Projects
Door Light Bypass Switch
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Projects Door Light Bypass Switch |
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| Before and after schematic. | Fusible link, switch and fuse. |
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Each summer I take the top and doors off my jeep. And each year I have been pulling out fuse #4 to override the door switch that turns the dome light on. Not any more. Instead of using the fuse as a switch, I decided to add a real switch. Next time I take the doors off, or put them on, I won't have to unload the glove box and mess with the fuse box. And the whole project cost me less than $10 and took less than an hour.
The object of this tech article is not to provide a parts list and complete solution, but to provide you the knowledge to make your own fuse bypass switch. I visited the local electronics store and bought a fusible link and a suitable switch. I have some spade lugs, heat shrink tubing and random pieces of wire already. One last thing I need is a mounting place for the switch. I considered mounting it inside the glove box, but decided against that thinking that something in the box might move and turn the lights on for me. I looked under the dash and decided to use an existing screw and add a short bracket. |
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| Switch mounted to bracket. | Switch and bracket installed. |
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| Remove glove box restraining strap. | Remove fuse #4 from fuse box. |
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Since you going to remove the glove box, now is a good time to empty it out. Remove the glove box by sliding the restraining strap out of the slot, towards the passenger door. Lower the glove box until it comes loose from the dash and set it aside. Remove fuse #4 if you have not already done so.
I modified some spade lugs to fit into the slots where the legs of the fuse would be inserted. I cut them in half and then filed the edges to remove any burs. The fusible link wire was a bit short to reach the desired switch mounting area so I added a short segment of wire to it. I put the appropriate crimp-on connectors on the switch side of the wires. |
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| Fuse and modified spade lug. | Fusible link and return wire. |
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| Source of new switch bracket. | Bracket cut, painted and ready. |
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Now that the wiring is ready, I needed a mounting bracket for the switch. Nothing fancy, just a piece of plastic of sufficient size. I had an old smoke detector cover that has been sitting in the garage. No longer serving its intended purpose, it was the perfect item to sacrifice. I sliced a section from the center and drilled a 7/8" hole for the switch. A second hole for the mounting screw and a coat of black paint and viola!
I pushed my modified spade lugs into the slots where the legs of the fuse would be inserted - they fit nicely. I used a cable tie to hold the wires up next to a connecter that was to the right of the fuse box. That will hold the weight so there is no strain pulling the wires out of the fuse box. The bracket I made slips in between the plastic of the dash and the metal behind it where the screw threads into. |
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| Wired into the Fuse box. | Switch is now hot and ready. |
| << Doors Off Fuse Switch << | |
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Jeep is a registered trademark of DaimlerChrysler. |
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