1937 Dome light issues

[chris piazza]

Howdy. I;m having a spot of trouble with my dome light. I can get it to glow, but can't get it to shut off from the interior witch. The parts, I'm guessing, are good but spent most of this morning dicking with the wires. The switch doesn't work with it wired correctly, but if I put the ground and the hot wires to the same point on the switch, the light glows, but when I hit the switch nothing, still lit. Any thoughts??

[Bloo]

More information is needed.

 

Most dome lights switch on the ground side. If there's more than one switch, it almost has to be this way. That means both bulb contacts have to float (not be grounded). On a single contact bulb, the socket is the second terminal.

 

It could have a single contact bulb and have a floated socket (probably) or it could have 2 contacts in the socket and a special 2-contact dome light bulb. It is probably not a 2-contact bulb in 1937, but check to be sure.

 

Either way, make sure the bulb matches the number of contacts in the bottom of the socket. If there are 2 contacts in the bottom of the socket (there are probably not), make absolutely sure you have a 2-contact dome light bulb and not some other 2 contact bulb.

 

Typical dome light wiring (check and see if yours is like this):

 

6 Volts >> Bulb (probably on the center contact if it is a single contact bulb).

 

and then...

 

Bulb (one contact, probably the socket of a single contact bulb)  >>  Switch >> Ground

                                                                                                                \ Another switch  >> Ground

                                                                                                                 \Another switch  >> Ground    

.... and so on, for as many switches as you have.

 

If it is wired like that, the above could be enough to figure it out. Otherwise, you might need to post some pictures of the bulb, the socket, inside the socket, the switch (switches?) and so on.

 

Edited June 4, 2023 by Bloo (see edit history)

[chris piazza]

Thanks. Back at it tomorrow