You are neither an Idiot or a retard! It just takes some time to debug an electrical issue. Don't feel bad.

Okay, so we have got some juice (voltage...in slang) getting to one of the pins located on a socket going to the Glove box. That is a good sign.

From there, it can be:

1) The wire going to the glove box switch.
2) The glove box switch
3) The bulb socket
4) The bulb.

You have eliminated the bulb as you know it is good.

The bulb socket has two contacts (of course). One should be hot (slang for energized) (+12 Volts) and the other should be cold or grounded. Basically, when measuring the second contact with the red lead of your multimeter (the black lead is still connected to a bolt or to the chassis) you should get 0 (that's a zero) volts. Not 100 mV or anything else, you have to get 0 volt. That means the ground wire is healthy and sound.

Let us know.

Yves

 

OH, okay, so then it cannot be a blown fuse or the microswitch then. Make sure you measure across both metal pins inside the socket (not the wire connection on the side). (You could test using a vehicle ground bolt like suggested above, but that doesn't test the continuity of the neg/ground lead of the light housing.) Assuming you're getting a voltage this way, and you've tried multiple bulbs that light up in other sockets but not this one, the problem can ONLY be:
1) your bulb socket
2) bulb/socket compatibility - perhaps you're using non-OEM bulbs (including LED bulbs) that don't fit correctly in this particular socket.

Sometimes the metal pins get bent out of shape and don't make contact correctly with the bulb terminals = no light. Could also be dirty contacts, but usually you'll get at least a flicker if you've tried inserting/reinserting various bulbs.

If you're absolutely positive that there is a voltage being supplied across both wires leading to the housing, I would suggest just replacing the bulb housing and calling it a day.

 

Now I have disconnected a working footwell light and plugged it into the glove box connector, and no light. Now this may mean nothing, because this glove box light has a different part number from the footwell lights, but the original bulbs for each were the same, and the connectors are the same.

I'm close to quitting. This thing is under warranty but I will still likely spend $100 at the dealership getting it sorted out, since I will not go to the trouble of switching from all LED back to original in the other lights to cover up my tinkering.

 

I don't think I get zero on the ground. I will revisit this later, as right now I am fiery mad, with only a few bucks in my pocket and facing a $5 penalty for bad language (lent). I will cool off and come back later.

The true technicians on this site probably get a kick out of all this ridiculousness.

 

First off you are NOT an idiot. Anyone who does there own work on vehicles knows full well electrical problems can and often are infuriating. I have chased these types of problems around on my vehicles many times, cursing and throwing various items at walls. Take your time. All that being said, I agree with gasongasoff sounds very much like the housing may have a short. Good luck man.and BTW at least you are trying to do it yourself instead of running to the dealer first.

 

I get the same voltage reading on both prongs of the bulb housing when it is plugged in. Both around 12.5. No lighty.

I will search the internet for meaning.

 

Dude, just replace the bulb housing. Can't cost more than $10 or so. If you're definitely getting a proper voltage on the socket prongs that would touch the bulb, but a known-good bulb doesn't light when you insert it, it means the prongs are not making proper contact with the bulb. If you were inserting funky-sized LED bulbs, you probably bent the prongs. Quit beating yourself up and rule out the bulb housing by replacing it.

 

I did that. It's not the housing, and it's not the bulb. Best guess is that something is awry with the ground wire into which the housing plugs.

Besides, the bulb housing is easy enough to adjust to make certain I'm getting contact. If I take a working footwell light(housing and bulb) and plug it into the glove box, it does not work.

 

Ok very good. Now the next step is to trace the ground for the plug. Unfortunately this could be tedious work. Chances are the ground is pinched or insulation has rubbed itself off. But at least you know now where and what to look for. Stay with you'll get it.

 

If you are getting 12V across the housing contacts (the ones that would touch the bulb contacts), and a known-good OEM (non-LED) bulb does not light up, then either a) there is a faulty connection between the bulb and housing OR b) there really is no 12V and you did not actually measure 12V. "Across the contacts is referring to red probe on one pin, black probe on the other. You are not using any other car part to pick up a ground."

Either I'm not understanding (which is possible), or one of the assumptions you've provided is not correct. Perhaps you can snap some pictures? Particularly where your multimeter leads were positioned and the multimeter display readout?

The reason I say this is if you have 12V across the contacts of your bulb housing, then it tells you the wiring that leads up to it is good. And if you swap out a known-good bulb housing + bulb combo and there is no light, then it makes absolutely no sense, unless you didn't actually have 12V.

Also, please confirm you are using OEM bulbs and not LED bulbs for your testing.

 

You are right, it doesn't make any sense. The flaw is probably in the way I attempted to measure voltage. I stuck the red probe on one pin to the housing and the black to the chassis. I think I got 12 volts on both pins. When I attempted to test with red and black probe on each of the two pins, I wasn't getting a reading.

I decided to remove my 981 glove box light (working) and plug into the 997 glove box socket. NO LIGHT. I did this because the footwell lights and the glove box lights are different part numbers. My research says that the 981 and 997 glove box light are the same.

I took the volt meter back to my office this morning so I cannot even check again.

i. suck.

 

I got a similar problem on the licenses tag lights, once the heatsink touch (and short) the connection, the lights would not come back on, even with the stock bulb, I believe there is a soft fuse somewhere that goes off to avoid damages, all i did was to make sure to reset the light on every time when i was troubleshooting them. I did that by switching the ignition on and off everytime.

 

If your car is a 2010, why don't you bring this problem to the dealership? Warranty should cover.

 

I encountered the problem while installing LEDs. That, along with the fact I'm a man, had me trying to fix it myself. I'll do the dealer thing as last resort.

I'm guessing I'll be taking the glove box apart before this is over.

 

Ha ha. I can relate. Have fun. I mean that in a good way.