C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Dome Light

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Nov 26, 2025 | 03:00 PM
  #1  
Rjh28's Avatar
Rjh28
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Default Dome Light

I have a 1977 and dome light stays on. The door switches tested ok. Is there a timer relay on this year car that could be faulty?
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2025 | 03:02 PM
  #2  
Nowhere Man's Avatar
Nowhere Man
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,136
Likes: 9,447
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Default

did you rotate the headlight **** past the detent to keep them on?
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2025 | 03:05 PM
  #3  
Rjh28's Avatar
Rjh28
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Default

Yes, it didn’t have any effect on the dome light.
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2025 | 06:26 PM
  #4  
C-141 driver's Avatar
C-141 driver
Racer
Veteran: Air Force
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Aug 2023
Posts: 312
Likes: 248
From: Sewickley PA
Default

I guess you're stuck with removing the bulb to keep from draining your battery.
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2025 | 06:53 PM
  #5  
Nowhere Man's Avatar
Nowhere Man
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,136
Likes: 9,447
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Default

I'm betting something is wrong with the headlight switch
Reply
Old Nov 26, 2025 | 07:56 PM
  #6  
bmotojoe's Avatar
bmotojoe
Safety Car
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,383
Likes: 1,755
From: Seattle Area Washington
Default

Originally Posted by Rjh28
I have a 1977 and dome light stays on. The door switches tested ok. Is there a timer relay on this year car that could be faulty?
Did this just start?
If you have the Convenience Group Package option there is a interior delay timer. It is located between the speedometer & tachometer taped to the main dash harness. The delay timer if faulty can keep the interior lamps from turning off.
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2025 | 01:38 PM
  #7  
gbvette62's Avatar
gbvette62
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,687
Likes: 3,139
From: Shamong, NJ
Default

Originally Posted by bmotojoe
Did this just start?
If you have the Convenience Group Package option there is a interior delay timer. It is located between the speedometer & tachometer taped to the main dash harness. The delay timer if faulty can keep the interior lamps from turning off.
There's a pretty good chance your 77 has RPO ZX2 Convenience Group since close to 41000 of the 49000 77's built were ordered with it. Besides the dome and courtesy lamps delay feature, ZX2 also included a visor mirror, headlights on buzzer, low fuel warning light and an engine compartment lamp. 77 was the first year the courtesy lamp delay was offered.

As bmotojoe say, the timer should be taped above the column, a less than easy place to get to. I think 77's used the same timer as 78-82's, which had the part number, 4635989 molded into the case, were about 2" square and were orange plastic, though I've seen a couple gray plastic ones over the years too. The timers are no longer available but most Corvette vendors carry a repair kit that includes a new circuit board for the timer.

Welcome to the Forum!
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2025 | 02:15 PM
  #8  
Rjh28's Avatar
Rjh28
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Default

Thank you. I will have to research if the car has this option. It’s a barn find.
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

 Joe Kucinski
story-2

Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-4

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-5

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-7

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
Old Nov 27, 2025 | 07:48 PM
  #9  
Nowhere Man's Avatar
Nowhere Man
Team Owner
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 54,136
Likes: 9,447
From: Sitting in his Nowhere land Hanover Pa
2024 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2015 C2 of Year Finalist
Default

Originally Posted by Rjh28
Thank you. I will have to research if the car has this option. It’s a barn find.
should be easy to see if it does. does it have a lighted rearview mirror and under hood light?
Reply
Old Nov 27, 2025 | 08:45 PM
  #10  
Rjh28's Avatar
Rjh28
Thread Starter
Navigator
 
Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Default

It has an under the hood light but the rear view mirror is not lighted.
Reply
Old Nov 28, 2025 | 07:37 AM
  #11  
bmotojoe's Avatar
bmotojoe
Safety Car
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,383
Likes: 1,755
From: Seattle Area Washington
Default

Originally Posted by gbvette62
There's a pretty good chance your 77 has RPO ZX2 Convenience Group since close to 41000 of the 49000 77's built were ordered with it. Besides the dome and courtesy lamps delay feature, ZX2 also included a visor mirror, headlights on buzzer, low fuel warning light and an engine compartment lamp. 77 was the first year the courtesy lamp delay was offered.

As bmotojoe say, the timer should be taped above the column, a less than easy place to get to. I think 77's used the same timer as 78-82's, which had the part number, 4635989 molded into the case, were about 2" square and were orange plastic, though I've seen a couple gray plastic ones over the years too. The timers are no longer available but most Corvette vendors carry a repair kit that includes a new circuit board for the timer.

Welcome to the Forum!
Just a FYI:
This timer GM #461294 was used on the 77 & early 78...
Ebay Link:https://www.ebay.com/itm/37474674969...SABEgJqefD_BwE
Once you locate the timer it is easy to bypass...
The connectors on the drawing I marked with a black arrow C121 C=connector
At the timer harness you will see a pair of connectors, one with a single white wire with black tracer...And a connector with a pair of solid white wire...
Disconnect those 2 connectors from the timer and plug the 2 connectors from the main harness into each other as shown in the photo right of Courtesy Electrical diagram...




Reply
Old Nov 28, 2025 | 07:38 AM
  #12  
bmotojoe's Avatar
bmotojoe
Safety Car
15 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,383
Likes: 1,755
From: Seattle Area Washington
Default

Originally Posted by Rjh28
It has an under the hood light but the rear view mirror is not lighted.
Yes that would be correct, no rear view mirror light on the 77...
Reply
Old Nov 28, 2025 | 09:17 AM
  #13  
gbvette62's Avatar
gbvette62
Race Director
25 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,687
Likes: 3,139
From: Shamong, NJ
Default

Originally Posted by Nowhere Man
should be easy to see if it does. does it have a lighted rearview mirror and under hood light?
Originally Posted by Rjh28
It has an under the hood light but the rear view mirror is not lighted.
Originally Posted by bmotojoe
Yes that would be correct, no rear view mirror light on the 77...
As I said in my previous post, ZX2 included a visor mirror. The Convenience Group option did not include a rear view mirror like the one used in 75-76's with the map light in the bottom of it. The visor mirror used in 77 was just a plain mirror attached to the back side of the visor, and it was not lit like the 78-82 visor mirror.

To the OP, if your car does have the underhood light than you do have the Convenience Group, and it's quite likely your problem is with the delay timer as described by bmotojoe above.
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Dome Light





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:14 PM.

story-0
5 Best & 5 Most Overrated Corvette Track Packages of All Time!

Slideshow: The 5 best and 5 most overrated Corvette track packages ever.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:46:45


VIEW MORE
story-1
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained

Slideshow: Every 2027 Corvette engine explained

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 12:16:31


VIEW MORE
story-2
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette

Slideshow: A Jaguar designer's personal project imagines what a modern front-engined Corvette might look like if Chevrolet revisited the golden age of the Stingray.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-08 19:53:43


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-8
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE