TheAMCForum.com Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > The Garage > Electrical - non engine
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Dome lights and trunk light stay on
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Click for TheAMCForum Rules / Click for PDF version of Forum Rules
Your donations help keep this valuable resource free and growing. Thank you.

Dome lights and trunk light stay on

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
70greenjavelin View Drop Down
AMC Fan
AMC Fan
Avatar

Joined: Jan/23/2021
Location: 44011
Status: Offline
Points: 16
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70greenjavelin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Dome lights and trunk light stay on
    Posted: Apr/11/2021 at 4:33pm
need help with a 70 Javelin please. Just got done installing an HEI and all went well, but a problem arose which I don’t think is related. When I close my doors on the car, the sail panel lights and trunk light will not turn off. I have checked some things at the fuse panel, but need to know if anyone has a quick solution. Getting under that dash is not fun! Thanks
Back to Top
ramblinrev View Drop Down
Moderator Group
Moderator Group
Avatar

Joined: Dec/28/2008
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline
Points: 11472
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ramblinrev Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/11/2021 at 4:48pm
Hmmm. Trunk light is on it's own mercury switch (if factory item), so it should go off.
Dome lights and trunk light are always receiving power. I don't see how they'd be related to your HEI, but something is completing the circuit. Also, do the simple thing and make sure your headlight switch isn't rotated to turn the dome lights on! (That won't explain the trunk light, but would be any easy 'fix' for the dome lights!)
74 Hornet Hatchback X twins (since 1977)
62 American Convertible (still worth the $50 I spent in 1973!) AMCRC #513, AMO #384
70 AMX 360 4-speed (since 1981)
Back to Top
troutwilly View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Sep/14/2007
Location: Carriere, MS
Status: Offline
Points: 991
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote troutwilly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/11/2021 at 10:37pm
Agree with the trunk light having its own "gravity" switch (saying "mercury" these days is now environmentally incorrect, although I bet there's still mercury in there).  But it might be that the car came from the factory without the trunk light and a previous owner added one and wired it to the dome light circuit.  Check that headlight switch.
Bill O.
70 AMX
Back to Top
tomj View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Jan/27/2010
Location: earth
Status: Offline
Points: 7522
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/12/2021 at 1:04am
ALl of the Ramblers I've worked on, the door switch GROUNDS the wire attached to it -- one wire. If there's two wires, it probably switched 12V fed to the lamps. 

If the switch fails, or the connection falls off and touches metal inside the pillar, or it's bent, etc this will happen.

If the press-in type switch, pry it out and keep the switch body from touching the car metal. If the light goes out, that switch was "on".
1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

Back to Top
bigbad69 View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jul/02/2007
Location: Ottawa, Ont.
Status: Offline
Points: 6614
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote bigbad69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/12/2021 at 8:29am
The interior lights and trunk light are not related other than the same power source. Neither are related to ignition, so you have more than one problem.

As already mentioned, the trunk light is actuated by a mercury switch that is integral to the light assembly. It's pretty simple and unlikely to fail unless someone has been messing it. The light should go out just before the trunk lid is closed. If you pull the light assembly, leaving it electrically connected, you should be able to turn the light on and off by rotating it (simulating the movement of the lid) If that works, it's the position of the assembly as it's mounted to the lid. Is there any damage to the inner frame of the lid?

The dome lights are controlled by the door switches and the headlight switch. After verifying the headlight switch is not turned fully counterclockwise, pull both door switches from the body. If the lights stay on, you have a short in the return path. The best place to start is where the harness passes through the body structure behind the kick plates. 50 years of chafing may have exposed the conductor to the body. If pulling the switches turns the lights out, the problem is in one of the switches. Plug them in one at a time to isolate the fault.
69 Javelin SST BBO 390 T10
Back to Top
Steve_P View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar
Charter Member

Joined: Jun/28/2007
Status: Offline
Points: 3760
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve_P Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/12/2021 at 1:33pm
68-70 trunk lights did use mercury in the switch/bulb housing.
Back to Top
Perrybones View Drop Down
AMC Nut
AMC Nut
Avatar

Joined: Oct/05/2008
Location: Freehold NJ
Status: Offline
Points: 275
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perrybones Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/12/2021 at 6:32pm
There is a hokey relationship between the grounding circuit of the door switches the 1/4 lights and the trunk light. These old days wiring schemes are nuts how the grounds are thrown around. I just started having a problem with door switches too. Push in, console lights come on, out, dome lights come on! Anytime you add modern circuits to the "key on" tabs on the fuse block, weird things can happen.

Mysteriously, my problem (70 javelin) started when I installed a new MSD box.
Sometimes just jostling around near that fuse board is treacherous in itself, especially if you try to reach up where the headlight or wiper switch is!

It pays to buy the illustrated color laminated wiring chart (11 x 17). I am not sure where I got it but I am sure someone here has one for sale. You might be able to find it online and print it out. Still crazy to follow, but it is fairly accurate.

Dont feel bad, I am an industrial electrical controls engineer and this crap still drives me crazy. Thank goodness for the PLC! Need to start putting them in muscle cars!
Perry 70 Javelin SST 390, 69 AMX 343, 73 AMX 360, 67 Rebel SST Conv and 92 Corvette Conv. (modern muscle to keep wife happy).
Back to Top
george w View Drop Down
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Supporter of TheAMCForum
Avatar

Joined: Jan/27/2013
Location: New Jersey
Status: Offline
Points: 2899
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote george w Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/12/2021 at 7:20pm
The drivers door switch on most 70 models was different than the earlier models. The 70 switch was a different design with two grounding contacts. One to ground the dome light and one for the key in buzzer.

And double check that headlight switch to make sure the knob is not turned fully ccw past the detent like ramblinrev said.
Long time AMC fan. Ambassador 343, AMX 390, Hornet 360, Spirit 304 and Javelin 390. All but javelin bought new.
Back to Top
70greenjavelin View Drop Down
AMC Fan
AMC Fan
Avatar

Joined: Jan/23/2021
Location: 44011
Status: Offline
Points: 16
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 70greenjavelin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/13/2021 at 9:53pm
Update: First thank you for the replies, it narrowed my search. I replaced the driver door switch and it solved the problem. Then I noticed the battery kept draining. I did the open circuit test, which took forever, and found the glove box light switch was bad. Knowing how to use a multi-meter is a big help! Thanks again, this sight is a big help thanks to all who have the passion for keeping AMC going!
Back to Top
tomj View Drop Down
AMC Addicted
AMC Addicted
Avatar

Joined: Jan/27/2010
Location: earth
Status: Offline
Points: 7522
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomj Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr/13/2021 at 10:26pm
Congrats on keeping Gremlin only a car model.

1960 Rambler Super two-door wagon, OHV auto
1961 Roadster American, 195.6 OHV, T5
http://www.ramblerLore.com

Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.234 seconds.
All content of this site Copyright © 2018 TheAMCForum unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved.
PROBLEMS LOGGING IN or REGISTERING:
If you have problems logging in or registering, then please contact a Moderator or