65-66 Chrysler Map Light circuit strangeness

[darth_linux]

66 Chrysler Newport 2 door hardtop

Just yesterday I repaired the completely ripped apart map light wiring and got the map light working again, but I'm not sure it's behaving as intended. Here's what it does:

OPEN EITHER DOOR: map light and c-pillar courtesy lights turn on (map light switch is OFF)
TURN HEADLAMP SWITCH FULL LEFT: map and c-pillar courtesy lights turn on (map light switch is OFF)
TURN MAP LIGHT SWITCH "ON": c-pillar courtesy lights turn on, map light does NOT turn on

It seems like the map light switch itself is bad, but stills flows current to the bulb when the door jamb and/or headlamp switch sends current. But if it's bad, how does it trigger the C-pillar lights to come on but not that map light itself? It makes no sense to me . . .

What say you all? Or is this the designed behavior of the map light?

You can see photos in post #43 of this post ('66 Newport 2 Door hardtop) the map light is on while the switch is off because the door was open, but in the following picture the light is off while the map light switch is ON.

 

[CBODY67]

Everything is normal, except the last item. The map light "switch on" should only light the map light, not the other interior lights mentioned. Maybe a crossed wire or something?

 

[darth_linux]

Everything is normal, except the last item. The map light "switch on" should only light the map light, not the other interior lights mentioned. Maybe a crossed wire or something?

Yeah I guess . . . there were only 2 terminals and both had yellow wires going to them but were torn off. I looked at the wiring diagram but couldn't determine the proper orientation as the switch has 3 bungs but only 2 had a wire, both the same color. So I just guessed.

I supposed I'll unsolder, swap locations and resolder . . . thanks for the tip!

 

[darth_linux]

Everything is normal, except the last item. The map light "switch on" should only light the map light, not the other interior lights mentioned. Maybe a crossed wire or something?

yep, just looked at the FSM instead of my one-page quick and dirty wiring diagram and indeed I have the two wires reversed. The FSM showed the 3 terminals in correct orientation whereas the cheap diagram did not. Not using that thing anymore . . . time to bust out the soldering iron, again.

 

[darth_linux]

Swapping the wires fixed it!

 

[Atony]

Swapping the wires fixed it!

View attachment 587064

View attachment 587065

Any chance I could get a picture of the inside if that switch? Went to remove the light fixture and the back panel where the 2 yellow wires are attached decided to stay with the car, inside of the switch there was a small spring and something else but I haven't been able to find it, and could probably fabricate something else to work if I knew what it looked like.

 

[darth_linux]

Any chance I could get a picture of the inside if that switch? Went to remove the light fixture and the back panel where the 2 yellow wires are attached decided to stay with the car, inside of the switch there was a small spring and something else but I haven't been able to find it, and could probably fabricate something else to work if I knew what it looked like.

Did you look at the photos on post 43 of this link? Those are the only photos I took. '66 Newport 2 Door hardtop

 

[Atony]

Did you look at the photos on post 43 of this link? Those are the only photos I took. '66 Newport 2 Door hardtop

Yeah, looks like I'll be waiting for someone to pull theirs all the way apart or ordering one I found for around 100 bucks, thanks for all the info you've posted anyway, gonna have to use your forum on the rear quarter windows and some intuition to hopefully get mine to roll up properly, they're sitting too far forward now so my fronts are always open just a bit, but I'm really not excited to take on that headache

 

[CBODY67]

Yeah, looks like I'll be waiting for someone to pull theirs all the way apart or ordering one I found for around 100 bucks, thanks for all the info you've posted anyway, gonna have to use your forum on the rear quarter windows and some intuition to hopefully get mine to roll up properly, they're sitting too far forward now so my fronts are always open just a bit, but I'm really not excited to take on that headache

The map light switches were simple switches, but non-user-serviceable. Really wasn't all that much reason for them to fail, as they were seldom used.

Back when our '66 Town Sedan was a "used car", I noticed that the map light lens cracked. I ordered a new one from the local dealer's parts dept. The original one had cracked at one edge when tightened. The second one did the same thing. Ordered a third one and took note to only snug it down! It's still there.

ONE thing I did back then was to use the card in the back of the owner's manual to order a Chrysler factory service manual. You can download one at www.mymopar.com , for free.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67