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Messages - pro-five-oh

3
Body/Appearance/Interior / Turning reading lights into courtesy lights?
Quote from: Haystack;463247
Not Sure the build date, but it has lights on the side of the end of the console that come on and off with the rear lamps button that would normally go to the rear reading lights as well as the dome light.

I really don't see just the dome light's, plus the under dash lights and the door locks lighting up to be too little light though.


It's not too much light when you have a moonroof with the useless lights in the overhead console, even with the reading lamps on I still can't find  behind the front seats.  Maybe I shoulda got an earlier console too :)
4
Body/Appearance/Interior / Turning reading lights into courtesy lights?
Quote from: Haystack;463223
So I probably could just swap the switch out from my 83 as well. That's pretty cool.

Is yours an early 1983 build? Because I was looking at console switch/ashtray panels on eBay and the two I saw had the 2-wire switch but had 1983 part numbers.
6
Body/Appearance/Interior / Turning reading lights into courtesy lights?
DONE!  Here's how you do it:

1. Get the 3 wire light switch originally from a 1980 Thunderbird: Motorcraft SW-1581 or E0SZ-13713-B
2. Remove the factory light switch at the back of the console, note the 2-wire plug. 
2. Splice the new switch's green wire to the green wire on the factory 2-wire plug
3. Splice the new switch's black wire to the other wire (sorry I forgot the color) using the factory 2-wire plug
4. Test to ensure you retained the reading light functionality retained with the new switch before adding the 3rd wire. (as the 1980 Tbird switch doesn't have a unique color for the 3rd wire)
5. Run a power wire from the courtesy light that's under the glovebox (it only has one wire) run it under the carpet/console and up to the 2-wire plug.
6. Connect the power wire to the remaining wire on the switch, by now the switch will no longer be connected to its 3-wire plug.
7. Gently pry off the 1980's wordless button and switch it out with your "LIGHTS" button so it looks correct. Make sure the spring stays with the button.

DONE!
8
Body/Appearance/Interior / Turning reading lights into courtesy lights?
Quote from: softtouch;462956
I added a solution in my post.



I think you are on to something. Maybe I can hack one of the Mark VII reading light switches and put it into the same location without ruining the factory look of the console.
9
Body/Appearance/Interior / Turning reading lights into courtesy lights?
Quote from: softtouch;462953
If you like redneck you could drop a wire down from the dome light to the switch.
But any simple wiring of the courtesy lights to the reading lights will work both ways.
Turning on the switch will light the courtesy lights along with the reading lights.

Hmm...maybe I will dig into my Lincoln EVTM manuals to see how they make it work without activating every light when you hit the switch.
12
Body/Appearance/Interior / Turning reading lights into courtesy lights?
Let's say you want your rear reading lights (C-pillar) to come on when you open the door, since you keep stuff in the back you'd like to find at night.  What would be the easiest way to trigger the rear lights with a door opening signal?

Tap the wire from the passenger side dash-to-floor light and run it to the switch in the console?  That switch has me confused and the EVTM isn't helping.

And yes, I've converted them all to LEDs, so the electrical draw shouldn't be much more with the additional lights.
14
Electrical Tech / I am an Idiot: Starter Solenoid Replacement and Fried Everything
1988 Cougar, I replaced the starter solenoid but put the wire from the battery and the wire to the starter on the wrong ends.  I also might have connected the other wires on the wrong side. I realized my mistake after it was too late: I reconnected the positive cable and there was a large spark and I heard things click that shouldn't click when you reconnect the battery.

I reconnected it correctly but the damage is done: the whole car is dead.

I am away from my EVTM, does anyone know if I blew all the fuses?  Or anything worse? Please help.
15
Electrical Tech / Sequential Tail light install HELP! Why blowing fuses?
Quote from: EricCoolCats;437554
Hrmmm…without seeing the instructions, it sounds like you did it correctly. Maybe that module requires both sides to be hooked up before they all work. Either that or, like you said, it may be a bad module altogether.

There must be something wrong with the module, since all the wires for each side are independent of each other. (except for the ground, I guess)

I'm still pretty miffed...I might buy a different brand of kit, just in case.