55.2-59 Dome light

[RustyPile]

Originally Posted by popeyestruck

I have the AAW wiring kit installed with the courtesy switch in the door. The door switch work good but the dome light is grounding out thru the socket. Its a one orange wire light with the ground going thru the door switches. I think all I need is a plastic socket that wont get a ground. I either need a source for a 1 wire socket or a 1 wire whole new dome light. All the dome lights online are showing 2 wires. Can I use a 2 wire dome light and just not use the white ground?

I'm not absolutely positive how the factory dome light is wired in on a '59.. But here's how the AAW dome light circuit works..


From the fuse box, the orange wire carries current to the dome light bulb. The dome light housing is plastic, the bulb socket is not grounded through the housing.. The current passes through the bulb filament, through the white wire to the door switch.. The white wire is the ground path and if it touches a ground source anywhere, the dome light will come on.. Don't be confused when you check voltages.. When the door is closed or the door switch is deactivated, voltage will appear on both the orange wire and white wire, that's normal.. The voltage on the white wire has "passed through" the bulb and is "seeking" a ground path in order to complete the circuit..