Lack of Courtesy

[rodo]

Why is it that the smallest jobs are the ones most rife with problems? Right, putting my console back in, wire up the courtesy light...yeah, but no. The schematic sort of helps. I wire it up that way and it will function with the door switch, but not with door off and lamp switched on; I wire it up differently, swap wires, and I can get the lamp to work with the switch but not door switch. So...doesn't that mean the wiring is good, hot is hot and door switch is door switch and ground is ground. What am I missing here?

Occurs to me, b/c I've never had this car operating since I've owned it, that maybe I am missing something about how the courtesy light functions. I assumed it would turn on w/o the key, since it does so with the door switch. But maybe...the key needs to be in, turned on? Just a thought.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Rodo, maybe I ain't got no courtesy (lights), but I will give you some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Sing it, Aretha!

OK, back to Fiat electrical issues (sigh....). It sounds like you have the switch wired wrong. At least on the earlier Fiats I have, there should be a +12V connection to the courtesy light, and the negative side for the light is provided by a ground through either the door switches or the switch on the courtesy light itself. The +12V should be present at all times (assuming the fuse is OK) and is not controlled by the ignition switch. So, I'd check to make sure you have +12V on one of those wires, and the other two should provide a ground when either the door switch is closed (doors opened) or the switch on the courtesy light is switched on. From there, you have to stare at the courtesy light to figure out which wire goes to which terminal on the courtesy light switch.

-Bryan

[gschwab]

Not sure this will help, but I had a similar issue. The courtesy light would only work with the switch OR with the door switches.
Turns out there is supposed to be a spring loaded little ball at the contact end of the switch in the light. The switch piece should contact one of the two contacts in the switch, connecting them to the contact that goes directly to the bulb. Mine was missing the spring and ball, therefore it would only contact one of them...
Good luck!

[RRoller123]

I bought a courtesy light from one of the suppliers here, and it came with a 6VDC bulb...... Check that too. Easy.

[rodo]

Thanks all. Turns out it was a combo-meal of things: it was not wired up correctly. I started messing with the various combos and could not get past either/or, door or switch. Seemed that one side of the lamp fixture was not working. Took it out and had a look: the wee ball was not touching the contact on one side by about a hair's breadth. Bent it just a bit. Went back to car. Messed about with wires and got it!

Great...now I just need to install the upper console (after I already wrestled in the lower).

Sigh.

[rodo]

[quote="rodo"]Thanks all. Turns out it was a combo-meal of things: it was not wired up correctly. I started messing with the various combos and could not get past either/or, door or switch. Seemed that one side of the lamp fixture was not working. Took it out and had a look: the wee ball was not touching the contact on one side by about a hair's breadth. Bent it just a bit. Went back to car. Messed about with wires and got it!

Great...now I just need to install the upper console (after I already wrestled in the lower).

Update: upper in. tough job, it seemed, as everything is so warped. But it just...shoves on back in there. Courtesy light still works!