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Finally got one installed in my 1986 244GL. Put on into the wifemobile - 1988 244GL - for our 9-day driving vacation last October. Houston - Savannah - Washington, D.C. - Charlottesville - Blue Ridge Parkway - Knoxville - Houston.
It has toggle switch on the control panel. Up = on/off with the dome light (including the driver-door delay), center = off, down = on, like when passenger wants to read a map after dark.
The light is located so as to not get into the eyes of the driver. It illuminates the foot well nicely for getting in after dark.
If you are interested in "How To", post and I'll put up the parts list and connections.
REgards,
Bob
:>)
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B.C.
I'm eager to hear what you used for a lamp assembly, and how you attached it. I was just about to cruise the trailer lighting aisle at the wallymart for ideas to light the footwells in Grandma's 944. It is not a bad idea for any of the cars for that matter.
As to the question of how to turn it on, I was going to devise some logic to keep it and the dome on after you close the door, extending the delay timer of the GL variety to include the time you have the key in the ignition but not yet turned on (seat belt/key left in warning).
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore
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things from Radio Shack:
The light fixture: T-3 1/4 Moniature Bayonet Lamp Base SKU 272-325 .
Comes with red lens and green lens, use neither.
The rocker switch: Heavy Duty DPDT, (use as SPDT) rated 6A at 125VAC, 275-691A
The bulb: #1891 Bayonet-Base lamp. 14V, 240ma. SKU 272-1112
Optional switch: Mini Center-off toggle switch, SPDT 10A @ 125VAC SKU 275-325B
From ACE HArdware:
Grommet, rubber. I.D 5.8", O.D. 1-1/8", Grove dia 7/8", Groove width 1/16"
Note on switches. I like the center-off toggle, but it's sort of ugly. The rocker is red on black, looks better, but has no center off. Also, the way it fits into the blank control panel piece, some of the control panel itself must be carved away.
The mounting is in the corner of the passenger knee pad nearest the door. There is an area there that is thinner that the rest of the pad. In order tokeep the light out of the driver's eyes, make the hole so the lamp will be as
far forward as possible.
Use a flat spade bit and make a 7/8" hole in the knee pad. Drill some from one side, then go from the other, leaves neater edges.
Put the lamp base (not disassembled) into the grommet, as far as it will go. Then wrap a really strong string in the groove (this part takes some finagling.)
Put the string through the hole in the knee pad, bottom side to top side. Get the grommet right close to the hole and start working it into the hole with a small tool, then use the string to pull it on, rather like installing a window glass. Takes some hard pulling, and some care as the small tool (tiny flat tip) can poke a hole in the grommet.
IIRC, I had to do a little carving on the grommet to allow the lamp base to fit all the way in to where the metal part was in the grommet, the plastic part isn't thick enough to grip tight.
Once it's in, it's in. No second thoughts.
The wiring is pretty simple. Only part I found tricky was tapping into the ground wire that goes to the RF door switch. That black wire has very little slack in it, so some contortions are needed to get the tap installed. Whatever wire I found works same on the 1986 and the 1988, the delay works.
I had an old unused trailer harness that I used for the wiring. Any wire will do.
From the switch: Center terminals (both if the rocker switch) go to the lamp base. One outer terminal goes to the black wire way over on the RH side that's the lamp switch connection. Other outer terminal goes to the screw holding the control panel support, along with a bunch of outer ground wires.
From the lamp base. One terminal goes to the switch center. The other goes to a tap connection in the wire feeding the glove box light. Leave a lot of slack in this one, it has to "wrap" the glove box.
total cost was under $15, maybe under $10, I forget the exact.
Good Luck,
Bob
:>)
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Hello Bob:
Post it please! I often lament the lack of a switch to turn on the interior lights without opening the door, particularly when our 2 year old throws something on the floor in the back seat area and then expects us to be able to find it and pick it up!
Cheers!
--
Herb Goltz, London, Ontario, Canada '92 245 w/102K mi
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Herb -
Two ways to illuminate the rear footwells using what you have now.
(1) Turn on the headlights, you should get light from the little white light on the back of the e-brake console cover. If that's not lighting up, I can help you to fix it.
(2) Isn't there a little switch on the dome light itself? Front position = on w/doors, center = off, back = on all the time (and will drain the battery when you go inside for the night! BTDT)
Hmmmm... is the 2-year-old dropping things into the front foot well? that's where my new light goes.
Later for more details.
Regards (equivalent in US English to "Cheers" ?)
Bob
:>)
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I hope that 2 year old isn't dropping things in the front seat, s/he shouldn't be sitting up there...
Anyway, Here's how you replace the lights in the E-brake council. I quoted it from an earlier post of mine:
"As for the light being out, it's pretty common. It's a pretty easy fix. The following post is going from what I have in my '77 244DL and '80 245DL.
Go to Autozone, or whatever your local "neighborhood" parts place is, and pick up some replacement bulbs... The type I found that work are Sylvania brand, # 2721 (W2.1W). Simple 12 volt, 2.1 watt bulbs. I believe the stock bulbs are 2 watts, but 2.1 watt bulbs will last a good amount longer, and won't be that much dimmer.
Move the 2 front seats to the all the way forward position. On either side of the E-Brake cover you will see a screw (shown circled in red in photo below.) Unscrew both of them. Don't loose the little black washers.
Next, Remove the ashtray... Push the metal tab down in the center and pull it out. Now, remove the back part of the ashtray, starting from the bottom, as shown here:
Brings us to here:
Now, with the ashtray out of the way, you can reach in and pop out the "FASTEN SEAT BELT" light and that little white piece of plastic. They come out fairly easy, just apply even pressure. Be Gentle. You don't want the pieces flying out of there, otherwise the wires can break.
(Pictures now come from my '80 wagon, because I had the cover off for other work I was doing.)
Now, to get the "FASTEN SEAT BELT" light apart, just pull the bulb out from the bottom as shown here:
Replacement of that bulb should be straight forward. NOTE: This bulb is of a different type then the others. I don't know what kind of bulb it is off hand, but I know it is the same light used to light up the glove box [at least in the earlier 240 models].
Now, you can put the bulb back in through the hole it came out of... To get the White plastic out of the way, turn it side ways, and push it inside. This gets the wires out of the way for when the cover is removed.
Now, with nothing connected to the E-Brake cover anymore, carefully lift it up from the back... Do it slowly. The front is held down by a little metal tab. Just push the cover forward a little bit, and it will break free.
Now, you should be here, with the cover completely removed.
To replace the light that illuminates the front seat belt release buttons, turn the plastic piece 90 degrees either direction. (I circled and pointed to the piece with in red in the above picture.) Pull the thing out:
Now, pull the light bulb out from the holder. Put one of the new bulbs in it's place. (It won't matter which way it goes in. Either way will work). Replace the socket in reverse of how it was removed.
Now, on to the white strip light... similar as above. Only difference is that your car may or may not have a bluish-green piece of plastic around the old burned out bulb (if there is even an old bulb there). You can easily remove it and put it over the replacement bulb. It's easier to do this before you put the new bulb in the socket. Some like to have the blue/green look for the light coming out, while others like it to just be white. It's up to you, either way makes no difference other then your preference.
Be a bit more careful when you replace this bulb. Make sure the bulb is going in-between the metal contacts, not on top of both sets of contacts. (It's real easy to damage the contacts if you don't replace the bulb carefully here.)
Now, test everything. Make sure no wires anywhere are touching a metal part of the car... Turn the parking lights on. Both the seatbelt release button light and white strip light should come one...
(Note: For the above picture, I turned the Key into the II position with out starting the car just to test the "FASTEN SEAT BELT" light.)
If everything works, Great! Turn off the lights, and put it back together in reverse... Make sure when you put the E-Brake cover on that you get the metal tab in the front under the parking brake lever to hook before you lower it...
To replace the ashtray, set it at the top, and snap it in on the bottom.
Hope this helps! (By the way, the reason I have one blue seat in my '77 on the drivers side because I got a good deal on it... It was actually a passenger seat which is why the reclining knob is on the wrong side, I couldn't figure out how to move it. As for the seats in the '80... ��K] miles of use will do that to any seat. I haven't had Lumbar support since I can remember.)"
I don't know if seat heater switches makes this any harder to do. I wouldn't think so, but you never know.
Good luck!
--
If you listen to the radio in Portland, OR, you may know me as "Portland's Favorite Soul Brother!"
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