I am working on a '66 Grande Parisienne and am puzzled about how my courtesy lights are working. When I open the driver's door, the underdash lights come on but not the rear sail panel and console lights. On the other hand, when I open the passenger door, the sail panel and console lights come on but no underdash. When I use the headlight switch to turn on the lights, again, the sail panel and console lights come on but no underdash.
The wiring colour codes in my Canadian Pontiac service manual do not match the wiring in the car for the underdash lights although the wires look factory and not hacked together. (The original electrician's taping is all intact.)
I have had earlier problems with this car underhood to the point that I completely rewired from the firewall forward.
I am suspecting that it has something to do with the door switches but I do not understand exactly how they work. How do you remove the door switch from the rest of the wiring? Is it a socketted plug like a Chevy or non-serviceable? Also, there is some sort of clear plastic connector on the door switch wiring which I don't understand the function of. I notice that the door switches provide a ground for the underdash lights and the lights will not work unless touching the body.
Has anyone else seen something like this? Please don't tell me I have to completely rewire my underdash! Electrical problems are the bane of my existance.
Hmmm, that sounds familiar, but I think everything came on no matter what door you opened. One of these days I'll get the car unburied in the garage and start working on it again. Been super busy with work since last Aug. Taking 2 weeks in July, hope to get a lot of stuff done to the 66. Well, that's the plan. Gary
Yeah, I have solved the problem. I cut away the black tape and traced the wires. The black with white stripe wire from the passenger side goes to a grey/common line (male/female plugs). The black with orange stripe (positive) wire from the two front underdash lights goes to an empty terminal on the fuse panel (female plug). I was expecting the positive line to be hard wired to the fuse panel as shown in the factory wiring diagram. The way it's connected seems like an afterthought. Apparently, sometime in the car's life, someone unhooked the lines for the front lights and re-connected them to the wrong plugs.
