MOD: Adding Dome Light Switch

[GMJAP]

Now that it gets dark so early I'm often tooling around with the toddler in the back seat after dark. I'm often wanting to turn the dome lights on to check on him - is he so quiet cause he fell asleep? What is he banging around? etc.However, I find the combo dimmer/dome light dial a pain in the (removed). It has to be dorked around with to get the lights on (all the way up is "OFF"), meanwhile the instruments get too bright, and then I have to dork with it again to get the dimmer set how I like it. So finally I got tired of it and put in a simple switch for the dome lights.(Those of you with 2006+ Vibes can be thankful they finally fixed this for you!)I got a push-on, push-off type button and put it in a blank cover plate like the one to the left of the steering wheel, next to the coin slot. A rocker or toggle switch would work just as well. The switch should make contact in the "on" position (normally open).Wires with quick disconnect lugs will connect it to the dome lights behind the dimmer dial.The trim piece containing the dimmer dial can be removed using a taped, flat tool. I used a flexible putty knife. The tape keeps it from scratching the trim or dash. Pry up around the edges to pop the trim out.---You want to connect the switch to the two circled wires below, at the connector behind the dimmer dial. The white/black wire is ground, and the red/black wire is the low side of the dome lights. Connecting the low side of the dome lights to ground will turn them on, so we want the switch to connect these two wires.I used T-Splices, which just clamp on the wires, then the lugs plug into them.---Bring the switch wires into the blank hole, and up around to connect to the T-Splices. Push the blank with the switch into place and replace the trim.All Done!! You can get T-Splices and Lugs online at http://www.mouser.com. The splices (aka taps) are Part #538-19216-0018, and the quick disconnect terminals (lugs) are part # 159-3251.

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[GMJAP]

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[GMJAP]

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[zionzr2]

Nice! Yeah that dimmer dial is a pain!!they got the order all wrong. All the way up should be "ON" all the way down should be "OFF"

[binary]

GReat idea, GMJAP, and a good write up!I often thought they should have integrated the auto-on headlight sensor into the dash lights. So that in the day - they'd be at 100% but at night they're always way too bright. Kind of off topic.. but same switch

[ColonelPanic]

Quote, originally posted by binary »GReat idea, GMJAP, and a good write up!I often thought they should have integrated the auto-on headlight sensor into the dash lights. So that in the day - they'd be at 100% but at night they're always way too bright. Kind of off topic.. but same switch Back in the day, Mom had an '87 Oldsmobile with digital gauges that had that very feature. I see it has returned after a long appearance in the Cobalt and HHR, probably others. None of the dash lights will come on if it is too light outside. Sure as heck could have saved us a lot of headaches! But yes, GMJAP - that's a cool idea. Glad they addressed it for '06 with the individual switches. One cool thing I noticed about the Torrent, the dome light did have the off/door/on switch, and none of the others did (compared to the Vibe's new setup that has switches on the front and rear lights.) There were four lights all together that were activated with the doors - two map lights up front, the center dome light, and the rear... All were controlled by that switch in the center light. So you can kill them all, switch them on, or set them to work with the doors through that one switch. Very cool.Good idea on this project. I'd do it on mine, but at this point, the point is quite moot.

[GMJAP]

Glad you guys find it a useful idea. It's been great so far; I just wish I'd done it sooner!

[Mavrik]

I've never had an issue with mine but... cool!

[ZubenElGenubi]

That's a cool mod! Now I've something I can so with my extra rocker switch!