Dome Light's Dim(On) With Door Closed

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805moparkid

805moparkid

Slant and AFX Guy
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ok so were getting the 69 M Code Cuda close and install the dome lights and!... they work great! nice and bright with either door open, and when you click the headlight switch over...

BUT

with the doors shut the bulbs are still on, the filaments is just glowing... so I proceeded to follow the wiring from the C pillar sockets all the way to the door switch with no breaks, cuts, nothing ( inspected and giggled wiring to break contact)...

Map light and glove box light work with park and headlights on.

so I pulled both wires from the map light switch thinking maybe it was grounding but its the same. I pulled both door switches out and its still does it. I even tried turning the headlight switch all the way down thinking it could be the switch, no dice, not even a change...

so what am I missing?
 
The ground is switched at the door jamb switches and then it gos thru the dimmer portion of the dashboard rheostat. If you unplug the wire connector from the rheostat and jamb switches and the dome light is still on, then it is getting ground somewhere. Maybe a short in the light fixture itself?
 
Yup. Circuit path is fuse -- to dome lamp -- through lamp -- and switched to ground through all switches. Start disconnecting them. As above, I'd pull the lamp assy out and inspect for rust, corrosion, water, etc. Same thing at the door switches.
 
The dome lights should have constant 12v going to them, the door jam switch is a spring switch, that operates ground (open door closes the ground contact thus lighting up the dom light, closed door opens the ground contacts, thus kills power). check to see if its your ground, you shouldn't have any when the door is closed.
 
68gtxman said:
The ground is switched at the door jamb switches and then it gos thru the dimmer portion of the dashboard rheostat. If you unplug the wire connector from the rheostat and jamb switches and the dome light is still on, then it is getting ground somewhere. Maybe a short in the light fixture itself?
Click to expand...

ok i'll try unplugging both. the fixtures are plastic that snap into the steel interior panels

67Dart273 said:
Yup. Circuit path is fuse -- to dome lamp -- through lamp -- and switched to ground through all switches. Start disconnecting them. As above, I'd pull the lamp assy out and inspect for rust, corrosion, water, etc. Same thing at the door switches.
Click to expand...

everything is new, no rust.

gilberttitan08 said:
The dome lights should have constant 12v going to them, the door jam switch is a spring switch, that operates ground (open door closes the ground contact thus lighting up the dom light, closed door opens the ground contacts, thus kills power). check to see if its your ground, you shouldn't have any when the door is closed.
Click to expand...

they do have constant 12v. I may have forgot to put it at the top but I removed the door switches from the body with wires still attached to make sure it wasn't the new switches.

will pull both switches again, then headlight switch plug and report back
 
ok removed both switches from door jambs (with wires attached) and no change. then removed the headlight switch connector and still no change.

just a dim little bulb.

checked to make sure contacts in each fixture were not touching anything and they are not.
 
With all switches unhooked, so headlight, doors, and map switch, pull the bulb and get an ohmeter reading to ground from the yellow wire. Should be infinity.

Then take the bulb in hand and measure from each bulb terminal to the bulb shell Both terminals should be infinity to the shell. Keep your fingers off the probe tips

THE BULB DOES?? have?? two terminals, right?

Should be a 1004 bulb like this............

1004-2.jpg
 
67Dart273 said:
With all switches unhooked, so headlight, doors, and map switch, pull the bulb and get an ohmeter reading to ground from the yellow wire. Should be infinity.

Then take the bulb in hand and measure from each bulb terminal to the bulb shell Both terminals should be infinity to the shell. Keep your fingers off the probe tips

THE BULB DOES?? have?? two terminals, right?

Should be a 1004 bulb like this............

1004-2.jpg
Click to expand...

for the map light switch bulb??

also I started unplugging stuff in the pink/red wires near the glove box/map light's and the bulb went off, but will works with the door switch grounding...

do I just have the wiring wrong? this thing has like 4 pigbacks, factory and there is not a wiring diagram that has them...
 
ok the socket ground (yellow) and ground were open. the socket and bulb are not the same as your pic though, its a #67 and matches the socket correctly (one wire (ground side) on the bottom) and the hot wire on the side
 
This may be a dumb question but have you tried changing out the bulb.Yes it should be a 1004 bulb.
 
Sounds like you checked yellow to ground and were open with doors closed and headlight switch rotated to dim, yes?

Was wondering if you put the insulator pads in the pocket behind the socket to keep it from grounding but if yellow is not grounded the lamps should have no path to ground to light. Did you check yellow to ground with the panels fastened and the lens on?
 
If that all checks out by testing at a-pillar connector then it could be door switch's, headlight buzzer wrong or time delay relay for ingnition switch passing voltage from pink to ground. Think you already stated you disconnected the map lamp switch.
 
thanks for the help guys, I had the a bulb in on the passenger side pillar and not the drivers side as I couldn't see that side. boss switched the bulb to drivers side and it wsa fine!

even though there was air space it was somehow grounding on the drivers side fixture (even though its plastic...)

bent it out a little and its all better!

thanks guys!
 
EDIT, was typing as you posted, LOL................so it's fixed and works OK?

The MAP light is a 67, but the dome socket and bulb should be dual contact --1004. So are we talking about the dome or the map?

Look in the socket.......should be dual contact similar to a stop/ tail light

Dome lamp should be dual contact 1004.

If not this is likely the problem.

The "yellows" are the ground side switching. Pink is likely hot side
 
67Dart273 said:
EDIT, was typing as you posted, LOL................so it's fixed and works OK?

The MAP light is a 67, but the dome socket and bulb should be dual contact --1004. So are we talking about the dome or the map?

Look in the socket.......should be dual contact similar to a stop/ tail light

Dome lamp should be dual contact 1004.

If not this is likely the problem.

The "yellows" are the ground side switching. Pink is likely hot side
Click to expand...

I think I should remind everyone this is a Cuda not a dart. it has the 67 single contact bulb in the map light, and the goofy "glass fuse" looking bulbs in the C pillars for the dome lights.
 
Oh, hell.............I had your avatar in my head..............
 
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