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Posted

1st Question:  Where can I buy this door switch?  Mine is busted.  This is for my drivers door. 

 

So I looked in my parts book and I think this is the switch?...

 

From mopar 1950 passenger car parts list D-13325

Plate dome lamp switch p 103 Part type code 8-05-20 part no. 901 846 

 

Here are the pictures of the switch.  I actually took it apart and there are several broken pieces.  So time for a replacement. 

 

Where do I get this?

 

The car is still 6 volt + ground. 

2nd Question:

Also what type of bulb do I need for the dome light itself?  Right now there is a dual filament bulb.  I don't think that is right.  There are 2 wires going to the dome light bulb, I assume one is a ground. 

 

Thanks fellas!

 

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Posted

Most auto parts stores should be able to provide a switch that will do the job. If your car is 49 or later, Neil Riddle can fix you up with a switch and light bulb. In 49 or 50 Plymouth used a duel contact single element bulb for the inside light. The door switch provides the ground for this light.

Posted

Thanks Tennis!  I will check it out.  What I am looking for is an original switch.  The switch only has one wire going to it.  My car is a 50 Windsor. 

 

Looks like I found Neil on Ebay at his store the old plym cafe.

 

I believe that my car has the dual contact single element bulb.  Not sure why you would ever need two element bulbs for a dome light.  But there are 2 wires going to it and what looks to be 2 contacts.  Anybody know the bulb number?  It would be a 6volt. 

Posted

The logic in providing constant power to the dome light and switching the ground:

Two wires have to be run to the dome light, but only one wire has to be run to each of multiple switches. 

It probably saves a few feet of wire, multiplied by so many thousand vehicles per year.  

Posted

I found one for my '48 Dodge on ebay. Not exactly the same as the original but pretty close. I finally have a dome light that works when the passenger door is opened.

Posted

I found one for my '48 Dodge on ebay. Not exactly the same as the original but pretty close. I finally have a dome light that works when the passenger door is opened.

Would you mind letting me know who the seller was so I can see if they have any more?

Posted (edited)

The light box should be your ground, and both wires are power.  When you have multiple switches in the circuit you have what is the DC equivalent of a 3 or 4-way light switch in your home.  Google a DC 3-way light switch and you'll see what you should have in your car.

 

In my P-15 I have one door switch and a switch on the pillar.  So power goes to the door switch, pillar then bulb.  

 

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Edited by 48ply1stcar
Posted

Would you mind letting me know who the seller was so I can see if they have any more?

 

I would gladly let you know if I could remember but I can't as it was several years ago. Go to ebay and search 'dome light switch' and see what comes up.

Posted (edited)

your switch does look exactly like what I have in my two 50 Plymouths. There have a rocker style of outer push button. As seen in the diagram. Replacement? Later style change?

 

Attached is a picture of installing a mopar accessory map light. Also if you check out the wiring for the lamp you will see how the dome light is also wired. Full time hot to one of the lamp connections other  to the door switch. The body of the switch is grounded and the contacts connect the grounded body to switch output wire when door is opened sending a ground  to the other connection of the bulb(s).  Bulbs lights up.

 

And yes it's easy to install a switch to pass. side also with a second switch (the proper hole is already there over a cover screwed over it. Just run a wire from that added switch to tie into the wire on the drivers side.

 

Have occasionally found some on ebay several years ago. Prices? Too high.

 

If you don't locate any soon pm me as I may have 2 in storage at a friends ranch, don't get there often though.

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Edited by DJ194950
Posted (edited)

3-way light switches in house wiring are designed so that either switch can turn a light on or off.  There are two "traveler" wires between the switches, and each switch selects a traveler wire.  If both switches select the same traveler, the light is on.  Otherwise, off. 

 

In my 47 Suburban, each back door has a dome switch, and the dome light is above the back window.  If either door is open, the light comes on.  There is no way for one door switch to turn off the light.  (For shows, I have small brass strips that pivot over the switch buttons, to keep the dome light off while the doors are open to show the beautiful Bakelite woodgrain interior.  It draws people like shies on flit.) 

 

The map light on the dash board, however, has a push-button on the right front door only, probably the old thing where the car is to be entered and exited by the right door, to avoid stepping into traffic. There is a pull switch on the dash to turn on the map light, so that the driver can see maps, the keys, etc.  (Edit:) Each switch goes to ground, completing the circuit.

 

(Edit:) Breaking news!  I stand corrected (actually I'm sitting.)  I checked my wiring diagram. The map light switches are on the power side of the circuit, and the light bodies are grounded.  Power by way of a red wire goes to each switch, and a yellow wire continues the circuit to the map light.  I have another diagram which shows the dome light, with an automatic door switch and a pillar switch, each fed by a red wire, with a yellow wire continuing the circuit to the light.  

Edited by DonaldSmith
Posted (edited)

Thanks so much guys. Let me clarify what I have in my car. 

 

I have a 4 Door Windsor Sedan.  1950

I have 5 Switches.  One on each door!

And a manual switch on the pillar in between the drivers side doors.

A manual switch on the dash.

 

I have attached some pictures of my dome light wiring, I have 3 wires going to the dome light. 

 

So correct me if I'm wrong, but the back doors operate the dome light, the light above my head.  The front doors operate the "map light" these lights are up under my dash.  Also I believe the switch on the dash can operate the "map lights" correct?

 

Right now I don't have any of these lights working.  Is my understanding correct? 

Thanks guys! 

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Edited by wolfy
Posted

Looks to me like you have some good information there.  Regarding the switch......check all your possible sources.......eBay (and try to correspond with

some sellers who seem to have a lot of mopar stuff).......Hemmings Motor News ads under Plymouth Parts for sale (I think it is online these days)......

swap meets......etc.   There are still some parts out there --- the trick is finding them.  Followed by the prices asked by some sellers nowadays.

Posted

On ebay now. Not mine.  http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NOS-Mopar-1940-48-Plymouth-Dodge-Chrysler-DeSoto-Door-Jamb-Lamp-Switch-RARE-/231586950535?hash=item35eba86d87&vxp=mtr#ht_38wt_1232

 

Gotta pay to play. It is very similar to one I bought on ebay a couple of years ago for a similar price.

Thanks.  Don't think that will work with mine.  My switch just takes one wire not two. 

 

Thanks for the link though.  I will see what pops up.  I was just hoping to find some places that made new replacement parts.  I guess I was just spoiled on my GMC truck.  You could get just about everything reproduced. 

 

Maybe I can retrofit one of the newer ones to fit into my metal panel and look close to stock. 

Posted

Now that you mention it, I believe mine was a one wire switch as well. It looked just like that one othervise. The two outer holes match the original switch holes.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Okay so I spent some more time on this yesterday. 

 

I took all of my door switches out.  Left the single wire to each in the open air.  Took out my drivers side B pillar manual switch out as well.  So no switches in the system at all. 

 

My dome light stays on!  So I check the 2 wires going to my dome light.  One has 6 volts of power and the other nothing.  6 volts of power is against the ground. 

 

So when I look at the wiring diagram the dome light is NOT grounded.  However mine IS grounded.  The metal screws that hold the dome light base too the car are just that METAL, to the METAL car.  And when I check the ground against the power, yes the dome light is grounded.

 

So please help me fix this.  Wiring is not my strong suit.  But I believe the dome light being grounded is my issue.  Am I correct in my thinking? 

 

Thanks guys I really appreciate the help

Posted

The bulb should be isolated from the base, so the screw should not be the cause.  The likely explanation is that one of the wires that is normally grounded by one of the switches has had the insulation crack and is grounding against the body someplace.  You might try wiggling the loose wires at the switch end and see if you can get the light to flicker, otherwise you may just have to use the old wire to pull in a new ground wire.

 

Marty

Posted (edited)

The bulb should be isolated from the base, so the screw should not be the cause.  The likely explanation is that one of the wires that is normally grounded by one of the switches has had the insulation crack and is grounding against the body someplace.  You might try wiggling the loose wires at the switch end and see if you can get the light to flicker, otherwise you may just have to use the old wire to pull in a new ground wire.

 

Marty

Marty: thank you.  I have tried to wiggle all the wires when I had the switches out.  No change at all. 

 

To clarify what I tested on the dome light.  I also checked for power, when the base was in the car.  I used my Multimeter to check for power on the dual prongs for the light base.  When I tested one prong, I got nothing, an open.  The other prong had the 6 volts of power.  And when I touched that prong and the bulb base I got sparks.  So the base was grounded and I was shorting it out. 

 

If I did have a wire that insulation was off of it and it was grounding out wouldn't that blow the fuse?  Not ruling this out yet, because lets face it, She's 65 years old and cloth insulation can take a beating. 

Edited by wolfy
Posted

If you have 2 wires at the dome light, disconnect the ground wire.  If the light now goes out, your ground wire is making contact somewhere.  If it does not go out, you have a problem of some type in the dome light itself.

Posted

If you have 2 wires at the dome light, disconnect the ground wire.  If the light now goes out, your ground wire is making contact somewhere.  If it does not go out, you have a problem of some type in the dome light itself.

I did not do this.  I hope to get to this tonight!  Thank you so much for this simple check:)  Simple check for a simple mind like me is perfect. 

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