are turned off)

What is this?

[Blaine B.]

That doesn't sound right. The only time the headlights should still stay on when in the "off" position is if the car had factory daytime running lights (highbeams with low power) or was custom wired to have the headlights stay on all of the time, like how some US cars are wired for importation into Canada.

[jmsa540]

yeah, I was kinda thinking the same thing?

can anyone else test this theory for me on their car?

[Blaine B.]

The closest that I have come to the headlight switch style in your Marauder was in a 2010 Grand Marquis with auto lamps and daytime running lamps.

When in the "off" position, all of the marker lights and headlights turned off, but the high beams remained on with limited voltage (dim.)

In my 2001 which originally had auto lamps, no lights were on when the switch was in the off position. My 01 also had wiper activated headlights, though, which I disabled by snipping the wire between the LCM and the wiper control module.

[jmsa540]

Correct, no lights are on in the off position UNLESS the lights were ALREADY on when on AUTO lights.

[Blaine B.]

Right, but that doesn't sound right, because they should always totally turn off when switched to off, unless you have wiper activated headlights (and the wipers are on) or you have daytime running lights.

Are just your headlights on, or all of the marker lights too?

Here's another post from over a year ago with another Marauder owner who has his auto lamps turning on and off even when the switch is in the OFF position. Even more strange than your issue.

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forum...ad.php?t=89750

[jmsa540]

When they're in the off position they stay on until they turn off by themselves, then they never come back on again unless I manually turn them on, etc.

Hey, also, thanks for replying to me.. means a lot.

[Blaine B.]

Sounds like a similar-but-different problem for the both of you. Wonder if it relates to the LCM or the headlight switch itself.

But as I asked, are these just your headlights that stay on, or the headlights AND marker lights/tail lights?

[jmsa540]

Now that I think about it, my wipers were on all day today.. perhaps that's the issue?

I take it that our lights come on with the wipers on? Or am wrong?

[jmsa540]

Blaine, reading that thread you gave me is down right weird.. that's crazy.

[Blaine B.]

Previously, yes....whenever I switched the wipers on, after about 30 seconds, the lights would kick on. I snipped the wire and insulated it, which runs between the wiper module and the LCM. Not all cars have this feature, though, and it didn't matter if my switch was in the auto lamps mode or not. It may have only been 2001 models, or 2001-2002. I have never seen this feature on another Panther platform car, and one of my friends has owned about a dozen of them over the years.

I also snipped the wire that would illuminate the interior lights if the door handles were lifted, regardless if the doors were locked or not. Seemed like a good way for thieves to look inside the car. Now, the lights only illuminate when the doors are actually opened. If they are locked and you pull the handle, nothing lights up anymore.

[jmsa540]

nice! I like that, that's good thinking, man.

[Blaine B.]

I haven't seen all cars have the door handle "courtesy" function, either. Does yours? If the doors are locked and the exterior handle is pulled, that is.

[jmsa540]

let me check, then get back to you, brother...

[jmsa540]

Pulled up on the doorhandle, lights done come on.