VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 35 Standard interior light

My interior light is wired so when I pull the light switch to "parking lights" the overhead cabin light comes on too. Is that correct or is it supposed to have its own switch?

Look around the outer edge of the dome light. If it has a switch it will be there. It is a pull out type to turn on. Push in to turn off. Looks like a screw to hold the glass in the light holder. The type I have on my '36 Standard, Town sedan. Other models have a slide switch on the door post, window height, rear of the front seat door. It may have been covered over. But you should be able to feel it through the fabric.

I am not familiar with a 35 Standard but any vintage Chevys I have seen are like Terrill described. I don't believe it should come on with the park lights.

What does your owner's manual say about the dome light?

There is a small hole in the housing for the light bulb cover. Its empty. No switches around the door and I don't have a owners manual. Just a repair manual which does not mention the interior light.
It used to come on when I pulled the parking lights on. Now she has all new wires bumper to bumper after a mishap leaving a cruise night a few weeks ago. So the tech is asking me if there should be a switch??? I have a pretty good "how the hell do I know" look so I gave him one.

My dome light operates of a rotary switch mounted in the dash panel . When I got the car I think it turned on , off a toggle switch.

I always thought the original car should have a small slide switch mounted around the door post on passenger side.

Make sure you ground the dome light ground wire to the chassis.

mike

The switch in in the dome light. It is controled by a push pull knob the goes through the rim of the light. The switch grounds the circuit causing the light to operate.

The small hole in the chrome rim of light is where the small screw in knob enters the light bulb socket. The hole needs to be oriented over that socket and then screw in the push-pull stud.

That is how my 37 master works, I think your 35 should be the same.

Thank you all. I will pull it apart tomorrow. Should I just feed a screw in the hole?

It's not just a "screw". it's a screw in knob.

Sounds like you need to get one.

Oh, that knob. I found this pic on the internet. Thanks all.

I will never undser stand why guys spend hundreds of dollars on their car and will not spend $35 for an owners and shop manual.
They just don't know what they are missing.

That does not apply here Mr. Gene. I have a repair manual, and several other 1935 pamphlets etc. to include an interchangable parts guide.
I have not seen a owners manual. Usually the internet is a great source. Once I found out "here" that there should be a knob on the light itself. I then found the picture I posted above on the internet.
As you know sometimes us "grasshoppers" need a little guidence, Master...



Is this a "owners manual"

The Filling Station has a listing in their new catalog indicating that they have car owner's manuals from 1928 to 1980, so you might want to check with them to see if they have the owner's manual in question. Looks like the owner's manuals sell for about $12 each. Hope this helps.




Yes.

And just like when you buy a new car read the manual from cover to cover. It is amazing how much you can learn about features, lubrication, and general care.
This is not just aimed at you but all owners of collector cars.

I think he was confused by the fact that there was no knob in the hole. Sometimes parts are missing. The fact that the light comes on means he has a working light. All he needs is that knob thing. He may have it in the parts and stuff left over or cleaned out from the car when he started the restoration. Make a close exam of your dust removed from the car floor. It might be there in that stuff!

Terrill hit it on the head. The hole for the knob is so small I had no idea anything went in there. Today I re-read my books on the car and there is no mention of the interior light. See below open book.

Maybe there were two different types of light available? On my Canada sourced but New Zealand assembled 35 Standard sedan, the interior light switch is a vertical slide switch mounted in the pillar behind the drivers seat.

The dome light on my '35 Std coupe is exactly as is shown in
the picture, Pulling down on the knob turns the light on, pushing up turn it off! Flip

I still say it should not come on with his park lights. It should come on any time you pull the switch knob on the dome light rim and have nothing to do with the headlight/parklight switch. Some one must have done some creative wiring.

wisebri, I can post a picture of the missing screw/knob, with some dimensions, if you would like to make one and use it until you find an original. The threads might be an issue, they are #4 size but more course that 40, so it looks like they might be 4-36, but I don't have that size tap/die to compare to.

And I agree, the dome light should not come on with the parking lights. Sounds like the dome light wire is connected to the wrong terminal on the lighting switch.

Thank you all for the responses. Jonjet has offered (and I accepted) "the knob". The second owner did the restoration in 2003 and must have wired it to come on with the light switch. Not being a big deal I thought it was supposed to work that way. Yes, I assumed. He was very specific to detail when he did the restoration. Not as specific as you guys of course. The tech that just put the new wiring in my car was happy to hear he did not make a mistake. YNZ's Yesterdays Parts did a great job with the new harness.