Help more vacuum routing and square to round headlight conversion

[Big Jim F150]

Try replacing your door jamb switches for your dome light, I had to replace the switches in mine, they both were bad, more than likely you have the original switches in there, replacing the both switches should solve your dome light problem, that's where I had found my problem, and also check for loose connections as well, my switches went bad on the drivers side first, then later on the passenger side later, so I knew it was switches in my case, hopefully this is helpful to you. You can get the switches at any auto parts store.

 

[mofoco1]

will the door jam switch affect the dome light if the doors are closed though?

 

[Mil1ion]

Yes because they break in the closed circuit position.

Closing the door causes the switch contacts to separate and turns the light off.
If the spring inside the switch breaks,the contacts won't separate ,they will stay connected keeping power going to the dome light.

 

[montana_highboy]

Yes because they break in the closed circuit position.

Closing the door causes the switch contacts to separate and turns the light off.
If the spring inside the switch breaks,the contacts won't separate ,they will stay connected keeping power going to the dome light.

I just got banned from FT* for bringing up your name....

 

[mofoco1]

Without removing the door switches is there a way to bypass them to see if all else is well. The 73 I have has bad switches stuck in the closed position, and the maplight lights when I use the dimmer switch to turn on manually. The 79s wont do that. Any thoughts

 

[Big Jim F150]

Also check your headlight switch too because you can turn the dome light off and on by turning the knob while the doors are closed, when the door switches went on my truck, the dome light, wouldn't turn on when I had opened the door, so the door switches can effect the dome light operation by either the the light staying on while the door is closed, or it won't turn on while the door is open.
Hopefully this will help you.

 

[mofoco1]

Thanks guys, that answers that. One more on the subject. I under stand tha the switch can affect the domelight under pretty much any circumstances. With that said, has anyone had a bad switch, with the spring not broken, as both of mine spring back freely and push in and out on their own , they do not hang up at all. Connections look good. Can I stick the wire on the switch and get a + or not? lights or key I assume have to be on if I stick the tester on it?

 

[Big Jim F150]

Mofoco1,

Both of my switches went bad and they moved rather freely in and out on their own and didn't stick at all, the switches are rather reasonably priced, a pair of switches is between $15 and $25 for the pair at any auto parts store. Give it a shot that just may solve your problem. Hopefully this will help you.

 

[mofoco1]

Jim that did. Before buying I assume I can remove switches and hotwire to see if they are the culprits right?

 

[Big Jim F150]

You might try to hotwire to see if it is the switches, but what I had done on my 78 F-150 before I had replaced my switches, I had checked my bulb, fuse, and my grounds, and then I had concluded that I needed switches, for mine were the original Ford parts, and they were 35 years old when I replaced them, I had replaced them one side at a time I had removed the old one and I just plugged in the new switch and then I had seen my dome light come on, and then I did the same thing on the other side, it would be rather hard to hotwire to see if it is the switches, for they're a three prong plug on them, also check the nuts that screw into the door jamb to see if they had been painted over, for your truck had been repainted once, like mine has been, it's possible to have gotten some microscopic paint particles in the switches, my thoughts are just replace your switches for they also wear out after 35 to 36 years of use. Hope this helps you and others with the same problem, by the way you don't have to have the key for the dome light to work, it should just turn on when a door is opened.

 

[Mil1ion]

Grab the bulb and run a black and red wire from a battery to it.
Attach them to both ends of the bulb and see if it lights up.

 

[mofoco1]

Mil1ion I got a new LED and testeds that as well

 

[mofoco1]

Found my rect. to round buckets for my conversion.

Fellow member wanted to do just the opposite go from round to rectangular and so we swapped $16 later we have what each wanted!!!! I cleaned them up tonight and painted them up, gonna install tomorrow!