Problems with Door switches and Headlight switch

[straightlinespeed]

Hello Gents!!!!

My rewire job went great for my car. Thank you for those of you that helped with my couple posts on a few questions.

Although I have two small issues that Im stumped on. Im not sure if its all because of the headlight switch or two separate things. So here are the issues.

1st issue....Dome light switch does not work when the passengers door is opened or the headlight switch is turned all the way and clicks to turn them on. But it does work when the drivers door is opened (not a problem). Here is how I have it wired.

Power to the dome light wire, up to the dome light, back out of the dome light to the drivers door switch, out of that switch to the headlight switch on the (D) terminal, which splices off and goes to the passengers door and ends.

What am I doing wrong with that wiring.

2nd issue... The fact that the headlight switch does not turn on the dome light when clicked all the way one direction. Also my dash lights flicker as I rotate the dimmer... Is this a sign of a bad switch?

I would like to fix these two small issues and be done with the wiring on the car for good.

 

[moparwillybb]

hey just wired my dart also 1st thing I notice is that you are switching the power source to your dome light? the door switches should only interrupt the ground supply to the dome light not the power and the headlight switch has a ground connection on the switch that is activated when the switch is turned to the right that should be piggy backed fro that terminal to the driver side door switch piggy backed again to the second prong on the drivers door switch and then piggy backed agin to the passenger door switch that way either one can supply the ground to the dome light hope I didn't confuse you to much hope it helped ps the switches are 19 bucs on rock auto allways a good idea to replace them

 

[67Dart273]

The headlight switch must be grounded. All the dome switch on the dash does is to ground the (originally yellow) wire when the knob is to the left.

You have a map light? This complicates things a bit.

Flickering dash lights means the dimmer rheostat is dirty or failing. Vigourously "work" the knob left/ right a few times, like, maybe 10 or 20 and see if it improves. If not you may be able to scrub it clean with abrasive. Otherwise..........new switch.

 

[straightlinespeed]

hey just wired my dart also 1st thing I notice is that you are switching the power source to your dome light? the door switches should only interrupt the ground supply to the dome light not the power and the headlight switch has a ground connection on the switch that is activated when the switch is turned to the right that should be piggy backed fro that terminal to the driver side door switch piggy backed again to the second prong on the drivers door switch and then piggy backed agin to the passenger door switch that way either one can supply the ground to the dome light hope I didn't confuse you to much hope it helped ps the switches are 19 bucs on rock auto allways a good idea to replace them

Actually I am confused, sorry I was trying to figure out what you meant and Im just not understanding.

The headlight switch must be grounded. All the dome switch on the dash does is to ground the (originally yellow) wire when the knob is to the left.

You have a map light? This complicates things a bit.

Flickering dash lights means the dimmer rheostat is dirty or failing. Vigourously "work" the knob left/ right a few times, like, maybe 10 or 20 and see if it improves. If not you may be able to scrub it clean with abrasive. Otherwise..........new switch.

Del, so your saying I have to run a wire from that (D) terminal to ground and it should work correctly?

I wired in my map light to key ignition 12v. So the only time that comes on is when I flip the switch.

As for the flickering lights, I have 4 other switches here that I can try but I thought I picked the best on out of the bunch. I suppose I can just pick up a new one from rockauto.

 

[67Dart273]

No, the D terminal "is" the switching wire to the dome circuit, and when you twist the knob, it should GROUND that terminal through the headlight switch. I believe "some years" of switches actually had a separate ground tab "to make sure."

See the yellow wire goes throughout the car to all the door switches and to the light switch D terminal. Anytime you ground the yellow, it activates the dome light.

 

[straightlinespeed]

Del, What I do understand is that turning the knob grounds the wire, but what is grounding the switch itself? The wire thru the door jam switch?

I guess Im really not understanding at all. Could you please break it down in simple terms for me. Sorry for being a pain in the rear!

 

[67Dart273]

On the older cars like my 67 the D terminal is grounded when activated through the switch to turn the dome on. It is my understanding that some of the later cars actually have a separate ground wire connection. I would guess that Ma had trouble with this on some cars

The circuit goes fused source.........through the lamp........to the yellow wire buss. The yellow wires are all hooked to door switches. When you open a door, the switch grounds that yellow and turns on the dome Same deal with the HL switch, when you twist the knob, it switches the yellow to ground.

The bulb is not grounded. It's a dual contact bulb, and the filament is hooked to the two bulb contacts

 

[straightlinespeed]

On the older cars like my 67 the D terminal is grounded when activated through the switch to turn the dome on. It is my understanding that some of the later cars actually have a separate ground wire connection. I would guess that Ma had trouble with this on some cars

The circuit goes fused source.........through the lamp........to the yellow wire buss. The yellow wires are all hooked to door switches. When you open a door, the switch grounds that yellow and turns on the dome Same deal with the HL switch, when you twist the knob, it switches the yellow to ground.

The bulb is not grounded. It's a dual contact bulb, and the filament is hooked to the two bulb contacts

Ok, I think I have it.

If I understand correctly the "hot" wire runs up to the bulb, then out thru the other contact on the bulb, back to the door switch. When you open the door that switch grounds itself out on the body, thus completing the circuit.

So instead of running a wire from the other contact on the drivers door switch. I need to tap off of that wire that is coming from the dome light to the first contact and go to the other door switch and to the headlight switch?

Basically I need to disregard the 2nd wire terminal on the door switch. Which is how I have it wired now.

 

[clinteg]

So instead of running a wire from the other contact on the drivers door switch. I need to tap off of that wire that is coming from the dome light to the first contact and go to the other door switch and to the headlight switch? QUOTE]

If you run a wire to your passenger door switch, and then run that wire to the driver's door switch, that will still work the same as splitting the wire and running another wire to the driver's door. As long as current can flow to both switches you're good to go.

 

[straightlinespeed]

So instead of running a wire from the other contact on the drivers door switch. I need to tap off of that wire that is coming from the dome light to the first contact and go to the other door switch and to the headlight switch? QUOTE]

If you run a wire to your passenger door switch, and then run that wire to the driver's door switch, that will still work the same as splitting the wire and running another wire to the driver's door. As long as current can flow to both switches you're good to go.

Thanks buddy that make sense!