dome light wiring diagram

[steve fritz]

Couple questions on the basic wiring diagram for a dome light install on a 1965 Ford pick up truck. First off , on the door switches , do we need to source switches that are grounded to the door post, or should they be an insulated switch ? The original door switches are long gone , so not sure on that.
Next, does the power source originate from the light switch or the ignition switch ? We would want full time power so the dome light comes on before the car is started.
Maybe a schematic from the 60's Ford car or truck would show these details, if someone can post that , we would really appreciate it.

[dmsfrr]

There are no '65 trucks on the list at this link but there are several '65 cars.
After glancing at these they all seemed to have door switches that power passes thru, then to the dome light bulb and grounding at the dome light fixture.
Power comes from the headlight switch, most likely an 'always on' terminal connected thru an internal thermal circuit breaker.

http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/t.../fordindex.htm

[koolkatt]

My '62 has the ground at the dome lamp its self. That would mean that you would run 12v power from the ignition switch through your door switches to the lamp.
However; If I had to add door switches to my truck to have the dome lamp when the doors open, I would add another lamp to the dome lamp that has power at all times and run the ground through the door switches.
Why you may ask?
Because ground side switching makes for less arch than positive side switching.
Case in point, check one of the light switches in your house. When you turn on the light you may see a fairly large arch (120 volt not withstanding). Most car companies use ground side switching to minimize arch to make their switches last longer. By the way, door switches are available for your truck. Check the venders.
Good luck.
PS house wiring generally uses positive side switching so there is a much less chance of getting a accidental poke.

[Ford blue blood]

The door jamb switches are as common as dirt for many years of Fords. Check with NAPA for the switch. I found two styles, one is a round hole with two slots to take a round switch with spring clips to hold it in and the other had a large screw in type mount.

Either way, on both the power goes through the switch to the dome light. Power is fed off the back of the headlight switch through a short 5 amp fuse. The lead off the dash dimmer to turn on the dome light with the doors closed goes to the "switched" side of the dome light circuit. Hope this helps.

[fordor41]

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If you use the round hole with two slots to take a round switch with spring clips, an electricans knock out punch(1/2") is just the correct size for that style switch. check Ebay