Sliding door courtesy light

[CJH]

My van has a blanked off courtesy light switch on the sliding door side of the B pillar, and through the gap on the cab door side of this pillar I can see a loose brown wire with a very small spade connector on the end, like those on the cab door courtesy light switches. I'm guessing all this was disconnected when the original camper conversion was carried out, because I've got a pop-top hole in the roof where I suppose the original courtesy light would have been.

I'd like to reinstate that courtesy switch to operate some lights in the living area - I'm thinking of a couple of low power LEDs at floor level in the small vertical panel behind/between the front seats, and maybe some tiny LEDs in the rear roof panel. So before I go tearing out the headlining (again) does anybody know where that loose brown wire in the B pillar comes from/goes to? Where would the courtesy light have been in a panel van?

[1664]

You can just about see it in this picture, about 8" behind the 'C' pillar and just forward of the camper fluorescent light. Click on image to see it full size.

[CJH]

Thank you. That bit should be easy to get to - I'll have a root around.

Supplementary question:

If it's acceptable for courtesy lights to switch the earth side of the circuit (i.e. there's a permanent live to the light and the door switch connects the earth), is this approach also acceptable/good practice for my proposed main lighting in the ceiling? I had been planning to put in a wall switch on the live side of the circuit, but switching the earth instead would make it easy to have some of these lights operated by the switch on the B pillar and/or the wall switch.

[1664]

Don't see why not provided you remember all your lights are 'live' if you ever alter/fiddle with the wiring. If they would be fed via a Zig you could still isolate the feed which would be useful. Or just pull the in-line fuse that you will be fitting as close to the +ve source as possible.

[CJH]

Thanks, yes, the main lights will be fed by the Zig, so there's always that override switch.

I'm planning:
i) A couple of low wattage 10mm decking LEDs at floor level
ii) Several low wattage 10mm decking LEDs in the ceiling panel
iii) 4-6 larger, higher wattage LEDs in the ceiling panel

i) and ii) would be operated by the courtesy switch, and therefore should be fed directly from the battery
iii) would be fed by the Zig, and operated via a new wall switch
Ideally, i) and ii) could also be operated via the new wall switch too

Having sketched out the circuit I now see that I'll need a two-gang wall switch anyway to achieve this, so in fact I've got the option to wire the two circuits differently, if necessary.

[Wychall]

I have disconnected the switch in mine as it causes the lights to be on permanently whilst the door is open. An unnecessary drain on the battery whilst camping without hook-up.

[CJH]

I have disconnected the switch in mine as it causes the lights to be on permanently whilst the door is open. An unnecessary drain on the battery whilst camping without hook-up.

Ah yes, good point. Maybe I can add an override switch as well then.

[CJH]

Found it, just where 1664's photo suggested it would be.



It was all wrapped up in electrical tape, but when I unwrapped it I was pleased to find that the red wire was still live and connected to the original interior lights fuse. I wasn't thinking far enough ahead, so as well as the brown lead that goes to the B pillar I was surprised to find another brown wire that's a direct earth. So it dawned on me that what I need, to mimic the operation of the other courtesy lights, is a 'single pole change over' switch with a 'centre off' position. That way I can turn the lights on or off or set them to be controlled by the door switch.

One odd thing that maybe someone else can explain for me - when I removed the interior lights fuse the voltage on the red wire didn't go straight to zero, but decayed from 12V to 2V over about 30 seconds. Why's that? Is there some sort of capacitor after the fuse box that's intended to slowly dim the interior lights? If so, how's that going to behave with non-dimmable LEDs I wonder.

[Wychall]

Sounds like you have an interior light delay facility so that your lights stay on after you have shut the door to give you time to get your key in the ignition. Should be a relay hiding somewhere up front that controls it. left hand side of dash on mine but that might not be true of a German produced vehicle.

[CJH]

Hmm, yes, that's what it looks like. I'm going to wire up a light to check this, as it's not easy removing the fuse then jumping in the back and poking the probes of my multi-meter into the ends of the wires. My main cab light doesn't do this, so if this is something specifically for the living area (perhaps I should call it the load area as my van left VW as a panel van) then it's definitely something that VW fitted at the factory, since Motorhomes International then promptly chopped that light off during the conversion.

[1664]

One odd thing that maybe someone else can explain for me - when I removed the interior lights fuse the voltage on the red wire didn't go straight to zero, but decayed from 12V to 2V over about 30 seconds. Why's that? Is there some sort of capacitor after the fuse box that's intended to slowly dim the interior lights? If so, how's that going to behave with non-dimmable LEDs I wonder.

The fuse for the interior lights also supplies the radio and clock so residue voltage will probably be fed back from either or both of these. The reason for the 30 second decay is that a voltmeter is a very large resistance so the residue voltage has a pretty hard time getting back to earth via the meter. Had one of the courtesy lights been 'on' the voltage would have dropped to zero instantaneously.

Probably.....



Pretty sure these vehicles weren't fitted with a courtesy light delay function even on caravelles but I suppose some of the really late SA versions might have had it. I've never heard mention of it before at any rate.

[CJH]

Ah, that makes sense. I don't have a clock, but I can certainly believe there's some capacitance in the radio. I'll test it with a bulb and with the drivers door open (the passenger door courtesy light doesn't work at the moment - the live wire's dead for some reason).

[1664]

Ah, that makes sense. I don't have a clock, but I can certainly believe there's some capacitance in the radio. I'll test it with a bulb and with the drivers door open (the passenger door courtesy light doesn't work at the moment - the live wire's dead for some reason).

The passenger side live feed comes from the driver's side courtesy light - wiring runs behind the headlining along the front of the 'B' pillar roof member so most likely is it's become detached at the driver's light as I can't see it simply breaking for no reason - unless someone's been fiddling of course.

[CJH]

Oh someone's definitely been fiddling! The cable up to the passenger side is a bit of 3-core mains cable. What I don't know is whether the camper conversion company did this, or whether a previous owner's done it. But thanks for the tip - if I cant find out where that mains cable comes from I may just put it back the way it was by connecting up to the driver's side, while the headlining ahead of the pop-top hole is still down.

[1664]

The passenger side live feed comes from the driver's side courtesy light - wiring runs behind the headlining along the front of the 'B' pillar roof member so most likely is it's become detached at the driver's light as I can't see it simply breaking for no reason - unless someone's been fiddling of course.

Sorry I've given you a complete bum steer there. I fitted the passenger side courtesy light myself by looping off the driver's side running along side the VW wiring behind the headlining and fitting a new courtesy light in the hole that would have been the driver's side had the van have been a LHD. Did it that long ago I forgot it was me that did it

When I originally opened the passenger (LHD driver's) hole up I was hoping the existing VW wiring harness would have the necessary cabling already present inside the hole but I couldn't see any and didn't want to go cutting into the harness which is why I looped off the driver's light. There was a door switch already on the passenger 'A' pillar which brought the driver's side light on but it looked retro fitted and I think Autohomes must have fitted it.

Hope that makes sense and sorry for any confusion