interior light wiring

[evilokc]

there is a lot of threads and info on how to wire the dome light. I'm running into an issue that I'm not sure is covered. my 53 has a stock dome light. that's single wire with a switch on the dome light itself. I want to wire it where the dome light comes on with the headlight switch and also comes on with door switches when the doors are open. can this be done with a single wire light? the door switches and headlight switch ground the circuit to turn the lights on but with a single wire with the switch on the dome light I'm not sure how. if I need to get a 2 wire set up to make this work where might I find one?

[vintovka]

Facing same problem and really appreaciate someone posting a diagram and/or pics.

[dsraven]

usually the dome light is powered and then a ground, like through the door switch or through the headlight switch, will complete the circuit. you could wire it like it is supposed to be and then install some other interior lights wired to a regular door switch circuit. like under dash for foot well area etc.
possibly you could use a 2 wire pigtail to the light and a dual terminal light bulb. these bulbs dont use the socket of the bulb as a ground, one terminal of the bulb is power and the other one goes to ground. the problem would be the switch on the light would simply turn the light off if you don't want the light to come on. check to see if you could reconfigure the switch to be a ground switch so the light would work with a door switch but if you just want the light to come on without opening a door you could simply reach up and flip the switch. you would need a headlight switch that is capable of the interior light ground. not that familiar with your year of truck interior light.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by dsraven

possibly you could use a 2 wire pigtail to the light and a dual terminal light bulb.

this is how I did it. I drilled out the dome light housing a step at a time until a parking light two wire housing fit in it snugly. I didnt trust the old switch on the housing so I used a headlight switch that had a dome light position on the dimmer with a (-) output, then wired one side of the pigtail to 12v+ and the other side to the dimmer and door pins.

most older headlight switches use a + output for the dome light though so Black_Sheep's diagram is another way. if you really want to use the little switch on the dome light you can, just wire one side to ground and the other side to the same wire you hooked the door pins up to.

but either way, getting a two wire bulb holder is the key

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by joedoh

this is how I did it. I drilled out the dome light housing a step at a time until a parking light two wire housing fit in it snugly. I didnt trust the old switch on the housing so I used a headlight switch that had a dome light position on the dimmer with a (-) output, then wired one side of the pigtail to 12v+ and the other side to the dimmer and door pins.

most older headlight switches use a + output for the dome light though so Black_Sheep's diagram is another way. if you really want to use the little switch on the dome light you can, just wire one side to ground and the other side to the same wire you hooked the door pins up to.

but either way, getting a two wire bulb holder is the key

what two wire socket light did you use? I'm not concerned with the switch on the light itself working. I'm going to turn them on wit the headlight knob and door switches.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by evilokc

what two wire socket light did you use? I'm not concerned with the switch on the light itself working. I'm going to turn them on with the headlight knob and door switches.

I used a spare parking light bulb from the s10 harness, it was just a 2 wire socket that snapped into a parking light housing. I have a picture somewhere that was lost in the photobucket baloney but I still have in an archive, I will look for it.

you need to make sure your headlight switch output is (-) if you are using one wire door pins.

[Black_Sheep]

Here's how I wired mine using a relay. The door switches are wired in series to ground the relay when the doors open. The dome light function on the headlight switch also grounds the relay. I also added 2 courtesy lights under each corner of the dash which are wired to come on with the dome light.

[evilokc]

so its just a 2 wire bulb? dude that's so easy. I can use any 2 wire bulb that will fit? you said you had to drill out the housing?

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by evilokc

so its just a 2 wire bulb? dude that's so easy. I can use any 2 wire bulb that will fit? you said you had to drill out the housing?

yeah, I used a socket from a parking light, you thought I was kidding but here it is

IMG_1176 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1177 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1178 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1181 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1183 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


obviously after the first picture I replaced the amber light with a clear light, but it was the same bulb as the other dome lights.

that truck was on a 99 chassis and I had everything working, even the door bonger if you left the key in the ignition and opened the door haha.

[evilokc]

Originally Posted by joedoh

yeah, I used a socket from a parking light, you thought I was kidding but here it is

IMG_1176 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1177 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1178 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1181 by Joe Doh, on Flickr
IMG_1183 by Joe Doh, on Flickr


obviously after the first picture I replaced the amber light with a clear light, but it was the same bulb as the other dome lights.

that truck was on a 99 chassis and I had everything working, even the door bonger if you left the key in the ignition and opened the door haha.

exactly what I was looking for. thank you so much man. this I can handle. are you using door switches as well? what vehicle did you get them from?

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by evilokc

exactly what I was looking for. thank you so much man. this I can handle. are you using door switches as well? what vehicle did you get them from?

on that truck I used the stock 99 s10 door switches, but if you are wiring it up as a ground trigger you only need the single wire pin switches that you can get at any parts store.