Map light - Is this right.

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Creedmoor

Recovering Fordaholic
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Zillah, WA
68 Barracuda FB
Got my map light working. But…it only works if one or both doors are open. Seems like it should work with the doors closed. Wiring diagram shows the map light and door switch are somehow connected. Is it possible something is reversed or is that how it’s supposed to work? Gettin’ too old for this under dash contortion. The old BOG called it the “dashboard boogie”. Any insight or advice appreciated.
 
The map light should light when either the driver or passenger door is open. With the doors closed it should work with the toggle switch on the bottom left of the dash.
 
Switch will turn map light on and off. But only with one or both doors open. Switch has no effect when doors are shut. Head scratcher.
 
I hate these things. My brain forgets, but I believe the switch must be grounded, maybe someone knows. Do you have a diagram? It is in some of the service manuals, which you can download from MyMopar.com, free. Not in the full diagram, it's a separate little drawing, accessories and such
 
Under dash map light is activated by a switch also under the dash. Your two dome lights are activated by opening the doors. The map light was an option.
 
Murray said:
Under dash map light is activated by a switch also under the dash. Your two dome lights are activated by opening the doors. The map light was an option.
Click to expand...
Yes, I realize that. Dome lights operate as they should. Map light switch works with doors open but not with doors closed.
 
H'm
Apparently '69 had two ways a map light could be wired in, one with a switch and one into the dome light circuit.
www.forabodiesonly.com

Map Light Help Needed

I would like to get my map light working. Originally wires were cut a few inches from the lamp plug and switch plug was totally gone. Is there a simple drawing anywhere of how it should be wired?
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Now what about '68?
 
I have a maplight loom around somewhere. I recall it having yellow/ pink wires and connecting to the lighter feed ?
 
Looking at the '68 Plymouth FSM page 8-114 fig. 8

The map light gets fed from a junction at the cigar lighter, wire M3 - 18 P (Pink)
From the lamp, wire M2C-18Y* (yellow with trace) goes to the map light switch. The switch is grounded. OR it gos directly to a connection on the wire to the right door switch.
For cars with the switch, it looks like wire M2D-18Y (yellow with no stripe) goes from the map switch to the connection on the wire to the right door switch.

My interpretation is that turning on the map light switch grounds the map light return, and it may also turn on the dome/courtesy lights.
Conversely opening the door probaboly turns on the map as well as the dome light.

So seems like the issue may be the switch is not grounded.
 
Mattax said:
Looking at the '68 Plymouth FSM page 8-114 fig. 8

The map light gets fed from a junction at the cigar lighter, wire M3 - 18 P (Pink)
From the lamp, wire M2C-18Y* (yellow with trace) goes to the map light switch. The switch is grounded. OR it gos directly to a connection on the wire to the right door switch.
For cars with the switch, it looks like wire M2D-18Y (yellow with no stripe) goes from the map switch to the connection on the wire to the right door switch.

My interpretation is that turning on the map light switch grounds the map light return, and it may also turn on the dome/courtesy lights.
Conversely opening the door probaboly turns on the map as well as the dome light.

So seems like the issue may be the switch is not grounded.
Click to expand...
So seems like the issue may be the switch is not grounded.

LOL I mentioned that many posts ago. Or wrong switch, or bad switch. As I said I have never been able to play with these. Perhaps the switch he has is really meant for a 4 way flasher. They have no ground circuit.
 
67Dart273 said:
I hate these things. My brain forgets, but I believe the switch must be grounded, maybe someone knows. Do you have a diagram? It is in some of the service manuals, which you can download from MyMopar.com, free. Not in the full diagram, it's a separate little drawing, accessories and such
Click to expand...
Yep, FSM shows the switch being grounded. I’m assuming the metal body of the switch grounds to the metal dash frame when it is nutted in place. My ignition key light also doesn’t work and the wiring diagram shows that the map light and the ignition key light are both connected via a “time delay relay”. I know this relay isn’t working right as I took it apart and forced the contacts to close and the key light lit up. Going to track down a new relay and try that. I think it may solve both issues. Or, I’ll just ignore both problems.
 
mbaird said:
I have a maplight loom around somewhere. I recall it having yellow/ pink wires and connecting to the lighter feed ?
Click to expand...
Yep. Bulb socket has one terminal with two red wires and the other terminal has a brown wire. I show continuity between the brown wire and one side of the switch socket and continuity between the red wires side of the light socket and the other side of the switch socket. Can’t figure out how the bulb is grounded as the housing is plastic. Possibly through the non functioning time delay relay which is part of this circuit. My head hurts.
 
Mattax said:
Looking at the '68 Plymouth FSM page 8-114 fig. 8

The map light gets fed from a junction at the cigar lighter, wire M3 - 18 P (Pink)
From the lamp, wire M2C-18Y* (yellow with trace) goes to the map light switch. The switch is grounded. OR it gos directly to a connection on the wire to the right door switch.
For cars with the switch, it looks like wire M2D-18Y (yellow with no stripe) goes from the map switch to the connection on the wire to the right door switch.

My interpretation is that turning on the map light switch grounds the map light return, and it may also turn on the dome/courtesy lights.
Conversely opening the door probaboly turns on the map as well as the dome light.

So seems like the issue may be the switch is not grounded.
Click to expand...
Switch is original to the car. It has to be grounded through the metal switch body when attached to the dash frame

IMG_0873.jpeg
 
Perhaps the dash was painted at one time, and now the switch is not grounded when installed. Try grounding the switch body to a good ground with a jumper wire and then flipping the switch.
 
harrisonm said:
Perhaps the dash was painted at one time, and now the switch is not grounded when installed. Try grounding the switch body to a good ground with a jumper wire and then flipping the switch.
Click to expand...
Already tried that. Didn’t help. I really suspect that “time delay relay” is the root cause here.
 

Checked out my 1971 Demon Map light............

Works with the switch when the doors are open, and works with the doors closed when the headlight switch is turned fully past the click. I tried grounding the switch but it had no effect, nor does it show the switch grounded in my '71 owners manual.

My time delay seems to work just fine as the key light operates as it should.

My wiring is original, and not hacked up.
 
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Map light switch

Hi All: I've got an owners manual and service manual on the way from Faxon, so hope I don't have to ask a question this dumb again....lol. On my car, there is a map light switch on the bottom of the dash beside the hood release. Unfortunately, the switch seems to need replacing....it doesn't...
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Couple of guys in this thread seem to think it only works with the dome light on.
 
One of the FSM diagrams I looked at showed a ground at the switch and the others did not. I don't recall which the '68 book showed but IIRC there it showed an option to have no switch. The switch has to do something. Whether it is to have the map lamp turn on or not with the dome light, or to independently turn on the map light. I don't have a '68 Operator's manual, but that might describe the operation for that year.
 
Correct operation: doors closed map light works with switch, either door open and the map light comes on as does the dome light, and key light. dome light operation with headlight switch should not effect map light operation with the doors closed. The whole idea of the map light is to provide the passenger with light to read a map (what a concept in these GPS days) without shining on the inside of the windshield and effecting driver vision at night. The reason the switch is on the drivers left side is so that the driver can kill the light in difficult driving conditions (the passenger can't control the light and create a dangerous situation). The time delay keeps the key light, map light and later the dome light on after you close the door for a period of time (until you get the key in the ignition).
 
str12-340 said:
Correct operation: doors closed map light works with switch, either door open and the map light comes on as does the dome light, and key light. dome light operation with headlight switch should not effect map light operation with the doors closed. The whole idea of the map light is to provide the passenger with light to read a map (what a concept in these GPS days) without shining on the inside of the windshield and effecting driver vision at night. The reason the switch is on the drivers left side is so that the driver can kill the light in difficult driving conditions (the passenger can't control the light and create a dangerous situation). The time delay keeps the key light, map light and later the dome light on after you close the door for a period of time (until you get the key in the ignition).
Click to expand...
Thanks....Strange that there are a ton of posts with owners describing both operating ways. This makes perfectly good sense.....It has to have something to do with the grounds is my guess.
 
CFD244 said:
Thanks....Strange that there are a ton of posts with owners describing both operating ways. This makes perfectly good sense.....It has to have something to do with the grounds is my guess.
Click to expand...
Because there were three versions (at least). One involves no switch and is really not set up to be used as a map light while driving even though its called that.
See the description for 69 in the link and the diagrams he posts later in that thread.
www.forabodiesonly.com

Map Light Help Needed

I would like to get my map light working. Originally wires were cut a few inches from the lamp plug and switch plug was totally gone. Is there a simple drawing anywhere of how it should be wired?
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com
 
UPDATE - Sort of.
Bought a new Time Delay Relay which is a part of the map light circuit and was bad. It did fix my key light not working, but didn’t change the map light only working when a door was opened. Back to the drawing board.

For those interested, the Time Delay Relay is still available from a number of sources. Mostly chinesium ones. I did find an Echlin version from NAPA. All of them run about $27. See pic for Echlin/NAPA part #.

IMG_0887.jpeg
 
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