no voltage at interior light wires

[rubing]

Hi all!

I'm working on the 3 position interior light for my 77 911. I was taking it out to flip around b/c i had noticed a month ago that it was installed backwards. When I took it out, I realized that I wasn't able to get the bulb to turn on. I put my voltmeter across the wires which feed into it and came back with nothing. So, I checked both the fuses and actuated the door light button on the pillar, but neither seemed to be the cause. I'm scratching my head wondering what i should check/do next. When I removed the interior light I didn't pull very hard or feel any wires come loose. This is on the passenger side. Thanks for any advice!

[Danimal16]

Check to see if one of the contacts has been bent and may be grounding to the body.

[rubing]

Hey Dan,

Which contact? I removed the wires from the interior light itself in order to measure voltage and do not measure any there.

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by rubing

Hey Dan,

Which contact? I removed the wires from the interior light itself in order to measure voltage and do not measure any there.

If the light is the same as on my 71, the male connectors can sometimes bend slightly away from the body of the fixture. In some cases this is enough to contact the body. Carefully bend them back to the original position and it should avoid this.

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by rubing

Hey Dan,

Which contact? I removed the wires from the interior light itself in order to measure voltage and do not measure any there.

If you tested for voltage between the two wires, then the problem is either the black wire is not providing power or the brown wire is not grounded.

Test each wire separately. Black, between a solid known ground, should produce 12v. Brown, between a power source, should produce 12v. If the door is open or the door button is fully extended, you should get a ground for the brown wire. BTW, if the rubber caps are still on the door button, they sometimes shrink and lose flexibility preventing the button from fully releasing.

Let us know the results of your tests.