i cant find a switch anywhere to turn my dome and map lights on. opening the door isnt the safest way to get some light.

i know i can just click my map light but that does me no good when looking in the back from the front.

-does my car have a dome switch?

-if not, does anyone know the difficulty involved in installing my own switch?

 

try adjusting your dimmer switch for your dashboard controls to as bright as it can go and then I believe it will "click" and switch on your dome light.... and aren't the map lights just a push style? push them to turn them on.... I don't have an 04 so I could be wrong but those are the more common ways to do it.

 

thats what i thought! theres actually a 'click' that i feel when turning the **** all the way (clockwise i believe). but with the click comes nothing. i think that maybe where my problem lies. and yes the maps are the simple push on, push off type.

 

i thought id dust this one off... lol. im just now getting to this. ive got a toggle switch; gonna use it to flip the dome on and off.

does the dome have a constant ground or hot? i am hoping its a constant ground.

what hot should i tap into? i want one under the dash (or nearby), run that to my toggle (on the dash), then run it up one of the pillars to the dome light.

 

The ground is switched.

 

I woulda sworn the switch is built into the lamp unit...

 

with this in mind, i would run a wire from the neg side of the lamp to my toggle, then from my toggle to a ground... correct?

 

that is correct. however, it has two grounds. one applied if the dome switch is in door mode and a second ground if the switch is in the ON position. when the switchis in theON positionit's simply grounded to the roof metal. i wouldn't play with the second ground(door switch ground) since it goes directly to the multiplex(multiplex controlled ground) which recieves inputs from individual door switches.

the dome light is grounded through the roof metal by use of a ground bolt. replace this ground bolt with a plastic bolt, and use a ground ring washer connection like this around the bolt connected to your ground wire:



now run your wire down the drivers a-pillar and down to the dash where ever your switch is. connect it to your switch and run another wire from the switch to a good ground location. it would be best to drill your own hole in the body, tap it and use your 'new' ground bolt with another ring connection, but you can also use an existing ground bolt under the dash(with other grounds on it) if you must.


i know what you mean about the dome light switch. i used to own an 89 buick regal with a switch that could activate all the interior lights easily. my 00 accord is jsut like your 04, you have to reach up and hit the map switches or reach back and activate the dome switch. [:@]
the nice thing about the buick was it had lights in the c-pillars also(by the rear windshield) so when i turned the interior lights i could find a needle on the carpet at night!

 

I HAVE NO SWITCH! lol. seriously, there is not a switch on the light. the ONLY way to turn it on is to open the door. it also comes on when i insert or remove my key from the ignition.

i thought about tapping into the door switch but then i would run into problems with alarm and whatnot.

appearantly theyre not alike... lol. as i CANNOT reach back and turn the dome on. i CAN pull the door handle and violla...

do i wanna askwhat your doing looking for a dropped needle in your car, at night? lol. i assume that was an example of a small object being visable because of the amount of light.


if i ever figure this out and getthe lighton myswitch, will there be a problem with me opening the door (completing one circuit) while my switch is on(second closed curcuit)? no overloads or bulbs exploding?

 

are you sure you don't have a switch like this?:



if not it's aftermarket. the part is the same for a DX, LX, OR EX. all have a door setting and a switch setting in the center dome light. unless it's not a usa accord..?