map light problems/questions

[wyd_opn]

Please help!! This problem is keeping me from finishing my car. I’m installing a map light harness into a 71 duster that did not have the light package. Have the map light, ashtray light, and glove box light. I don't have an ignition light. All wires are connected except a yellow wire that ends on the far left and middle of the harness and a pink wire that ends on the far right of the harness with a male connection and an L- shaped female.


Ashtray light works when headlight switch is on – OK.

With the glove box light housing grounded and map switch on – glove box light works. When either door is opened, the gb light goes out. Map light and dome light do not work.

I don’t think this is the right thing to do, but when I ground the L-shaped female pink wire, and map switch on – the map light and dome light are dim. Open either door and the map light goes out and dome brightens. GB light does not work.

Not sure if this is relevant, but the entire instrument cluster is out of the car and the map light harness is just laying in the dash while I test. Also, the two yellow wire connection in the center of the harness connects to the main wiring harness in the dash of which one of the connections is always hot. The yellow wire from the hot side goes to the map light switch.

An ideas? Thanks.

 

[7demon2]

this is a great thread. i too did this on my car. i too had trouble. i think the wire on the far right with the male end its for the glovebox light. the l shaped female wire is for the ash tray light of lighter. i forget. the long yellow wire is for the ignition light which i don't have. i got all of it working but the maplight. i can't get mine to work either. switch or no switch. i was glad i got the rest of it working. i just left the rest of the wires tucked up uder thedash untl i could figure what i need to do to fix it as well. i think it is a ground issue....the switch needs a good ground to make it all work right. i hope someone else can answer this as well...

 

[wyd_opn]

I agree that it might be a ground issue. Everything going through the map light itself is hot. Yet there is no way to ground the map light like you can ground the glove box light housing to the dash frame to make it work.

Maybe someone can shed some light on how the map light switch is supposed to work. For instance, is it supposed to turn the dome light on? Is the glove box light supposed to work only when the map light switch is on, or should the GB light be hot at all times? What is the purpose of the aluminum condenser looking cylinder? I bypassed it, but nothing changed. When you open a door, should the map light come on? The way the map light is designed, current will not flow to the GB light unless a bulb is in the map light. So current is definitely flowing through the map light, but what it is lacking is a ground.

 

[Longgone]

Wide Open, check out this schematic ,it may help you iron out your electrical issue. HTH.

 

[wyd_opn]

It works! :thumbup: It was not a ground problem, but a hot wire problem. My oversight was not running the cigar lighter wire through the pink wires on the map light harness. This appears to be the source of positive current to the map light harness. It went something like this - unplug the existing red (hot)wire from the cigar ligher and plug the pink male from the map light harness into the red wire female. Finally plug the pink female L-shaped connection to the cigar lighter. Thanks longgone and 7demon2!

 

[7demon2]

good pic longgone. now maybe i can get my maplight to work also

 

[gremlin]

The little aluminum cylinder is a timer for the ignition light. I just got back from pick-a-junk. They had a 72 Valliant out there. I pulled the harness headlight to tail light. All I wanted was the lighting package but I just couldn't pass up an excellent harness. :toothy7:

 

[Longgone]

It works! :thumbup: It was not a ground problem, but a hot wire problem. My oversight was not running the cigar lighter wire through the pink wires on the map light harness. This appears to be the source of positive current to the map light harness. It went something like this - unplug the existing red (hot)wire from the cigar ligher and plug the pink male from the map light harness into the red wire female. Finally plug the pink female L-shaped connection to the cigar lighter. Thanks longgone and 7demon2!

You`re welcome Wyd, mine already had the map light in it, but I know what you`re referring to where the wire is tied into the cigarette lighter. Glad I could help out.

 

[Longgone]

good pic longgone. now maybe i can get my maplight to work also

The $60.00 I spent on that service manual, was the BEST $60.00 I`ve spent on my car, period. I hope it helps you too!

 

[wyd_opn]

restored factory tach, CV platers restored bezel, factory am/fm, rear speaker fader, factory tuff wheel - and now a map light to show it all off... :headbang:

 

[DusterRookie]

It works! :thumbup: It was not a ground problem, but a hot wire problem. My oversight was not running the cigar lighter wire through the pink wires on the map light harness. This appears to be the source of positive current to the map light harness. It went something like this - unplug the existing red (hot)wire from the cigar ligher and plug the pink male from the map light harness into the red wire female. Finally plug the pink female L-shaped connection to the cigar lighter. Thanks longgone and 7demon2!

Thanks to all who participated in this thread. I was able to get my map light working correctly from the information y’all posted. I was not aware of the need to plug the map light harness into the cigar lighter and the cigar lighter into the “extra” bullet plug on the pink wire.