[bugsy123]

I have a 2013 Pilot Ex-L in which I've tried to add ghost lights to my interior doors. The ghosts simply install in place of the current valet light.

While installing the passenger light, the power in the connection ceased. I'm assuming a fuse or something blew. I've checked every fuse that I'm aware of and have not had any luck. Does anyone know where the fuse is for the passenger door that powers this light?

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[dr bob]

Look at fuse 22 (7.5A) in the under-hood fuse and relay box. It supplies cargo area interior light, and both of the front door courtesy lights. Those two door courtesy lights are switched individually in the MICU, with circuits with solid-state switches to ground that expect a small (2CP) incandescent bulb only. There may not be much tolerance for a short circuit that functionally connects the two wires (orange and white, white as + full time, orange switched towards ground) in the bulb socket together, even momentarily. If the driver's side door courtesy lamp is working , the fuse is fine and you may have damaged the switch internal to the MICU.

For others playing along at home, there are separate circuits intended specifically for accessory lights like puddle lights. I'm not sure I know what "ghost lights" are for, but guessing they are an enhanced/bigger/brighter courtesy light for the door. Sockets for those separate circuits are in the kick panel areas on either side. These circuits are energized when either door on that side is opened. Download a copy of the installation instructions for the factory premium running boards, and find the plug-in locations for those light circuits. These are fully protected circuits, unlike the circuits for the door courtesy lights.

 

[2hondas2]

I would suggest 3 things. If you haven't already, verify with a multimeter there is no 12V current coming into the courtesy light socket. If you have an LED light in the socket, try turning it 180 degrees and reinstalling it. Sometimes LED bulbs are polar sensitive. Lastly, which is the hard part, there may be an inline fuse in the courtesy light wire. I doubt there is one on a factory wiring harness, but you never know until you inspect it. You may need to remove the door panel to see the whole wire harness or check under the dash where it exits out the door jam connection point. Or you could always look up the door parts diagram for your year and model on a Honda part's web site, like hondapartsnow.com to see if they show the wiring harness for the valet light, and if it details out an inline fuse as part of that harness. I only mention this last item because I bought the Pilot's illuminated door sill accessory wiring harness by itself (did not buy the door sill) and that particular wiring harness did contain a 2A inline fuse. I used that harness to power a valet light in the door because my Pilot did not come with one.

 

[dr bob]

There is constant 12V current in the door light socket on the white wire. The other wire is soft-switched to ground by the MICU unit. Switching the ground side is considered a poor engineering/design practice, but does lend itself nicely to using a single bipolar transistor for the switching duty. The circuits from bulb sockets to the MICU (the controller) are separate left/right, and are activated by the door open on that side.

There are no fuses in the courtesy light wiring in the door.

The wiring for the accessory door sill or running-board puddle lights includes an inline fuse for protection of the connecting wiring. Each plugs into a circuit separate from the courtesy light in the door. The functions are similar, except that I think the accessory circuit goes off immediately on doors closed, vs the courtesy light that's on the same delay as the rest of the interior lights.