dome light wont go out! - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

speesh · 02-12-2004, 06:18 PM

hmm.... my 71 burb has the dome light hanging by one wire right now, because when I put it in place (with a tie wrap....

) it makes sparks and stays on! I have disconnected the ground wire, and when I ground the body of the light, it goes on whether the light switch is on or not. Is it my headlight switch? or what? any clues would be helpful, seems like the light is getting power when it shouldn't....
guess I could just put a toggle switch on it but I want to know what the heck is going on.....

*67Fleetsidedream* · 02-12-2004, 06:20 PM

You could unplug your head light switch and see if it goes out. If it does then the switch is your problem.

jorgensensc · 02-12-2004, 06:31 PM

I have a similar situation, but I know the reason why.
The door jamb on the door itself on my drivers side has a very large pushed in dent. You cannot notice this at all The only way to notice it is if you know it is not supposed to be pushed in. It almost loks like a board was there and the door got closed on a 2x4 lengthwise. The previous owner painted the truck and left it like that, so I never knew, until I went to put in a new dome light assembly. The pin switch in the drivers side will not engage the door when closed, so the dome light stays on. Needless to say I had to take the light bulb out.
So check your switches and make sure they are engaging.

By the way, does anyone know how to get the dent out withouttearing up the paint job? I thought I could push it out from the inside of the door, but there is a metal brace there that is angled. I even tried unscrewing the switch out to the lst threads, but it still didn't engage.
Sorry to hijack the thread.
Shawn

flip66 · 02-12-2004, 06:45 PM

First thing check the head light switch and make sure its not turned all the way to the left. GM dome lights are activated by ground not power. They have constant power to them all the time the orange wire going to it is constant power and the white wire going to it is the trigger. Each of the door pins has a white wire going to them. If that white wire grounds out anywhere it will cause the dome light to stay on. A lot of times the wire will come off the back of the door pin and ground out or when you are putting back in the rocker panels you will get the white wire with a screw

Gordo · 02-12-2004, 09:34 PM

Many times I have found the source of the problem under the door sill/mat on the drivers side. The harness leading to the dome light gets pinched/corroded or damaged under there and grounds the lead to the light and causes the light to stay on. Like flip66 said, the light has constant power and is controled on and off by the ground wire.

tom hand · 02-12-2004, 10:09 PM

Gordo has the most likely answer

speesh · 02-14-2004, 02:18 PM

thanks for that info, that is what I needed to know. The previous owner had put the light up there with wire ties and when it moves a certain way it lights up, I guess I need to put it in the correct way and make sure there is something to insulate the body of the light from contacting the metal roof. so, no biggie!

speesh · 02-14-2004, 02:18 PM

oh by the way, my burb doesn't have the light switches in the door at all, was that an option? and how hard would it be to put them in?

02-12-2004, 06:18 PM	#1
speesh Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ridgecrest, CA Posts: 318	dome light wont go out! hmm.... my 71 burb has the dome light hanging by one wire right now, because when I put it in place (with a tie wrap.... ) it makes sparks and stays on! I have disconnected the ground wire, and when I ground the body of the light, it goes on whether the light switch is on or not. Is it my headlight switch? or what? any clues would be helpful, seems like the light is getting power when it shouldn't.... guess I could just put a toggle switch on it but I want to know what the heck is going on..... __________________ 57 suburban(sitting in the driveway), 2 69 C20 longbeds (sitting in the field ) and a 2003 8.1 Suburban Endeavor to persevere. "All of a sudden, I'm the old timer!" Some old timer on American Pickers.

02-12-2004, 06:31 PM	#3
jorgensensc Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Cypress, Tx Posts: 4,005	I have a similar situation, but I know the reason why. The door jamb on the door itself on my drivers side has a very large pushed in dent. You cannot notice this at all The only way to notice it is if you know it is not supposed to be pushed in. It almost loks like a board was there and the door got closed on a 2x4 lengthwise. The previous owner painted the truck and left it like that, so I never knew, until I went to put in a new dome light assembly. The pin switch in the drivers side will not engage the door when closed, so the dome light stays on. Needless to say I had to take the light bulb out. So check your switches and make sure they are engaging. By the way, does anyone know how to get the dent out withouttearing up the paint job? I thought I could push it out from the inside of the door, but there is a metal brace there that is angled. I even tried unscrewing the switch out to the lst threads, but it still didn't engage. Sorry to hijack the thread. Shawn __________________ 1972 C20 Suburban- Big Blue Betty '56 Chevy Bel Air Sedan- Frame up Restoration -What would you attempt to achieve if you knew you could not fail?- -I Refuse To Tiptoe Through Life, Only To Arrive Safely At Death's Door- R.I.P. EAST SIDE LOW LIFE

02-12-2004, 09:34 PM	#5
Gordo Registered User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Killingworth, CT. USA Posts: 3,378	Many times I have found the source of the problem under the door sill/mat on the drivers side. The harness leading to the dome light gets pinched/corroded or damaged under there and grounds the lead to the light and causes the light to stay on. Like flip66 said, the light has constant power and is controled on and off by the ground wire. __________________ 1971 C10 swb stepside 350/700R4/3.73posi (retired as of 4/22/03) 1998 S10 short bed 2002 S10 Blazer 1942 Oldsmobile 1958 Massey Harris Pony 1951 Wife Killingworth, Connecticut May those who love us, love us, any of those who do not love us, may God turn their hearts. And if God is unable to turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping. A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.

02-12-2004, 10:09 PM	#6
tom hand CCRider Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Olive Branch,MS,USA Posts: 2,232	Gordo has the most likely answer __________________ 72 GMC Sierra SWB almost finished---- 84 Softail Olive Branch MS

02-14-2004, 02:18 PM	#7
speesh Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ridgecrest, CA Posts: 318	thanks for that info, that is what I needed to know. The previous owner had put the light up there with wire ties and when it moves a certain way it lights up, I guess I need to put it in the correct way and make sure there is something to insulate the body of the light from contacting the metal roof. so, no biggie! __________________ 57 suburban(sitting in the driveway), 2 69 C20 longbeds (sitting in the field ) and a 2003 8.1 Suburban Endeavor to persevere. "All of a sudden, I'm the old timer!" Some old timer on American Pickers.

02-12-2004, 06:20 PM	#2
67Fleetsidedream Wiseass secured himself a BAN Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: MOON!!! Posts: 2,282	You could unplug your head light switch and see if it goes out. If it does then the switch is your problem.

02-12-2004, 06:45 PM	#4
flip66 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Garland TX Dallas area Posts: 658	First thing check the head light switch and make sure its not turned all the way to the left. GM dome lights are activated by ground not power. They have constant power to them all the time the orange wire going to it is constant power and the white wire going to it is the trigger. Each of the door pins has a white wire going to them. If that white wire grounds out anywhere it will cause the dome light to stay on. A lot of times the wire will come off the back of the door pin and ground out or when you are putting back in the rocker panels you will get the white wire with a screw



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