Now Requesting Help with the Courtesy Lights
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 523
Likes: 249
From: SC
2018 C3 of Year Finalist
Now Requesting Help with the Courtesy Lights
Since I completed the door ajar light project, now it is time to attack the next issue, the interior courtesy lights. The driver side door open activates all three interior lights. The passenger door does not activate any interior lights. I have a new switch for the passenger door.
Referring to page 295 (AIM), the passenger door switch shows a single wire (white). The other terminal of the switch is open. Power is routed via the fuse panel through a “16 OR” wire. With the switch in the “door open” position (contact closed), I see no path to ground. So I grounded the white wire to frame ground to see if the interior lights would illuminate, but no joy. What am I missing in interpreting this problem?
Btw…Happy Thanksgiving!
Regards,
Tom
Referring to page 295 (AIM), the passenger door switch shows a single wire (white). The other terminal of the switch is open. Power is routed via the fuse panel through a “16 OR” wire. With the switch in the “door open” position (contact closed), I see no path to ground. So I grounded the white wire to frame ground to see if the interior lights would illuminate, but no joy. What am I missing in interpreting this problem?
Btw…Happy Thanksgiving!
Regards,
Tom
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,267
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi Tom,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family..
On my 71 the only wire to the right side hinge pillar switch is a single white….as you describe.
The driver's side switch has both a light blue wire and a black ground wire.
I just told you pretty much all I know about the courtesy light circuit!
VERY dumb dealing with things electrical!
Regards,
Alan
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family..
On my 71 the only wire to the right side hinge pillar switch is a single white….as you describe.
The driver's side switch has both a light blue wire and a black ground wire.
I just told you pretty much all I know about the courtesy light circuit!
VERY dumb dealing with things electrical!
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Nov 24, 2016 at 02:02 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 523
Likes: 249
From: SC
2018 C3 of Year Finalist
Hi Tom,
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family..
On my 71 the only wire to the right side hinge pillar switch is a single white….as you describe.
The driver's side switch has both a light blue wire and a black ground wire.
I just told you pretty much all I know about the courtesy light circuit!
VERY dumb dealing with things electrical!
Regards,
Alan
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family..
On my 71 the only wire to the right side hinge pillar switch is a single white….as you describe.
The driver's side switch has both a light blue wire and a black ground wire.
I just told you pretty much all I know about the courtesy light circuit!
VERY dumb dealing with things electrical!
Regards,
Alan
Regards,
Tom
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 428
From: Cape Girardeau Missouri
Since I completed the door ajar light project, now it is time to attack the next issue, the interior courtesy lights. The driver side door open activates all three interior lights. The passenger door does not activate any interior lights. I have a new switch for the passenger door.
Referring to page 295 (AIM), the passenger door switch shows a single wire (white). The other terminal of the switch is open. Power is routed via the fuse panel through a “16 OR” wire. With the switch in the “door open” position (contact closed), I see no path to ground. So I grounded the white wire to frame ground to see if the interior lights would illuminate, but no joy. What am I missing in interpreting this problem?
Btw…Happy Thanksgiving!
Regards,
Tom
Referring to page 295 (AIM), the passenger door switch shows a single wire (white). The other terminal of the switch is open. Power is routed via the fuse panel through a “16 OR” wire. With the switch in the “door open” position (contact closed), I see no path to ground. So I grounded the white wire to frame ground to see if the interior lights would illuminate, but no joy. What am I missing in interpreting this problem?
Btw…Happy Thanksgiving!
Regards,
Tom
The lamps in the courtesy lighting circuit have +12V at all times. The door switches themselves give the path to ground via the metal pillar. Grounding the white wire should cause them to light. You need to trace it to its other end then make sure it has both continuity (is unbroken) and has a good connection.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 523
Likes: 249
From: SC
2018 C3 of Year Finalist
You're not missing anything in your interpretation but the connection at the other end of that white wire may well be missing.
The lamps in the courtesy lighting circuit have +12V at all times. The door switches themselves give the path to ground via the metal pillar. Grounding the white wire should cause them to light. You need to trace it to its other end then make sure it has both continuity (is unbroken) and has a good connection.
The lamps in the courtesy lighting circuit have +12V at all times. The door switches themselves give the path to ground via the metal pillar. Grounding the white wire should cause them to light. You need to trace it to its other end then make sure it has both continuity (is unbroken) and has a good connection.
Thanks for confirming in my mind what is probably wrong.
Regards,
Tom
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,267
Likes: 4,362
From: Westminster Maryland
SM,
Are you saying that because the left side switch has a ground circuit as part of the harness, the right side switch doesn't need an additional ground because it's connected to the cage?
Regards,
Alan
Are you saying that because the left side switch has a ground circuit as part of the harness, the right side switch doesn't need an additional ground because it's connected to the cage?
Regards,
Alan
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,365
Likes: 428
From: Cape Girardeau Missouri
The only way simply splicing into the ground wire at the nearest courtesy light could be a problem is if yours has a courtesy lamp delay. I know that a mechanical light delay circuit wasif yours an available in some earlier C3s but don't know if yours has it or how it was wired before '78 when it changed to a electronic module.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 523
Likes: 249
From: SC
2018 C3 of Year Finalist
You're not missing anything in your interpretation but the connection at the other end of that white wire may well be missing.
The lamps in the courtesy lighting circuit have +12V at all times. The door switches themselves give the path to ground via the metal pillar. Grounding the white wire should cause them to light. You need to trace it to its other end then make sure it has both continuity (is unbroken) and has a good connection.
The lamps in the courtesy lighting circuit have +12V at all times. The door switches themselves give the path to ground via the metal pillar. Grounding the white wire should cause them to light. You need to trace it to its other end then make sure it has both continuity (is unbroken) and has a good connection.
Got it! It was a broken wire (somewhere behind the depths of my panel). I disconnected the white wire from the passenger side courtesy light and touched it to frame ground and the connected lights worked. So I will splice the door light switch into the courtesy light white wire and I'll be good to go!
Although I just knocked myself out of NCRS contention!
Thank you both for your input!
Regards,
Tom
Last edited by Tom69; Nov 24, 2016 at 03:46 PM.
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