Dome light switches

[Joshpow]

I am having trouble with my dome light. It won't come on with the door. I checked the switches and both are OK. The passenger side worked fine when I hooked it back up. The driver's side still isn't right. The plug on the truck is bad. If you wiggle it it works OK. I tried the passenger side switch and had the same trouble, so I don't think it is the switch. I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a replacement plug available out there anywhere. I would take the ones off my parts truck, but someone has beat me to them. I just need to fix them somehow. Also, are there any sources for a good, long lasting switch for the door out there anywhere? I got to fix this.

[peanutman]

I couldn't find those pig tails either so i made my own. Go to local parts store and buy male ford pin connectors, the size that will plug into the back of the switch.
Cut your wires add on some heat shrink and presto. Try green sales on those switches. Thats where i got mine, a little high $18.95 each but they are orig motercraft. Lmc,Npd those are junk. I have tried them and they don't hold up.

[l1k2gadd]

Go scour the wrecking yard for other 1968 to about 1975 Fords. Go to the rear and passenger doors and look at the connectors and switches in there. The truck's connectors sit exposed to the weather which makes them rot out. The cars have the switches in the internal door jambs, protecting them from the weather and the outdoor elements. The switches in these cars will be the same too, in most cases. Remember, rear and passenger doors, of 1969 and later Ford and Mercury vehicles. Carefully pry the switches out of the door jambs so you don't break the switches and unplug the switches and cut the good ends off of the car wiring and solder and heat-shrink the new ends onto your truck.

The driver's door switch in 1969 and newer cars has the third connector for the door buzzer.

[Joshpow]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to broaden my searches in the junk yards now. How about the dentside trucks though? Are they different or the same. Also, would the buzzer from a dentside work in a bumpside truck if I was willing to wire it up?

[Teacherman]

I bought replacement switches at Dennis Carpenter for $5.00. Part number is C8AZ-13713-C. White plastic just like the switch I pulled out (OK, those were a little yellow with age). Passenger side has been in for six month with no problem, although the wire leads over there were broken. I Kind of trimmed back the wire a bit and crammed it in there. They work about 60 % of the time. Maybe I'll try the fix Peanutman and l1k2gadd suggested.

[l1k2gadd]

I believe the Dents have the 9/16" screw-in door jamb light switches in them.

The pigtails that go bad in the Bumps are the same ones used in the other same era cars. The wiring pigtails in the cars are protected from the elements in the door jambs of the cars because they are inside of the cars. The switches have a fairly tight fit in the door jambs of the cars so when you start to remove the switches carefully pull the switches out through the holes in the door jambs so you don't break the lock-tabs off of the harness connectors.

I cut and spliced (and soldered and heat-shrunk) the replacement ends onto my door jamb wires for the same reason, corroded ends of the wires, right at the harness connector at the switch.

Remember, Ford interchanged parts over their entire line of vehicles. Things like air breathers, stove-pipe heat-rise tubes, oil filler caps, switches, and all kinds of other stuff can be found on all kinds of cars, trucks and vans from back then.

Those C8AZ switches are a Ford Galaxy (large Ford) part prefix. Used in Mustangs, Cougars, Galaxies, and a bunch of other vehicles. Some reproduction parts companies sell their repro parts under a Ford part number too. Teacherman, can you find a Ford part number molded into the plastic on that switch? If I remember correctly there was a ver-r-ry tiny part number cast into the white plastic on the OEM Ford original switches.

[Teacherman]

Teacherman, can you find a Ford part number molded into the plastic on that switch? If I remember correctly there was a ver-r-ry tiny part number cast into the white plastic on the OEM Ford original switches.

I pulled the original out of the driver's side door today. There was something, maybe four characters, molded onto the plastic. But I'll be darned if I could make it out. Even tried reading it with a magnifying glass. Looked like 2 A B, but I wouldn't swear to it. I dug through my shop manuals too, and there was nothing there, either.

[Joshpow]

Thanks guys,
Undredog97 has offered me some from a parts truck, so I'll try them first. If they don't fix it, I'll check out the cars. Oh, and by the way, he also has some ebay auctions for us to check out.

[l1k2gadd]

A lot of the older members should remember this one...

"There's no need to fear, Underdog, er-uh, ok, Underdog97 is here!"

We'll have to change it a bit in honor of Underdog97.

Joshpow, when your parts come in I'd cut the wire ends, slide a section of heat-shrink tubing over one of each of the wires to be spliced, strip the insulation off of each of the wire ends, TIN the ends of each wire with solder when they are bare AND clean, touch the "tinned" ends (pre-soldered) together and touch the soldering iron to the two ends, and let the solder flow together to make good splices. Then when it cools a bit slide the heat-shrink tubing over your splices and heat the tubing to seal the splices.

[Joshpow]

Problem solved. My new switch plug cured it. The wires were broken off the DS switch. All is operational now. Thanks for all the input.