i was wondering how i could add some interior lights that turn on/off when my dome light does, rather than running a wire all the way from my dome light across my headliner? i assume i could run them from the dome light fuse right? or is this a bad idea? im doin this is a 93 civic sedan.
-any help would be appreciated thanks!

 

Well do you want them to turn on just when the door open?
Or do you want them to turn on any time the dome light is on, whether it be doors open or you manually turning them on?

If just when the doors are open, you give your light a constant 12V, and then wire the ground to both door jam switches.

If you want them on anytime the dome light is on, you have to wire both wires directly to the bulb terminals on the dome light.

 

ooh.... i like that idea ha ha i think im going to do that...... Testdestruction... your amazing, you know that?

And good question New_2_civics

Also on a side note, you could have them wired up to the door switches like Test said, then at the same time have a switch on your dash that will act as a separate ground, then you could turn them on when you want, withought having the dome light on, or the doors open... just a side thought.

 

where are the door jam switches located? yeah, i think im gonna have them on a toggle switch too, how would that work Trustdestruction? i wanted them to work like at night if i drop my cell phone or something on the ground they could light up the whole floor so i could see better. but i dont want a wire running all the way from the dome light.
- thanks again trust!

 

The door jam switches are those buttons in the door jam that get pushed in when the door closes. On the other side of them (beneath the interior trim and carpet) is wiring for them. They are ground switches... when the door is open they give the wire connected to them a ground.

So basically, think about it this way. Your light needs 2 things to work: a 12V source and a ground. If the ground is what's controlled by the switch, then the 12V source needs to be constant so that when the switch gives the light a ground it has both of what it needs and lights up. Since your 12V wire needs to be constant, that means that if you want to have any addition switches, they need to be in the ground wire also.

You can run multiple ground wires (one to a switch you install, one to each door switch) and then splice them all together at the ground wire on the light. You can do this because when the light sees a ground in its wiring it will use it. So, run your door switch grounds, and then run another ground wire to a switch and then from the switch to a ground point on the chassis. Run the 12V wire to one constant 12V source.




Doing it from the dome light may be worth it though. When I did the same thing (footwell lights) I looked at all my options and the easiest is to just run it to the dome light... only two wires needed and they just go straight to the 12V and ground terminals on the dome light.

 

ok i'll give it a shot. hey, whats a good constant 12V to use for things like this?