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Welcome to FordPinto.com, The home of the PCCA => General Help- Ask the Experts... => Topic started by: dave1987 on October 10, 2008, 02:48:32 AM

Title: Dual door switches
Post by: dave1987 on October 10, 2008, 02:48:32 AM
I was wondering if it is at all possible to wire up a second door switch for my passenger's side door so that the dome light comes on when either door is opened.

I have the switch, but I have no clue how to wire it up so it operates just like the driver's side door, but so that both doors are independently operating the dome light.
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: TIGGER on October 10, 2008, 03:33:40 AM
You may want to pull the kick panel off and see if the plug is there already,  I would find it hard to believe if Ford built two different harnesses just for the dome lamp.  But I do not know for sure so please let us know what you find.
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: dave1987 on October 10, 2008, 07:13:42 PM
Nothing! There isn't any wiring on that side of the car at all that is visible, even under the dash (with an exception of the antenna wire).
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: oldkayaker on October 11, 2008, 06:49:07 AM
I do not know what year Pinto you have.  According to wiring diagrams (71 & 77) for the RH dome light switch, there should be a light green with yellow tracer wire from a always hot fuse and a black with light blue tracer wire from the headlight switch (also connects to to the dome light and LH switch) located on the right side.  The 71 & 77 diagrams indicate that these two wires go to a connector located in the dash above the glove box.  Just extend these two wires to your new right hand door switch.  Make sure your new switch is the type that connects two isolated wires together (like the left hand switch).  Some after market door switches will ground a wire which would cause a short in the Pinto wiring..
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: dave1987 on October 11, 2008, 08:18:06 PM
Well my dad and me went to the yard today and behold! The Bobcat that I have been stripping down has a switch on the passenger's side!

I pulled the switch and the wiring harness for it that runs back to the tailgate, as well as the harness that runs along under the dash.

Now the Bobcat had the connector above the glove box that oldkayaker is talking about, and it is a 77. Mine however, has no trace of this connector anywhere under my dash. I pulled my gauges, radio and glove box insert all out to try and find it but there isn't anything on my 78 Sedan!


So my new question is, would it be possible to wire the switches in series, so that when either door is open (closing the switch), the light is on?
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: dholvrsn on October 11, 2008, 09:25:37 PM
That would be wiring them parallel.
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: dave1987 on October 12, 2008, 12:33:57 AM
Awesome! I got the switch wired up in parallel to the driver's side switch and it's working great! I took the wiring harness that I pulled from the Bobcat today and used that so it comes out looking nearly stock, aside from where I tapped into the wires on the existing switch.

Thank you to everyone and their comments!
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: discolives78 on October 12, 2008, 12:37:55 PM
I'll have to put that on my projects list!  Also have a 78 sedan with no switch on the passenger side.  Will mustang II parts provide the same results?  The two pintos in the u-pull-it here don't have switches on the right either, but there are a couple mustang II's there.
Title: Re: Dual door switches
Post by: dave1987 on October 12, 2008, 12:41:18 PM
I know that the door SWITCH itself is the same on the MII and the Pintos/Bobcats, however the wiring harness may be different (could very likely be the same though!).

You don't exactly need the wiring harness to complete this modification. I have an extra switch pigtail and I could have technically just added two longer wires to it, rand them under the dash to the driver's side swith and tapped into the Blue/Black and Green wires. It is nice having the harness though, for restoration reasons.