Dome lights stuck on and high beams don't work, plus other misc. issues.

[trout]

Tackling my electrical issues now and looking for some insight as I'm just left scratching my head at this point.

My interior lights are stuck on, I pulled all the jamb switches and made sure nothing was making contact and they stay on, unless I pull the headlight switch all the way out, then they seem to work properly going on when I touch one of the wires from the jamb switches to ground.

While working on this so far I also noticed my high beams don't work. I searched and found threads suggesting I check the switch on the column and the linkage is moving the switch properly and the plug is snug. Low beams work but go off when the lever is pulled. None of the fuses are marked head lamps or high beams. Where are they located?

Also the front side markers are on with the headlight switch pulled 1/2 way, but off when the headlights are turned on. Is this normal?

[BenM]

There's more than one problem. If the switch itself isn't bad, then it was miswired. It's supposed to act as a ground for the dome light just like the door switches when turned, after a little 'notch' you'll feel.

Secondly, the front side marker lights were wired that way in all cars up to around '67 when they changed to the way they are now, by connecting the front lights to the same terminal as the rear and not using the special terminal for the front lights. That also makes me think it's miswired.

Here's a pinout of that switch.

[trout]

Thanks!

Didn't realize the shaft was supposed to spin, took a pair of vice grips to get it over the bump and that took care of the dome lights being stuck on. Definitely need a new switch, but I see they're sold without shafts which I also need, know of a good source?

When I replace the switch I'll check the wiring.


Forgot to include in my original post, I have some mystery wires. Behind the radio was a plug with two 12ga wires, one blue one red. Red seems to be a battery connection and blue ground, but I can't find where they originally went.

Also I have a 4" wire coming directly out of the fuse box with 3 female plugs on the end of it, like a miniature trailer harness, unsure of what this goes to as well.

[vangremlin]

The shaft will pop out of your old switch and you can reuse it if its in good shape.  There is a button on the left hand side (I think), you pull the shaft all the way out, push on the button, and it should pop out.  If its not in good shape, you can generally find them in junkyards, or find an NOS knob and shaft on eBay.  Good luck!

[BenM]

If you've never seen it before, it's a marvel of sandwiching functions and circuits into one knob. Like a three-on-the-tree it was just assumed everyone knew how it worked because it's the way things always worked. Now, not so much.

Someone did a number on your wiring, I think. Can you post pictures of the connectors? Since some were specific I might be able to identify them.

Several accessories plugged into the front of the fuse panel, is that what you're talking about, or does it come from behind?

[trout]

I'll be hitting up a junk yard soon, will have to find one, mine is pretty rounded.

Here are a couple pics. 1st shows the wire I'm talking about plus another loose connection that I hadn't noticed before.

2nd Shows the red and blue wires (I decided to use them for my radio) so I cut the original plug off. Also shows a single wire one I can't figure out. It's not the cigarette lighter, that's off to the right of the pic, it's coming out of the same bundle as the radio wires did.

[BenM]

The connector on the fuse panel is a tap for an accessory, and the three-pin connector on it was used for many years by AMC for attaching power accessories. It's a place for things like a gauge package or power door locks. It's battery power over a fusible link only.

The blue and red wires I don't know for certain, but I'm thinking that they could be for a factory power amp. Regular radio power comes over the three-wire connector which has illumination. That spare connecter in the front with the striped and unstriped wire is an illumination feed as well. It would feed a bulb to indicate the rear wiper and rear defroster switches.

[BenM]

The wire on the top right of the fuse block is from the accessory terminal on the ignition switch. I'm not sure what would plug in there. That's a mystery.

The one on the left by the 15A fuse is for a lighted vanity mirror.

[carnuck]

I think the red/blue is what plugs into the "amp" above my glovebox. The connector with 3 pins is for accessories.

[trout]

Replaced the switch and checked the wiring at the switch. It appears that everything is untouched. However my front parking lamps go off when the headlights come on. And my high beams still aren't working. I'm thinking my high beams might just be a weak battery? I didn't quite have 12v so I'm charging it up and will try them again.

The accessory I had was power door locks, so that's all hooked up now.

[Mernsy]

Make sure the high beams aren't burned out. Also check all the ground wires you can find at the front.

[vangremlin]

Make sure the high beams aren't burned out.

Good point!  There are also high beam filaments in the outside sealed beam units, so if those are coming on when you turn on the high beams, the switch and everything else is working, and the high beam units are burned out.

[BenM]

Make sure the high beams aren't burned out. Also check all the ground wires you can find at the front.

That's a good call. The front lights could be grounding through the headlights, and when there's power to them there's no ground path. Since the headlights have less resistance than the parking lights, the parking lights will glow but the headlights won't. That would also explain no high beams.

I think they all ground to one place. I'd go ahead and put a second ground point in there.

[trout]

Thanks everyone.

Well things are different now that I have the battery charged up a bit more. It seems my high beams are working, all 4 bulbs come on, the outer ones come on normal, and I can see the inner ones glow. It's in the low beam position that all 4 go out.

I'm going to check some grounds as suggested. Also is there a fuse or relay for the headlights?

[carnuck]

Definitely a ground issue. My '84 had the ground wires on the rad support.

[BenM]

Well, technically there is a circuit breaker for the headlights, and a fusible link. The breaker is IN the switch, and every once in a while the breaker goes bad and the only solution is to replace the switch. All the power for the headlights goes through that switch and the high-low switch.