Courtesy Lights

[Katalyzt13]

I'm trying to figure something out about the courtesy lights - they're not working in my '87 Pioneer, and the housings are even broken.  I bought some replacements and I'm trying to make sure I wire it correctly.  The current courtesy lights have 3 wires going to them, labeled 1, 2 and 3 - one is black, one is black with a white stripe, and one is red.  Does anybody know what each wire is?

 

I know one of them is the positive, one is the ground, and one is the door open/closed indicator, but I don't know which is which.

[gogmorgo]

You have a volt meter or test light? Pretty easy to check.

One will have constant power, that's the 12v feed. One will have power only when the door is open or the dash switch is turned on, that's the door one. The other will have continuity to ground, that's the ground wire.

[Katalyzt13]

no, I'll have to run and pick one up.

[gogmorgo]

A lightbulb and some wire can replicate a test light. Well, I say replicate, but that's really all a test light is, lightbulb, wire, and a fancy holder. But it will be very useful in the future.

I'm just guessing but based on wire colours I would guess that the black one is ground, the red is 12v constant, and the striped one is the switch. But that's just a guess. I'm not at home or I'd look up a diagram for you.

[sloride]

My '88 has black, black with white stripe and pink (not red).  Black is ground.  Black with white strip is the switch wire and the pink or red is the power fused wire.