I wanted to put this into the electrical area, but I think my post count is too low to post there. If a mod wants to move it (or not for that matter) that would be fine.

So, I recently bought my truck (95 pickup, not tacoma) knowing that for some reason, the dome light was non-functional. I assumed it was simply a blown bulb, but to my dismay, the bulb was fine.

So, What to do, what to do. I started with by checking the circuit at the bulb. Turns out, I was getting no power.

#1. Check your fuses. I believe the dome light fuse is actually under the hood. The fuse was fine.

#2. Pop off the cover for the dome light. There are three screws holding the housing to the truck. Once these are removed the housing will come down, and is easily disconnected from the truck. Check the leads coming from the truck with a voltage tester and make sure you are getting power. I -Was- getting power. So...
#3. Check the connections in the dome light housing. I put current into them and found:

no heat here



And no heat here


So. How does one fix this problem? I was going to take it all apart and clean it up, but...
Rivets hold it all together.



#4 Get yourself some spare time and some sandpaper!




#5 use the sandpaper to clean the corrosion off of the selector and the contact areas on the housing.






#6. Re-test your housing after cleaning the contact areas.

Heat!


And more!




#7 Plug everything back in and test for function.



#8 Put it all back together, and finally have a dome light in your truck.



Oh, and ignore my headliner. It was really stretched out and hard to manage. Looks better than it did before taking down the dome light, I assure you.

Thanks

Jon

 

I could see where this would help some folks out there. Good job bro. Before long, you will be a "master" of the yota.

Oh Yeah, good job with the detailed pics too.

T_BONE

 

Good write up with photos!

My 87 dome light stoppe working and I haven't gotten to testing connections out, but I have used the "sandpaper magic" to solve corroded connections like this on my Datsun before, creating amazing results - bravo!

 

I owned a 1995 toyota celica from 16 in the 90's till 2006.

http://www.6gc.net/celicas/1995-st-coupe-738

Not new to toyotas, just new to the trucks

Oh, and you guys would LOL at the wiring I found in this truck while fixing this.

I had to fix the previous owners shabby radio install, and then found these little jewels, lol



note the battery wire not hooked up. Irritating to say the least.


Oh, and anyone have a freakin clue what the blue connector in the middle goes to (red with black stripe and silver bands), or what the two wires I am holding go to? All were hanging free. I insulated them for time being...

 

That blue connector plugged (R4) into the factory radio/tape player or to the radio amplifier depending what model truck you had and the type of stereo system that it came with from the factory.
The light reminder buzzer is the white box, for the other two wires the white/black wire is definitely a ground, the other is probably power for the clock or cigarette lighter.
The single blue connector is R3 and it went to the radio as well. I can find it listed on the overall electrical diagram and the component diagram for a 95 4Runner, but I can't find it on any other diagram. It's not on the radio diagram yet in the two diagrams that I found it in it says radio.

 

Lol, well done. That is the cig lighter I bet. One of the wires they had run into the fuse box was actually running the lighter. I'll have to re-run the original wires next weekend. Thanks.

 

thanks man i was on the last straw to bring it in the shop. check everything turns out like what u said to do sand those area bam there was light!