Done light driving me nuts
- Thread starter VinPecora
- Start date
Slyclone
Well-known member
Re: Done light driving me nuts
I'd check the grounds up by the front.
I think the horn would pick up its ground via the mount to the rad support through faster.
I recently messed with the brown wires? With eyelet connectors up by the front of intake manifold.
Also.. Those fuse type bulbs can blow. Sometimes the element can bounce around in glass and make contact. Its a little coil thinner than dental floss.. I'm not saying that's the problem but it could also but something to check. I replaced my domes with LED lighting.
I'd check the grounds up by the front.
I think the horn would pick up its ground via the mount to the rad support through faster.
I recently messed with the brown wires? With eyelet connectors up by the front of intake manifold.
Also.. Those fuse type bulbs can blow. Sometimes the element can bounce around in glass and make contact. Its a little coil thinner than dental floss.. I'm not saying that's the problem but it could also but something to check. I replaced my domes with LED lighting.
gstacky
Member
Re: Done light driving me nuts
Door switches? They work on ground, and when the door is open they ground completing the circuit. They just unscrew out, and have 2 wires on them, once comes from the light circuit, the other goes to ground up under the dash. Maybe one switch is acting up and not grounding.
Also, is it just the overhead light acting up, or do the ones under the dash not come on either? The 2 have different power sources, but use the same ground to turn them on.
These also work through the headlight switch, so maybe that may be giving you problems too.
Door switches? They work on ground, and when the door is open they ground completing the circuit. They just unscrew out, and have 2 wires on them, once comes from the light circuit, the other goes to ground up under the dash. Maybe one switch is acting up and not grounding.
Also, is it just the overhead light acting up, or do the ones under the dash not come on either? The 2 have different power sources, but use the same ground to turn them on.
These also work through the headlight switch, so maybe that may be giving you problems too.
DaveP
Active member
Re: Done light driving me nuts
The dome and underdash ctsy lights are grounded at the door switches, and the panel dimmer switch. The next time the dome light "doesn't work", open the other door, or turn them on with the dash switch. Do they now come on? If = yes, the first door switch is dirty and intermittent.
Remove it, push the pin in to clean the contacts, squirt some contact cleaner on it, and screw it back into the jamb. Don't attempt to remove the wires, the little spades are fussy and you'll break the switch.
The suggestion to observe if the underdash courtesy lights work when the dome light doesn't is a good one. If = Yes, there is a connector to the rear dome light under the carpet, about 10" below the fuse box. One orange, one white wire. Check for it being loose.
The dome and underdash ctsy lights are grounded at the door switches, and the panel dimmer switch. The next time the dome light "doesn't work", open the other door, or turn them on with the dash switch. Do they now come on? If = yes, the first door switch is dirty and intermittent.
Remove it, push the pin in to clean the contacts, squirt some contact cleaner on it, and screw it back into the jamb. Don't attempt to remove the wires, the little spades are fussy and you'll break the switch.
The suggestion to observe if the underdash courtesy lights work when the dome light doesn't is a good one. If = Yes, there is a connector to the rear dome light under the carpet, about 10" below the fuse box. One orange, one white wire. Check for it being loose.
SY2932
Administrator
Re: Done light driving me nuts
I did have an intermittent issue with the dome light in my '88 which ended up being the orange/white wire DaveP mentioned. The previous owner must have had the seat out for some reason and the wire got misrouted in a way which kinked the wire. This cracked the insulation and the wire corroded into blue/green dust. These wires are not individual wires BTW, they look like zip cord or speaker wire and are joined together in the middle.
I did have an intermittent issue with the dome light in my '88 which ended up being the orange/white wire DaveP mentioned. The previous owner must have had the seat out for some reason and the wire got misrouted in a way which kinked the wire. This cracked the insulation and the wire corroded into blue/green dust. These wires are not individual wires BTW, they look like zip cord or speaker wire and are joined together in the middle.
