Courtesy Light Switches

[andypat]

Hi Folks

Just wondering if anyone has wired up the rear doors as well as the passenger door to the courtesy light and if they did where did they get the door switches for the rear doors as i use mine a lot for the dog to get in and out and i would like to get the switches done before winter sets in.

Thanks

[Jan van de Wouw]

I've done over 20 cars in the past year or so :D

Passenger side front is prepared for the exact same switchs as drivers side, so you can get one

at a dealer (don't forgete the bolt that's sold separately) or you can pick one up at a breaker.

For the rear I got hold of refridgerator door swicthes from Conrad, they're 19mm across,

which is the exact diameter of the holes that are allready in the body, plugged with a rubber bung...

Here's a direct link to the switch, it's in Dutch. I thought you could switch langauges,

but can't find the function that fast, sorry...

http://www2.conrad.nl/goto.php?artikel=707210

These switches do NOT connect to the frame of the car, sou you have to ground them yourself.

And I allways spray them satin black instead of white :D

I use 2x0,75mm^2 red&black speaker wire since that's easily sourced and a proper thickness.

You need 250cm between both rear doors in the twin-variety and two single strands

from either rear door to either front door. These pieces need to be about 165cm long

To keep everything clear I take red strands fron the fronts to the rears, as the switched

wire at the dome light is red too, the black wire gets to be used as ground.

I usually run a single (red) wire from the drivers door to the rear, then hook up a double wire to the rear swicth,

with the wire from the front joined into a 6,3mm spade connector with the red wire from the double one.

Then run the double wire across the back of the car, taping the wire to the existing loom that runs across between

the taillights. You need to partially undo the C-pillar-covers to have enough access and to undo the carpets.

At the rear left (on LHD cars) there's a bolt that grounds the taillights, so I split up the wire for about 10cm,

so the red and black are separate, then snip the black, strip both ends, twist them together and put

that into a fork-connector (both ends) so I can slip that fork under the bolt after loosening it a bit.

Tighten the bolt again and you've got your ground.

Run the double wire further to the side, then forward and into the rear switch on that side. Splice in

the seond bit of single red wire into the connector to the switch and run that to the passenger door.

Hook it up to the new front swicth using a 3,2mm spade connector.

Finally, connect the red wire at the drivers door to the wire from the original switch. this wire is pink.

You can use a ScotchLok, but I've had some bad experiences with them , so I allways solder, then insulate.

If you DO use a ScotchLok, at least use a RED one: that's the proper wire size...

Here's a couple of pics for clarification:

The Ground-point I use for the rear switches

And a switch wired up and in place...

Since I've done so may cars allready, I can do a full car (three switches and all wiring) in less than an hour now :D

[Raistlin]

I used these from Maplins for my doors and boot.

Switch

Halford do these as well

Halfords

[Jan van de Wouw]

What size are those plungers? Don't you have to make extra holes to keep them in place?

[Essex Toura]

Is it possible to have a rough wiring diagram made so I know what I am doing lol

[Raistlin]

What size are those plungers? Don't you have to make extra holes to keep them in place?

With the Halford ones you cut them to the size you want

[Jan van de Wouw]

What size are those plungers? Don't you have to make extra holes to keep them in place?

With the Halford ones you cut them to the size you want

Should have been clearer on that: what DIAMETER are those from Halfords?

I allready understood you can cut them to length...

I'll try and make a diagram this evening, when I'm not on my phone...