Fixed '83 Targa Dome Light

[Gordo2]

My dome light never worked when I opened the door. The light worked in the "on" position, but not in the "switched" position (the light cover acts like a toggle switch with center being off, forward/back being on/switched).

I searched some posts and found the most common source of the problem is that the switch at the door post isn't getting a good ground (there is one wire to the switch - when you open the door it connects/grounds to the door post).

After playing around, checking continuity etc. I found my light didn't work switched for a couple of reasons:

-Inside of the light, when you toggle the assembly to the "switched" position, it is supposed to complete the circuit by connecting to ground (at the door switch). The light's contacts that completes the circuit to the door switch was corroded and needed to be cleaned up to get continuity.

-The door switch definitely needed cleaning to get a good connection to the door post (the threads on the switch fixture completes the ground).

After cleaning up contacts, and extending the wire to the door switch (I caught it before it fell into the unreachable abyss), the light still didn't work with the switch.

I found that when I closed the door it was not making contact with the button end of the switch. Not sure why... appears my door may be out of whack.

I ended up fixing this problem by adding a couple of washers to the back side of the switch (while I had the wire off) before I remounted the switch. This extended the button end of the switch out enough to come in contact with the door when I closed it.

Two hours later, I have a working dome light (or at least on the driver's side).


Gordo

[Hugh R]

I have to give you a "Good Job" on that one just for the perseverence! I get the same way about little crap that doesn't work and will spend hours farting around on stuff just to tell me wife what I did and I get a small "ok?" for my efforts.

[RFR]

Gordo,
maybe it needs that rubber cover to give the "extra" to make physical contact. Could it be that the washers provide that?