Dome Light won't come on

[oboymt]

I am working on a 71 F250 Hiboy that I am having wiring problems on. The dome light won't come on. I have checked and replaced the fuses in the panel, the bulbs, the headlamp switch and the door jam switches. The headlight high and low beams work great. The dome light will not come on at all. Not even from the headlight switch (courtesy). Any ideas on what I may be missing would be greatly appreciated!

oboymt 71' F250 HiBoy

[towtruckerfour]

If you have a voltmeter, try testing to see if you have power to the domelight and make sure you have good ground.

[fordamericana]

I am working on a 71 F250 Hiboy that I am having wiring problems on. The dome light won't come on. I have checked and replaced the fuses in the panel, the bulbs, the headlamp switch and the door jam switches. The headlight high and low beams work great. The dome light will not come on at all. Not even from the headlight switch (courtesy). Any ideas on what I may be missing would be greatly appreciated!

oboymt 71' F250 HiBoy

Try isolating your dome light fuse and see if there is power out of it, then move on to the light switch, see if there is power in, and then power out, next remove the dome light and see if there is power at the wire, then check the fixture and so on.

Maybe this diagram will help you out.

[oboymt]

Hi, thanks for the help! I check the fuse panel and bingo! No continuity on the fuse panel for the dome light circuit. Does this generally indicate a new fuse panel is needed? Or that there is just a break somewhere in the circuit? I don't mean to sound like a complete electrical newbie, but I am!!! Thanks in advance!

oboymt 71 F250 HiBoy

[fordman]

i have seen the wires break off the back of the fuse box and not provide power to certain circuts. i think you might be looking for the blue wire with red stripe. i cant read the front of this fuse box i have sitting here. even with reading glasses on. we are talking about the small fuse right? if so then the wire colors are right.

[oboymt]

The fuse for the dome light/lighter is not the small fuse, but the bottom left fuse (15A). When I run a voltmeter on in, all the other circuits show continuity, just not that one. The dome light/lighter fuse wire is green w/yellow stripe. I am going to remove the fuse panel and check the wiring to make sure it isnt snapped off. Thank you, much appreciated!

oboymt 71 F250 HiBoy

[fordman]

if the brak elights work then there is power to that fuse. the power coems in and goes to both bottom fuses. so it has to be dirt in there some how not providing power to that fuse.

[70_F100]

Sounds like a blown fuse, since you say there is no continuity.

[oboymt]

I was able to get the dome light/lighter circuit checking o.k. on the continuity tester. Brake lights come on. Of course, it didn't help the dome light out. Replaced the fuses, bulbs, etc. again. Nada. The wire to the lighter from the fuse panel is not attached to the lighter, which needs replacing because it is corroded inside. This doesn't break the entire circuit, does it? I am stretching and running out of ideas!

[fordman]

the lighter doesnt have to be hooked up. mayeb the fuse holder is getting a bad connection behind that rivet in the picture above.

[oboymt]

I cut the boot off the wire on the fuse panel to get a look. The wire is attached to the terminal, but the terminal wiggles back and forth. The back of the terminal is the fuse holder. Can this be tightened, or does the fuse panel need to be replaced? I can't see anyway to tighten it. Would this cause the dome light to not come on, at all? Not a flicker.

[oboymt]

Here is where I stand: I have cleaned the fuse holder and contact terminals and checked for connections. All the connections are there. The dome light fuse holder wire wiggles a little in the terminal, but is completely connected. I replaced all the fuses. I checked the wire from the dome light to the headlight switch (new) & to the jam switches (both new). I checked the fuse circuit from the jam switches to the headlight switch to the fuse panel. All seem to be connected properly. I replaced the bulb, a few times. There is power at the fuse panel, the brake lights work fine. One of the jam switches appears to not be getting power to it, so I followed it (black-blue stripe) until it split at a bullet connector. This appears in good shape too. One wire goes to the headlight switch, the other to the dome light. There is an out wire to the other door jam switch from the headlight switch. This is all I know, I am completely stumped. Any other ideas?

[fordman]

if the rivet is loose that is the problem. if the fuse holder and the whole flat bar wiggle inside the plastic thats not a problem. but if the fuse holder is loose from the bar via that rivet. the rivet needs to be pinged or something to tighten it up.

[oboymt]

I finally got it to work, holy snikies! The left jam switch is good, the socket is not. That was the problem! Thank you for all your help Fordman, much appreciated!