Dome light pants... shorts

[purg3d]

In order to save fuses, the previous owner stuck a 30 amp fuse in place of the 10 amp room fuse. I counted no less than 3 frayed spots on the wires going to the dome light. With these temporarily patched and the pigtail connected to a multimeter, I get 12v with both doors open, then 6v with the passenger door closed.

I know this means there's a short, and since I've got the entire interior out I'd like to replace this section of wire.

Now this is all self-explanatory, and seemingly the musings of someone who just gashed his finger, but could someone tell me how the voltage would drop by half at the dome light? Is this a case of "path of least resistance" somehow?

I should just pack it up until tomorrow. Here's a picture of a terminator board I fished out. Look ma, no radio!

100_4773.jpg

[purg3d]

My knowledge is limited. I'm going to suspect the door buttons first. Maybe one is acting as a resistor somehow.

[william]

i was going to say the same thing. last winter my dome light would be very dim with the passenger door open but would be bright with the driver door open .
i cleaned the door switch and she brighten right up.

[FestYboy]

the voltage drops because there's another load in the circuit, and since we know the door switches are the grounds, when you shut the pass side, the path of least resistance shifts to the driver side (where the secondary load is). remove the driver switch and clean the crap out of it, then re-test.

[purg3d]

Thanks for explaining why. It was in fact the door button. Time to put the interior back in and take lots of pictures.

[bravekozak]

I don't believe in wire patches. I would replace the entire wire with a new one and reterminate the ends. I just did that for my starter motor wire from the clutch interlock switch. The wire actually pulled out of the connector from a bad factory splice. Since the copper was all blue from 21 years of oxidation, I decided to extract the terminals, cut both wires to the same length and reterminate. Since the wires are completely different gauges, I had to use two different terminals in order to get a good crimp. I really appreciate the selection of terminals that Eastern Beaver has. Other than the fact that there are two new shiny brass terminals inside the stock connector, you cannot see any difference.

I have replaced connectors with broken tangs, such as headlight connector, power mirror connector, etc. Where the mouse chewed through the fuel pump power wire, I had to use an Eastern Beaver splice terminal + shrink tubing. I must say, a proffessional could not have done any better.

I replaced the fuel pump ground wire and laid mouse traps.

I would highly recommend every member who is doing their own wiring, to look into Eastern Beaver as a source of OEM connectors and terminals for Festivas. Be careful to order the correct parts, based on the gauge of the wire.