kreed Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Took my 64,Riviera out yesterday for about a 100 mile round trip . All going well until trip home when ALL of my interior courtesy lights suddenly came on ( sail panels, console and glove box) and would not go off even after stopping and turning the ignition off. Had to disconnect the battery . Tried rotating the light switch which should only control the dash and then turning the accessory switch on and off below the dash cover . Is this a ground problem ? Door switch problem ? Should I pull the panel with the accessory switch ? Electrical problems quickly go over my pay grade . Thanks KReed ROA 14549 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Ken, The only place all three circuits come together is at the door jamb switches. Try pulling the switches out of the body to see if the lights go off. Make sure you have the manual switches in the off position. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 When the door jamb switch plunger pops out, it grounds the three wires completing the circuit. Chances are a jamb switch is being grounded so your lights are staying on. Gord Wolfgang has the parts and know how to rebuild your jamb switches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 Thanks all - will give a try . KReed ROA 14549 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC1968Riviera Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Maybe a door jamb switch wire came off one of the switches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 All three wires would have to come off for all the lights to come on. One wire controls the sail panel and console lights, one wire controls the light above the glove box, and the third wire controls the light at the end of the console. With the doors closed, the light switch controls the sail panel and console lights, and the rear console light and light above the glove box each have a dedicated switch. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 Ok here's where I am at : 1. Made sure all lights were off - both dash and accessory - doors closed - wiggled them both - interior lights ALL stay on 2. Pulled both door jamb lights out of the body - nothing changes from above 3. Disconnected single wire from both door jamb switches - nothing changes from above 4. Unwrapped tape off both door jamb switches to make sure there wires all connected to jamb wire - they are . Rewrapped three lead in wires Next steps ? To Wolfgang to redo jamb switches ?... Sorry to be such a dumba... on this issue - just puzzling why it was working when I left town , flickered a few times and then they all stay on Ken Reed ROA 14549 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msdminc Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Ken those unfortunately are aftermarket switches or at least the one in the picture is.. I can rebuild just about anything from a stock original switch, but I cannot rebuild the aftermarket switches. I am sure that is your problem those are typically junk. If you can get a rebuildable core, I can typically work miracles and send back a working switch (or two). You may be able to find some cores out there. I rebuild them for $15 per switch. Sorry about the bad news. Rock On gord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Ken, When I see creative repairs like this there is no telling what someone may have done elsewhere....but here goes...those are not factory switches. The factory switches have each of the 3 wires connected to the switches individually and not wrapped together. The reason the 3 wires need to be separated is because when connected each of the manual switches would turn on all 3 circuits and not just the single circuit they are designed to illuminate. Technically, the way you are wired now, if all switches were OK, the lights should not stay on but with the 3 wires connected any ground anywhere in the 3 circuits would keep the lights on. I would separate each of the 3 wires at each door jamb switch and isolate the circuits. This will narrow down which one of the three circuits is providing a ground and illuminating ALL the lights. The circuits break down as follows: The first circuit provides a ground and illuminates the sail panel lights. The second circuit illuminates the rear console light. And the third circuit illuminates the glove box lamp and side console lights. When you isolate the 3 wires at the door jamb switches you should be able to control each of the circuits by touching a selected wire to ground. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KongaMan Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) Concur with Gord. The most likely culprit is a fubared switch. IMHO, replace them both with the correct part. Dunno if the rebuilds come with the rubber caps, but you'll also want to score a couple of those if they don't. To check, disconnect the splice at one switch (with the other door closed) and see if the lights go out. If the lights go out, there's your problem. If they stay on, disconnect the splice at the other switch. If they're still on, it's not a switch. Edited October 22, 2018 by KongaMan (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 33 minutes ago, kreed said: Ok here's where I am at : 1. Made sure all lights were off - both dash and accessory - doors closed - wiggled them both - interior lights ALL stay on 2. Pulled both door jamb lights out of the body - nothing changes from above 3. Disconnected single wire from both door jamb switches - nothing changes from above 4. Unwrapped tape off both door jamb switches to make sure there wires all connected to jamb wire - they are . Rewrapped three lead in wires Next steps ? To Wolfgang to redo jamb switches ?... Sorry to be such a dumba... on this issue - just puzzling why it was working when I left town , flickered a few times and then they all stay on Ken Reed ROA 14549 Ken, Also noticed you did not make a reference to the manual switch at the rear of the console??? Make sure that switch is not "on" as because the way your door jamb switches are wired all three circuits are tied together and any manual switch will illuminate all the courtesy lights. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 It's happened to others before. If someone was in the rear seat and their foot happed to flip the switch when they got out, all of the lights would come on because of the way it's wired now. Same could go for the glove box light but that would have to be something done purposely. Put the jamb switch, even though it's not OEM, back in and check to see that your headlight switch is not in the full on position so that the instrument panel lights are not full brightness, the glove box door switch is not one, and the rear light in the console light switch is not on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreed Posted October 24, 2018 Author Share Posted October 24, 2018 Problem solved - cleaned the junk aftermarket switches and all working ( at least til in the morning ). Got an original pair on the way. Thanks for everyone's help KReed ROA 14549 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1965rivgs Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 40 minutes ago, kreed said: Problem solved - cleaned the junk aftermarket switches and all working ( at least til in the morning ). Got an original pair on the way. Thanks for everyone's help KReed ROA 14549 Queer that the circuits found a good ground when the switches were removed from the body/disconnected and all the manual switches were off?? But... sometimes voltage will seek out ground in unanticipated pathways. Good to hear it was relatively painless, Tom 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Merlis Posted April 26, 2019 Share Posted April 26, 2019 Hi I have some doorjam switchedsI need rebuilt. How can I contact you. Your phone number you have posted in the "Riview" is Disconnected. Richie ROA#414 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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