86 ragtop mirror lights

[GliDeThuNDeR]

Running into a sudden & strange issue. My mirror lights will no longer turn on with the door switch or headlight switch. It does however turn on if you flip the switch on the mirror itself. There are 3 wires running to it. I think it's safe to assume 1 is ground and the other two are 12V. One being always hot for (teacher?) the mirror, the other from the headlight and/or door switch. Anyone know what color of wire I should be looking at, where its ran, etc? I know my headlight switch is kinda goofy, but I wouldn't expect it to cause only 1/3 interior lights to act up.

[4-barrel Mike]

Essential to you; should definitely answer this and most future electrical questions:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-Ford-M...oAAOSwXq5d4B2r

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-FORD-M...0AAOSwcqFeD~My

Mike

[GliDeThuNDeR]

Got it ordered! Looks like this would have been great to have on hand while I was messing with my power locks.

[GliDeThuNDeR]

Still waiting on the arrival of that manual, but I did tear into stuff and find my problem:


My assumption was correct on the three wires. One is a ground that runs directly to the drivers side light, then to the passenger side light. On the passenger side there is the 3 terminal switch. The spade connector on the center terminal goes to the passenger side light, and then to the drivers side light.

Flipped one way, the switch connects the 12V lead coming from the headlight switch/ door switch (terminal closest to windshield). Flipping it the other way disconnects that wire, and connects the other wire (terminal closest to driver), which is hot all the time, and causes the light to come on regardless of the other switches.

In my case, there was tons of corrosion on one of the three terminals, the one coming from the headlight switch. I took a wire brush to the terminal on the switch, and put a new spade connector on the wire and now its good to go.