The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Dome Lamp HELP

I am trying to get the dome lamp working. Got it wired and have a new headlight switch. Got the wiring diagram too... The light will NOT shut off!! Been down this road before. Any help?

Thanks in advance,

Steve in I-DA-HO

It means the circuit isn't opening to shut it off. It would have to be either a bad switch or something not connected right. Do you have a multimeter?

My ultimate question is HOW to wire at the lamp itself. I have missed something at the lamp for sure...this is killing me cause I am sure it is way easy. thanks in advance

Steve

the orange wire from "D" on the switch to the lamp is hot all the time
the white wire from "GRD" on the switch gives it a ground when turning the knob [the one click direction]

if it's on all the time, you have a ground on the light body that doesn't belong there - remove the white wire from the switch, if the light is still on you have the lamp grounded [which it should not be], if it goes out you have the switch in the on position, or it's wired wrong, or it's defective

Bill

I have a two pole pig tail in the lamp assembly which I would assume is the correct one...right? All I did was connect the two wires to the tow wires from the lamp switch. Am I doing something wrong? Thanks, Steve

if you hooked the same colors together that should be good, so then you need to check to see if the way the light is mounted adds a ground to the socket where there shouldn't be one .... and check if the switch is doing it's job right, does it 'click' when you turn it one way and dim the dash lights when turned the other way?

Bill

Hey Bill,

The switch is working fine...dimmer works and it does snap when turning to the left for dome lamp. Does the seitch need to be mounted for ground? I have it hanging. I'll go try that right now to see. Everything seems to be wired fine...I think. I replaced the wires cause there were NONE when I got the truck. So, they are NOT the original color. Gonns go check. By the way,,,I solved the last problem...was the dist cap retaining screw not all the way to the right...it was moving ever so slightly but causing a major loss of power while driving. Thanks again...I'll get back to ya in a few with the results.

Thanks, Steve

yes the switch needs to be grounded [normally by mounting], but if the light is on all the time that means it's getting a ground when it shouldn't - if you have a meter, disconnect the wire from the GRD terminal on the switch - if the light stays on you might have nicked that wire when fishing it up to the light and it's shorted to ground along the way - use the ohmmeter to track down the unwanted ground

Bill

Got it Bill...I insulated the lamp assembly to resolve the extra grounding problem. Works great now and hope it's like the energizer bunny and keeps working!! Pretty sure it's just another OLD truck thing that needed to be bypassed...thanks again

I can wire the truck but when it comes to that darn dome lamp I wanna yank the rest of my nubs out..lol

Steve in I-DA-HO

By the way...I am not fishing any more wires up to that darn lamp!! Already got the headliner glued up and the NEW hard to install rubber retainer installed...that was a PAIN in the keester!!

I can relate! just drive'er and smile
I seem to recall now that light assembly had a cardboard plate it mounted on, hadn't thought about that

Bill

yep...I got some o-rings and drilled the mounting holes in the lamp assy so the screws and the plate wouldn't touch the cab and waalaa!! All good now!!