I want to install a dome light override switch. Anyone know what wire and where I need to put the switch on?

 

Under the dash up by the parking brake you will see two Black/Light Blue (BK/LB is the color code) wires at the Central Junction Box. The central junction box (aka fuse panel) is a jungle. Very dense harnesses going in and out from two sides. I tried extracting this box but it just didn't fit through the fuse panel access with all the connectors attached.

There are three connectors at the top, to the driver's side, but none had enough pin outs to be the connector I wanted. A mirror led me to the two large connectors bolted to the upper rear.

I chased the bundles out of the back of the box and determined
the outboard (driver's side) connector was the one I wanted. A 10mm socket is needed. By pulling out the bolt, the connector also comes apart.

A black plastic cover holds the bolt and hides and routes the wires to the
front of the truck. Take off the cover by lifting the four tabs, one at each
corner. You can see this from the pictures, but here are the two black/light
blue wires, one in pin 20 (feeding the running boards) and pin 33 (feeding the
interior courtesy lights).

Some of the pinouts are numbered in the connector if you look hard enough.
I ripped some electrical tape from the harness to give me some working room, spliced in some 16ga wire for each circuit, and took the wires to a pair of Radio Shack backlit switches, 12vdc 30a rating.

I didn't note the part numbers (sorry). These switches need a ground, and they have Power and Load connections, so I used colored wires to be sure to get the current correct, bringing Power from the connector, and taking Load back to the lighting circuits.

Working behind that panel is not fun.


NOTES:
* The switches light when the interior lights or running board lights are ON. These switches would be good for fog lamps, etc. this way.

* If the switch(es) are turned OFF, the circuit(s) are not lit by turning
on the interior light control on the dash.

* The individual courtesy light overhead switches can still turn on the
interior lights regardless of the position of the dash switch.

 

Here are Monsta's directions. There may be other threads, but this is the first one I found.

Thanks,
Tom

 

Thanks Tom and Monsta!

These are great directions. I actually did this about a year ago. I really like it for camping because you can keep the lights off and you won't distract anyone from their campfire, etc.

 

This procedure doesn't work on an 05 does it??

I looked at mine and it looks nothing like my 2000. I found the connector I need to splice in to and it is behind the passenger side kick panel.

hatchetman, did you follow my directions above or ???

 

Sorry, does this work for a 2003 excursion?


Thanks, Bryan

 

Is there a place where you can interupt the circuit from the door contacts only and still leave the dash switch open?

 

sorry, answered my own question here:http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/diagrams/diagrams.htm

 

It should.

 

Thank you Monsta. I will try this over the weekend. Do you know if you can install one switch to cover all the lights?

 

Yes. One switch will cover all the interior lights. If you have the lighted running board, you'll have to wire it so that the single switch will interupt both circuits. That'll mean some extra wires.

Shouldn't be too hard.

 

Thanks again. I am going out today to hunt for the circuit. I already have the switch installed but it not only turned off the lights but it also turned off the radio and powe to the dash.

Thanks again.

 

OUCH! Sounds like you tapped the wrong wire!

 

Well, a stereo shop installed the switch and then I disconnected the wires because they were just tapping into a fuse. Do you (Monsta) have any pictures and maybe a sketch of how you wired the switch?

Thanks, Bryan

 

Can anyone confirm if this works. I forgot where I got it from, but it was sitting in my archives.

DOME LIGHT MOD:
On my 2002, under the plastic passenger kick panel, there is a black wire with a light blue tracer which controls the dome/cargo light circuit. Cut a switch into this wire - dome light killed at will - Key in, radio on, doors open, no dome light.
I put a rocker switch (almost any "automotive" 12v SPST) I bought at Autozone near the light switch, and ran some wire (14 ga) from the switch to where I cut the wire. You can put it pretty much where you want.
......END OF DOME LIGHT MOD