Courtesy lamp timer
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Courtesy lamp timer
I feel stupid but I cant find anything on this in the AIM. I am looking at ordering a wiring harness and I need to know if the courtesy light timer is to the left or right of the steering wheel. Anybody tell me what this thing looks like on a 78? I figured it would look something like the signal flasher but longer... cant find anything that remotely looks like it.
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,371
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From: Beecher Illinois
It doesn't look like a flasher. Usually orange plastic, kinda rectangular, not round.and on late production 78s it's behind and to the right of the glove box. Just hangs there. Early 78 is in the harness by the fuse box. Pace Car should be by the glove box.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
thanks, I dont have any orange rectangular boxes anywhere, I do have several wires on that side of the cabin that are burnt...... hmmm. Any idea what color wires go into it?
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,371
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From: Beecher Illinois
According to my 79 shop manual, looks like 5 wires. 2 black, 2 white, and a pink/black.
edit...according to the actual wiring behind my glovebox on my 78SA......
1 black, 1 white, 1 white/black, 1 pink/black, 1 orange.
See the pic a few posts down....
edit...according to the actual wiring behind my glovebox on my 78SA......
1 black, 1 white, 1 white/black, 1 pink/black, 1 orange.
See the pic a few posts down....
Last edited by KapsSA; Apr 20, 2008 at 05:36 PM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Hillsborough NC
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
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From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
In my research (trying to find one for less than $80) I read some other forums where people have been disconnecting them anyway. But would I need the timer itself to make the connections for the courtesy lights to work? Which wire would tie to which wire if I was to bypass it? I dont need this thing to go up in flames one night.......
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,911
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From: gold coast queensland
just get some heavy gauge electrical wire and join up the 2 pins where the orange box used to be. u wont have a delay anymore but at least your courtesy light will come one and off when u close the doors. those orange boxes are a rip -off !!!! otherwise i would have bought one buy now too.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Boca Raton Florida
put a jumper on the 2 white wires and the interior lights will work, obviously with no timer function. No need for anything heavy, 16# will work, its only a couple of interior lights.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
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From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Unfortunately all the connectors are fried off. I spent this afternoon out there and traced a couple of more wires down. I am down to the following: 2 white wires going into 1 white lead(hot), I black lead(not hot) 1 pink w/blk stripe (not hot) and 1 orange (hot) Tried jumping the various hot leads to each other and grounded all the rest. I get nothing. All the rest of the wiring on the car works and is not slashed up (I rr'd all of it) but the courtesy lights will not come on.
I have 3 different wiring harness diagrams and none of them show the courtesy light timer connections. My AIM shows it but doesnt have the colors of the wires. There is nothing else on this side of the dash for these wires to hook to. I am beginning to believe it's tied into the alarm system also (doesnt work). I could give a crap about the timer working, I just want the interior lights to come on so I can see the inside of the car at night. All other lights, gauges included work.
I have 3 different wiring harness diagrams and none of them show the courtesy light timer connections. My AIM shows it but doesnt have the colors of the wires. There is nothing else on this side of the dash for these wires to hook to. I am beginning to believe it's tied into the alarm system also (doesnt work). I could give a crap about the timer working, I just want the interior lights to come on so I can see the inside of the car at night. All other lights, gauges included work.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: gold coast queensland
sounds like you almost had a fire in there if the plug is totally sizzled. on my car the wires that go to that connection are 2 orange , 2 white and 1 black. im assuming thats an orange and a white from each door with a common earth. they are all bundled in the same section of harness as the power mirrors, alarm, power window wiring. check your connectors at the door jam are all plugged in with good connections and that the little actuators depress and extend back out properly.my car is an 81 so should be similar to mine
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
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From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
I just found a replacement wiring harness at Corvette Central. Will wait for it to come in and start over. Is there a way to jump past this or will I have to pay 80 bucks for the freakin plastic timer box......
Burning Brakes
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From: Loir Valley Sarthe, France
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The 1978 Electrical Troubleshooting Manual has good details of the timer etc, and talks about the by-passing of same. Might be worth getting hold of a copy from Ebay etc. I picked my copy up for about $10 I think. It's been invaluable!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Hillsborough NC
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
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From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
Agreed. I have this manual and it has been invaluable in getting the wiring right and troubleshooting issues. Unfortunately, all it lists for the courtesy light timer (other than the wire connection colors) is a black box with the word TRANSISTORIZED inside it. Must have been very high tech for 78
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
You need to connect the input from the door switches to the light's ground wire. The 12v and ground for the timer are ignored.
$10 of parts and a bit of soldering will have things working like they're supposed to, though...
$10 of parts and a bit of soldering will have things working like they're supposed to, though...
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,371
Likes: 223
From: Beecher Illinois
L82shark, had the glove box out of my 78SA troubleshooting the low fuel module. Took this pic to show all the wires and connectors going to the delay. That one connector in the middle has TWO white wires in and ONE white/black out.
Last edited by KapsSA; Dec 26, 2008 at 10:46 PM.