So many lights, one at a time

[rfahren]

I'm just about at my wee wits end here. At last count I'd lost dash lights, headlights, fog lights, running lights, radio, brake lights, signal lights, interior lights, horn, and hazard lights. This has not happened as a single catastrophic failure with smoke and sparks, but gradually over the course of a few days, resulting in the tow home from the mall last night. Still working are the front and rear fans, heater, cigarette lighter, front and rear wipers and washers, rear window defroster, and the hatch release.
By the light of an iPhone last night, I checked all the top-row fuses and they were all good.
A little history... three years ago, I had the DRL module disconnected/bypassed as a way to resolve a "can't turn my headlights off" issue (everything seemed to have been working okay after that, apart from a slightly disturbing "hot wire" smell when running the high beams for long periods) Just over a year ago (why, yes, that was the length of the warranty) I had a reconditioned headlight switch assembly installed. After a few months, the dash lights stopped working in conjunction with the headlights, but still worked with the fog lights, so we just got used to driving with the fogs on. The horn started getting finicky. The front intermittent wiper switch occasionally lapsed into continuous mode for a few seconds at a time. Unfortunately, I'm in Victoria, and CVI's in Richmond, and I could never spare the time and the cost to go back over for the repair.
In the period since Xmas, the radio has briefly and intermittently shut off (finally, earlier yesterday, for long enough to reset all its defaults), tantalizingly linked to the operation of either the brake or the signal light switch. And then, yesterday, after leaving the van parked for a half hour, the headlights quit. And the fogs, and the dash lights, and the flashers, interior lights, radio, horn and brake and running lights. The signal lights still worked last night, but not this morning.
Could all of this be attributed to a meltdown (figurative or literal) of the headlight switch assembly? I can read the Japanese on the fuse panel, but I haven't a hope in hell reading a wiring diagram... any ideas, questions, suggestions?
Thanks
Ron

[helibrian]

There is a wiring diagram on delica wiki. I would check all the fuses and see what is the common ground with all the lights.it could be there is too much voltage going to the lamps and burning them out one by one.

[alti2d]

Perhaps check the fusible links underneath the passenger seat above the battery as well?

I had a wire burning smell before stuff cut out, and that was it. Though I didn't have so many lights ever quit, I think it was power windows that time (?).

[FalcoColumbarius]

Two places to check, both in the battery bay. Check your fusible links, also check the plastic plugs in the battery area to see if any of them have melted. I would recommend entering "fusible links" into the search engine and do some reading up. Another avenue is contact Overlander Jay, the guy's an electrical guru.

Would also recommend perusing the "L300 Dedicated Category Reference Forum" ~ you can find it in Delica Canada Technical at the top of the section.

Falco.

[rfahren]

Thanks, Falco (et al.) With numb fingers, and rain running down my neck, I removed and checked the most obvious of the fusible links--the one labelled "Lights"--with my multimeter. The link was good. Trying to remove the next one--"Locks"--for testing and wrestling with the second connector, I managed to touch the free end to the battery terminal, with predictable results. I'll try to replace that later today, and finish the little plastic ones as well.

[Yokohama]

I have had personal experience with several similar issues on Mitsubishi and Nissan; the fusible links can look good, but develop a type of corrosion on the contacts, fuse and also box side, that can cause a continuity problem. Cleaning with some slightly course sandpaper and/or a small blade works.

Also, I have noticed that lighting issues can be caused by the main switch; the arc caused by turning the lights on and off, can cause build-up to form on the contacts. The switch assembly must be taken off the vehicle, the contacts located, and then cleaned with a small blade and some light grit sandpaper.

The other cause maybe that the ignition switch itself is going out; this is a common problem in some Honda's. It is possible depending on the switch design, to take it apart and clean the contacts in the switch. There are springs and such in the switch, so care must be taken otherwise the springs and such can pop out and be lost (during dis-assembly/reassembly)

Use electronic contact grease when reassembling any of the above. You just need to put a little on each contact.