Traveller Internal Light Help

[PhilipW1039]

My '68 Traveller has the courtesy light, which would be great with the shorter days at this time of year. However, it don't work. Opened it up and no bulb. Fitted a bulb but still doesn't work, in any position with door opened or closed, with ignition on and engine running.

Before I start taking down the headlining and tracing what looks like very recent wiring, can somebody give me any pointers please? Is there a particular fuse worth checking, for example? Does the wiring usually go to the back or the front?

I've not yet put a meter on the wires so I guess that's the first step.

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

First of all what are the colours of the cables at the light unit, and what is the terminal arrangement?

[Jim McCrae]

Check the black cable is connected to earth. This should be attached to the car body via the bolts which join the roof panels.
I had the same problem on my traveller and ran a new earth cable down the driver side screen pillar rather than trying to access the roof bolts.

[geoberni]

Get a meter on it, checking the 2 earths and the supply.
If the horn works, the fuse is OK. It doesn't need the IGN on or the engine running, it's a permanent live from the battery.

[PhilipW1039]

Thanks all. I'll get my meter out and figure out how to use it, again.

Here's a photo of the wiring and terminals...

A4DB5582-CB7B-40F9-B571-C4B75EAC436A.jpeg (3.56 MiB) Viewed 646 times

[geoberni]

That looks as though it's been rewired at some point. Although I seem to recall there has been some chat, either around here or on the facebook group, about the interior lamp colours on Travellers not agreeing with the manual diagram.
What you seem to have, I've put in brackets, but the Colours according to the diagram are:
Permanent Live = Purple (RED)
Earth line controlled by the Door Switches = Purple/White ( Brown/Black)
Earth at switch = Black (Black)

If you have 12v on that red connection to the lamp, then it's the earths...

[PhilipW1039]

That's brilliant, thank you. I understand that so it at least gives me a logical way forward. Just hoping I don't have to take the headlining down but whichever wire is failing, I suspect I'm going to have to....