OK....splain dome light wiring to me....Mustang/Ranger

[Tominator]

Trying to finish up my wiring....Bought Mustang dome light and replacing the factory unit. One of the wires at the light was burnt before the swap.

The Mustang unit came with a pigtail so I cut the wires and attached them to the pigtail. The light tested out fine BTW. Ran a separate hot to the map lights so they are independent of the door switch. The light will be mounted backwards and the map lights will be used to light up the area behind the seats...not that it matters.

When I plug in the harness and attach the housing to the sheet metal with screws, the dome light comes on when the doors are closed!!!..and no map lights....

Someone please explain how the electrical system triggers the light....it appears that the screws holding it on are connected to the circuit board on the light....

I'm at my wits end!

BTW..I HATE WIRING!

 

[adsm08]

All I can remember is that the screws are the grounds. One screw grounds the dome, one screw grounds the map. My computer is being slow and I can't look stuff up tonight.

 

[85broncduece]

Not to sound like a prick but is your cargo light sw. on? witch would cause constant hot to light or maybee wires are swaped. meaning your constant got put to dome instead of map? I allways thought the door switches were a gronded sw. mine only have 1 wire to them. so maybee a relay set up. ill keep pokin arround. what year stang did the light come out of or go to? I can try to find a wiring schematic.

Just read my own post, man Im all over the place.

 

[Tominator]

Not to sound like a prick but is your cargo light sw. on?

Yes, cargo light comes on when dimmer switch is up.

My '96 F150 has the same dome light. The wires are attached to little plastic ends that are clipped to the steel roof bracket, and it even has a place for a pigtail, but it's not used.

 

[Hooligan2c]

From my past dealings, it should be a direct swap into your truck. You do not need the pigtail on the stang light. The light should work as is with just the two screws and thats it. I know the only difference for swapping them would be 04+ ranger where you need a seperate power wire for the map lights.