Dome Light Operation

[maurice wade]

I am kind of in the dark on this so I thought maybe someone could shed some light on the correct operation of the dome light on a 47 coupe (P-15). The dome light will come on when the passenger door is opened. I noticed their is no switch on the drivers side door. I use the switch on the inside door post, but it has no effect on the light. What does the switch do? Is it a on-off for the passenger door, or is it supposed to turn on for the driver. I wonder why the driver side door does not have a switch for the dome light. Thanks for any input. Maurice

[greg g]

your pillar switch is probably suffering from corroded contacts, work it a few times or pull it and clean it up. Probably didn't want you to kill your night vision when you opened the door.

[BobT-47P15]

Maybe the reason for the pillar switch on the passenger side only kind

of relates to the fact that some cars only had an exterior door lock on the passenger door.....so

a person could lock it from the curb.

I guess the driver was supposed to slide over and exit from the

right door.....for safety from passing traffic.

[dezeldoc]

Maybe the reason for the pillar switch on the passenger side only kind

of relates to the fact that some cars only had an exterior door lock on the passenger door.....so

a person could lock it from the curb.

I guess the driver was supposed to slide over and exit from the

right door.....for safety from passing traffic.

This is right! back in the day it was illegal to exit or enter from the driver(street) side door hence the lock and switch on the passenger side only.

[Frank Elder]

D-24 pillar switch is on the drivers side. Just one more difference between Dodge and Plymouth designs.

FRANKIE47

[Don Coatney]

D-24 pillar switch is on the drivers side. Just one more difference between Dodge and Plymouth designs.

FRANKIE47

On my 48 P-15 the pillar switch is on the drivers side.

[greg g]

my biz coupe switch is pass side.

[oldmopar]

If you should need the door button switch NAPA has them

ECHDJ6082 - 1 wire grounded switch

ECHDJ6081 - 2 wire insulated switch

[Frank Elder]

This is like the antenna thread, did they put them in where the mechanic on the line preferred or did they just have different wire looms at different plants? Or did it change from model to model or year to year?

Frankie

[Don Coatney]

This is like the antenna thread, did they put them in where the mechanic on the line preferred or did they just have different wire looms at different plants? Or did it change from model to model or year to year?

Frankie

Good question. Answer may be all of the above. Having recently removed my headliner I find all of the wiring going to the rear of my car traveles down the drivers side above the headliner. However there are matching loom clips on the passanger side so it looks like running the wires down the passanger side may have been an option. Those with the switch on there passanger door post may need to chime in stating what side of the car the rear wiring loom runs.

Another possibility may be the difference between a 2 and 4 door car. Where is the rear wiring loom on a convertable located?

[Norm's Coupe]

Just to complicate things more as to what Don found. When I removed the headliner in my club coupe, there are no wires at all on the passengers side, except to the dome light door switch that comes on when the door is opened. No other wires for a switch on the post. My dome light switch is on the drivers side.

[daddyo23]

I haven't looked in the headliner but I have the dome switch on the driver's side and the light comes on when the passenger door is opened. It has the "pop-out button". I have a '48 4-door. Wayne P.

[Don Coatney]

My dome light switch is on the drivers side.

So we have a dome light switch on the drivers side on a couple of 4 door cars and a couple of coupes. And a dome light switch on the passanger side on a business coupe. Any other reports?

I haven't looked in the headliner but I have the dome switch on the driver's side and the light comes on when the passenger door is opened. It has the "pop-out button". I have a '48 4-door. Wayne P.

I also have the "pop-out button" on the passanger side front door and no such button on the drivers door or the back doors.

[Frank Elder]

Both my 46 desoto coupe and 47 dodge coupe, 48 dodge more door have LEFT side switches an looms to the trunk.

Frankie

PS Sorry the other right side!

[Frank Elder]

Also no pop-out button on drivers side! Tim....OH TIM, does your town sedan have extra pop-out buttons on the other 3 doors? It has different options than the rest it seems. Fred how about chryslers?

Frankie

[martybose]

My 47 Business Coupe has a right door switch, a left side pillar slide switch, and the harness runs on the left side of the headliner.

Marty

[40phil41]

FWIW, on my '40 Dodge 4 dr. the interior light switch is on the Pass. side door post. The main wire loom runs down the drivers side headliner clips whereas the interior light and switch wires run down the Pass. side headliner clips.

Phil

[Frank Elder]

FWIW? Did you mean FYI for your information or is this a term on the internet?

Frankie

[Norm's Coupe]

FWIW? Did you mean FYI for your information or is this a term on the internet?

Frankie

FWIW means "For what it's worth".

Guess I should have added that I have the buttons for the dome light on both doors. Don't think those are original though. There are two different types. One is like a rocker switch and the other is just the standard post pop out type. They were on the car when I bought it. The one on the passenger side is the post pop out button. The buttons also turn the under dash courtesy light on and off when the door is opened or closed.

[Norm's Coupe]

Someone mentioned that it "USED" to be illegal to get out of the car on the drivers side. For everyone's information it STILL is illegal to get out of the car on the side that the traffic flows in the street. They just don't enforce that law unless there is some type of problem, such as when there is a accident involved.

I found out about that law being still on the books some years back when one of our salesman got his company car hit when he was getting out of it. He had parked on the street at a customers plant and just opened the door a little, and some elderly woman hit it. She was on her way back home from the eye doctor, but..........our salesman got the ticket and our insurance had to pay the damages on both cars. I called the police department myself about that ticket and was informed about the existence of that law. They said at the time, the only time the law is enforced is when something like this happens.

No one was hurt in that accident. Luckily he was still in his seat when it happened. You could tell the door was just opened a couple of inches because she hit the door edge. If she had been much closer to his car she would have sideswiped him.

[maurice wade]

I have a door lock on the left and right side of the car. I don't know, it just makes no sence to me, why both doors would not have door lights. Maurice

[Don Coatney]

I have a door lock on the left and right side of the car. I don't know, it just makes no sence to me, why both doors would not have door lights. Maurice

I also have keyed door locks on both front doors on my 1948 P-15 4 door.

[oldmopar]

I have a door lock on the left and right side of the car. I don't know, it just makes no sence to me, why both doors would not have door lights. Maurice

It does make sense to have it on both door. If you drive a lot at night you should think about adding one to the other door should be a one day or less project

Ed

[BobT-47P15]

My 47 convertible came with locks on both doors, but NO dome or courtesy

light. I think the harness to the rear runs along the floor on the drivers

side. I made my own courtesy light by hanging a bulb up under the dash,

turned on by a toggle switch above the emergency brake handle. However,

a person could invent a light operated by the door pillar buttons. Haven't

found that to be a high priority item over the past 30 years.

I think John T over in southeast MO has an interior courtesy light

setup on his convert. John......are ya out there??????

[steveplym]

My '47 4-door has a passenger door dome light switch and the pillar switch. There is not indication on the drivers side that there ever was a switch there, just on the passenger side.

I haven't had my headliner out as I was a baby when the interior on this car was put in. So I don't know how the wiring is run.