Cargo light wiring tied into dome lights.

[jtdesigns]

Anyone ever did that? I was wondering if what color wires were giving power to the cargo light. I want to tie into those wires so when I switch the cargo lamp switch the two b pillar lights turn on. But I think the dome lights are switched by ground, right??

[jtdesigns]

Oh Donnnn, where you at Don??? :waving:

[HOrnbrod]

Hey JT, just saw this! On my rig, wiring for the cargo light was not present, so you would have to install that. And you are correct, the interior lights are controlled by a ground applied by the NO door switches when you open the door. Instead of a separate cargo lamp switch that are nearly impossible to find, you could run two wires from the cargo lamp forward and ground one. The other wire could tie into the interior light 12V hot that is applied when you turn the headlamp switch all the way ccw. This way your interior lights will work as designed and when you rotate the headlamp switch to the ccw stops both the interior and cargo lamps will come on. I think that's what I would do. Just a thought........

[ComancheKid659]

The dome lights have three wires; Pink=power from fuse, Yellow= ground thru door switch and black= direct ground to turn the light on at the light regardless of door position. The cargo light power is orange and black ground. You might be able to find it stowed by the drivers side dome light under the trim panel. I do not know if the color codes are good for all years and I know the door switch wiring changed. My 87 is black and white. Also the head light switch powers the dome light but thats under the dash befor the body connector at the lower left kick panel.

[ComancheKid659]

OK I double checked. The diagrams for for an 89 MJ 2WD show the cargo light to be power from the switch to be pink/black. One wire, it grounds thru the light to the cab. It is in the same harness section that runs from the connector behind the left kick panel along the door jam and up the b post to the left dome light. The dome lights get power from the 10A dome fuse( also powers cargo light) pink wire. blk/wt grounds thru door sw. Blk direct ground. It seems to me you would run into dificulty because the dome gets a ground from two different places. Power is present at the dome all the time but hte gargo power is on only with the switch on. I would just play around with it until It worked the way I wanted(or close enough) Hope this helps.

[jtdesigns]

Thanks for the replies.. Don, I was wanting to turn just the overhead b pillar lights on with the cargo switch. I know the headlight switch does this to but I'm weird like that, just want to be able to turn b pillar lights on with switch. :nuts:

I guess I'll just run a small 15A relay to switch that ground on the domes. Pretty simple. Now, will that provide ground to illuminate all the lights in the dash,under dash, and all the other odd panel lights? I guess I could wire in a diode on the dome light ground to keep a ground from backfeeding into the system... :hmm:

Oh and by the way, I do have all the cargo light stuff, factory, on my truck.

[HOrnbrod]

Yeah, that should work fine JT. Seems like the long way around, but if that's what you want to do it's good! Hmmmmm, wonder why my truck never had the cargo light circuit prewired in. I could have used that for the vanity mirrors and the rear view mirror power.............

[jtdesigns]

Yeah, that should work fine JT. Seems like the long way around, but if that's what you want to do it's good! Hmmmmm, wonder why my truck never had the cargo light circuit prewired in. I could have used that for the vanity mirrors and the rear view mirror power.............

 

:dunno: I had the cargo light, fog lights, under dash lights, and vanity mirror lights from the get go. I think there was a lighting package that included all that right?

On the wiring that's the only simple way I can think to make it all work. :D

[HOrnbrod]

I had none of that except the receptacles for the under dash lights. But I have them all added by making my own harnesses. Sure would have been easier though if that wiring was there.......

[ComancheKid659]

I would think that what ever lights come on with the headlight switch CCW would also come on with the relay if you tap into that blk/wt wire. It does go thru the l&r courtesy lamps befor going to ground thru the door sw.

[ComancheKid659]

I don't see that the instrument panel lights would come on as they ground thru the black wire. Hey let us know how it works for you. I only know of one Comanche with the cargo light and it also has the courtesy lights too, so I think it was a light package.

[jtdesigns]

I would think that what ever lights come on with the headlight switch CCW would also come on with the relay if you tap into that blk/wt wire. It does go thru the l&r courtesy lamps befor going to ground thru the door sw.

I'll put a ground to the domes and see if all the other lights come on. I'm thinking they will( at least all the lights that turn on with the door), but you never really can tell with these trucks!!!!

If they do, I'll burn me a diode in that ground before the relay, so no back feed will accrue when it closes.

 

The whole reason I'm doing this is I'll be putting new lights there. I bought some lil rocker switches. I was going to wire in under the lights, but I was just going through the motion of switching them on, and it would be so much easier to turn them on by the cargo switch. No driving down the road trying to twist, and turn around just to get some light in the cab. Plus, the cargo light switches lil picture looks like a dome light anyways.