Courtesy lights still don't work. But the center compartment light does work. When I rotate the light switch far left at night the dash lights dim and the amp meter shows discharge. But no courtesy lights. What do you all make of this?

|UPDATED|7/28/2013 7:30:29 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Will check the orange wire on the light in the driver's side footwell this afternoon. Thanks for the suggestion. Even old guys can get to that light!

|UPDATED|7/29/2013 5:27:29 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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"Due to recent economic developments, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off......"



You say if you turn the light switch to the left, the instrument lamps dim, but you see a discharge on the amp gauge? That's not good....
What happens if you turn the switch the other direction?

If you are showing a discharge(engine running) when dimming the cluster lamps, and the courtesy lamps don't work when turned on with the switch...I'd say you have a short in the courtesy lamp circuit somewhere....
Make sure both courtesy lamps are properly grounded, and both have a full 12v. If not, they will not work....amazingly enough, but I'm sure you knew that.

btw..have you replaced the headlight switch in this thing recently? There are some bad ones out there....

|UPDATED|7/29/2013 10:18:28 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Something is really Weird here




|UPDATED|7/29/2013 5:24:38 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Thanks guys. I'm no auto electronics guru so thanks for your patience. Recent developments: 1) With the driver's door open there is power to BOTH the orange and the white wire. 2) When I manually close the switch by pushing on it nothing happens to either wire. Though it appears that the white flickers but it could be my unsteady hand. 3) The courtesy light socket in the driver's side foot well is horribly corroded. I couldn't even remove the light bulb so I snipped the socket off and will replace with a new socket. (Could this be the root of the whole problem?) Do I need a switch and a socket? Opinions are welcome. BTW: The light at the rear of my convertible doesn't work. Only the light inside my storage compartment I.e. glove box.

|UPDATED|7/29/2013 6:22:51 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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The corrosion could cause you trouble. Check the other courtesy light it might be corroded also.

If I read the above diagram right there should be a light in the passenger side foot well. But there is none. Ill bet there's mischief over there. I can't find replacement sockets online.

|UPDATED|7/30/2013 7:22:00 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Yes, there should be a light for the passenger side, also. It is usually clipped up to the bottom of the dash, about the middle of the map pocket.Might be over towards the side vent, tho.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

What are the odds the clock starts working after the sockets, switches and bulbs are replaced?

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Looking at the 72 electrical diagram it shows the following on the Orange wire Circuit.

|UPDATED|7/30/2013 5:59:10 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Try www.lectriclimited.com ...they probably have the light you're looking for.

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

Man I feel like a moron. The needed lights are listed in my owners manual. So no problems there. No matter what I do there is power to both the orange and white wires. Always. door open or closed. engine on or off. Except in the rear storage area. That one seems right. One contact hot and the other cold. I just need a #90 light to be sure. I would think both should be cold unless the door is open though. In the foot wells I removed one socket and the other has no bulb. Still power in both wires. So corrosion in the sockets is not the problem. I'm tempted to buy new switches to see if that works. If it doesn't I'm not sure where to turn. I know so little about vette electronics its embarrassing. I'd rather install a dozen steering boxes. Smile... It seems I must have a bad light switch or bad door switches. When I installed the carpet there were no wires dangling from the switches and nothing looked odd. I do think its strange that two of the sockets were empty when I took delivery and the other burned out. Bubba couldn't fix it either!

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Hang in their that's why I tried to make the simplified diagram. The Orange wire should have power on them all the time from the courtesy light fuse.

Ok time to buckle down and figure this out...first off do you have a DVOM? If not run to harbor freight and pick one up for 10$. Check what the actual voltage is at each of the wires...is it battery voltage on each one?...attach the black lead to a good ground like the battery itself...just clip a wire to the battery ground cable and run it out of the box to the front seat...if you know the voltage on those wires you'll have the answer to the problem. Post it up and we will fix this thing.

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

If there are bulbs in the sockets, and you are checking voltage with the door open, you WILL have voltage on the white wire IF....the white wire is NOT going to ground, as in, the wire is loose somewhere, or the pin switches are not making good grounds.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Dang it Joel!! I wanted to show him that..lol...using the wire I said to use from the battery for a ground..but that was supposed to be my next post. You crack me up.

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

Okay. One socket is completely removed no bulb, no socket. Just dangly wires. The other socket has good bulb. ( I tested it.) With bulb in socket grounded white wire in socket and we got light. With bulb in socket I grounded dangling white wire and I got light again. So the white wire is intact. Right? Now what? Pin switches bad? I don't see a delay installed but I could be missing something. Thanks guys.

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Almost there! Ok this is the fun part....testing.. using the diagram from above you have power coming in on one wire which is good....the other wire is the ground. .this is where the meter kicks in. Put the red lead on the suspected ground wire, open the drivers door and hook the black lead to the ground wire from the battery that you ran up to the front seat...now set your meter to volts...dc volts...and it should read a very low number....0.02 or less...if it doesn't, which I suspect it will read random high numbers...open the passengers door and see if you get the low number...this may work since the rear interior light works...if it does then remove the door switch on the drivers side and hook the red lead to it as well....if you get the low number then the wire is ok and the switch ground is not good or the switch isn't working...if you don't get the low number then the ground wire from the bulb socket to the switch ground is open...see...easy stuff...im me if you need me to talk you thru this.

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My first parade at Carlisle 2010

Thank you so much! I do have a multimeter though, as luck would have it, the 9v battery is dead so I get to buy another before I can do the testing. I'm stuck with going to a birthday party tonight with fine seafood and wine... darn it. I gotta drink great wine tonight.

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Thank you for this diagram. It does clarify some things for me. I have to wonder if there's a chance the clock may come back to life once the grounding issue is solved. Is that possible?

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you may still have problems with the door switches, but keep in mind that when the headlight sw is turned CCW it puts a ground to the white wires. the door switches are not used at that point.

The delay timer wasn't used until '77. 
My bet is the wire terminals AT the door pin switches are bad. The white wires have TINY terminals that fit thru a plastic insulator at the pin switch, and are then bent over. When the switch is closed(door open), the terminals make contact with the metal switch housing, creating the ground for the lights. Those tiny, bent terminals fall off over time. Sometimes, the wire will fall off, too, but most of the time, the terminals stay put, and LOOK like they are good. The only real way to check is to unscrew the switch and have a look-see. You can ohm the wires from the socket to the pin switches, and they will most likely check out fine, since grounding the dangly wire lights up the one bulb on the other side of the car...that tells me the wiring itself is prolly otay. If you ohm from the white wire to the chassis(or battery) with the door open, I bet you find there is no continuity...
I have made terminals for these switches before out of other flat bladed terminals, so they can be fixed if yours are messed up. The one on my driver side on the '74 was, but it ain't no mo.
(btw....this is a replacement switch, and not made exactly like the originals)



And Rich...if ya snooze, ya looze!

|UPDATED|7/31/2013 10:34:33 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

So this is why when I run a ground wire to the switch housing nothing happens. There is a break (probably) AT the switch and probably having to do with those nasty little terminals.

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By Jove, I think you've GOT IT! 
Yeah...that's what Imma thinkin is the problem...you've pretty well checked everything else, and it all seems to be in good shape. Being able to ground the dangly wire and have lights is the key. Even so, the courtesy lights should come on when you twist the headlight switch all the way....that might be a different issue with the headlight switch itself, but...one problem at a time...
Hang in there....we'll git ya lit up like a Christmas tree a'fore ya know it!


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Well, tonight will be the CCW test of the light switch. Turns out one of the courtesy light sockets was empty, another corroded and the one in the back had the wrong bulb installed! So it's not much wonder that they didn't come on.

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I had to replace the door switches in my 72 convertible.  Lights worked properly after that.  No delay timer on my car.

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Hey for me this is fun. I think its more fun helping you than if I had to do it on mine. only my fingers are getting tired my back and old bones are not whining at me

You know you're not far from me. We gotta meet up somewhere soon. Aren't you pretty close to the Chateau St. Michelle winery? A bunch of us BSU Bronco fans make the trek over there once in a while because the winemaker is one of us.

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Dave, we're not making fun of ya or anything like that. But...I do have a little chuckle knowing it's someone ELSE goin thru it. Trust me...we've ALL been where you are at some point, and we've all got the scars(physical and metal) to prove it! It's like a Classic Corvette rite of passage....everyone must do it.
We enjoy helping others thru issue like this...it's why we're here. We kid around, and have fun, but in the end, it's all about helping others. If we can help get and keep another Classic Shark on the road, it's all good!


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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Thanks, Joel.

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Minor Victory I twist the light switch CCW and the passenger side courtesy light goes on! More wins are sure to follow. Thanks gang!

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use that to fix the other lights once you have all the lights working then tackle the door switches

Thank you gentlemen! The lights are fixed except for the door ajar warning on the drivers side. Passenger side works. All interior lights work. Clock? No. :( I actually fixed the switches. They needed some wire brush and TC-11 treatment. Cleaned out the holes in the bird cage. WHT terminal needed to be pushed toward the switch just about 1/32. Pass side was just dirty. Needed reconditioning. Bubba had wrong bulb in dome light (1 terminal not 2). Anyway. You all helped me learn how the system works. Once it made sense to me the fix was easy. And, of course, I fixed the switches two days after ordering new ones from Zips.

|UPDATED|8/3/2013 3:26:10 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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