Did my L81 C3 come with a underhood light? There is a switch under the hood that looks like a door light switch but maybe thats for the alarm?

underhood light should be right above hood prop. plunger switch is for alarm. look on fenderwell near alternator, should be a two wire connector for hood lite to plug into.

Is there an on/off toggle (or a hood open/closed sensor) for the hood light, or is it just always on when the car is on?

|UPDATED|4/1/2003 10:21:41 AM|/UPDATED|

Mine works on gravity, Hood up it's on. As the hood goes down it shuts off. For shows I just unplug the bulb.

i have seen an aftermarker plug in switch for the underhood light. plugs in just before the socket

Hmmm.. this underhood light subject is interesting, I've just visited my vette's previous owner, and amongst the pile of old bits he gave me was the wire and holder for the under hood light. He put a new hood on the car and didn't bother reinstalling the light.
Grego, what do you mean yours works on gravity (i assume yours would be similar to my '80)? What exactly does the gravity work on? Sounds like quite a cunning system?!
I originally thought the alarm switch would activate the light, but apparently not.

What i really need is a decent picture of how its all set up, but any advice would be good

there is a little "tip" switch that makes contact when the hood is openned and disconects when closed.

I think i may be missing some bits...
I was given the bulb holder/reflector after i bought the car. All it consists of is the reflector/holder with a single black wire going thru a fusible link type-thing to a single male spade connector (looks original).
The loom near the alternator has a two wire female connector, but this only has one red wire going into it (a thick one, same size as the red alternator wires). Presumably the other connection would be the earth, but this is missing.
Where in the system is the tip-switch?


If anyone could supply me with a diagram, or even better a photo of the correct setup, i'd be most grateful!

Cheers!

Hello Theo
I have the underhood light and it work, there is no switch in the bulb older there is a contact when the hood is open it is on and it is off the hood close ( gravity or mercure,) you have 2 wire 1 red that is hot and black that is ground.
you have the maine wire harness that is on the driver side near the radiator and you are supose to have the connection or the 2 wire red and black that come out of this harness,
sorry I don't have a digital camera to take a pic the connection is not on the alternator.
Normand

Hey Normand,
thanks for the advice. Seems like i was making a mountain out of a molehill! I've never come across a gravity switch like that before - we live and learn...
Anyway, stripped it down and sent the bulb holder over to the manufacturing dept of my university to be sandblasted. When i get it back, i'll have it plated, or spray it up, and thats sorted. I'm still needing a few bits of ground wire, as the loom is broken, but thats no problem.
Should soon sort myself out with some webspace to get pictures on, so watch this space...