Seat Belt & Dome Light Info

[Mechanized]

I have a single wire going down the drivers side to right about the base of the drivers seat belt area - it has a plastic prong connector on the end; that is the ONLY wire going to the rear of the cab; do you guys think this wire was for some seatbelt sensor or for a dome light? I do have a seat belt light lens in the instrument cluster - though no light socket there, but someone could have removed too.

I have aftermarket seatbelts and no dome light or headliner - don't think it had a headliner from factory as far as I can tell, but maybe they wired them for dome lights before final equipping them. Which leads to my second question - did models with no headliner ever have dome lights? And either way can you install a dome light without headliner, if so what type and how would you run the wire up there with no side trim pieces to hide it?

[jrbarrie83]

Most likely this is for the seatbelt buzzer. The bulb for the fasten belts light is just a socket that twists in like the rest of the bulbs in the cluster. The buzzer is controlled by the seatbelt. If the key is turned to "on", the buzzer will sound for about 5 seconds, or until the belt is pulled out. It isn't connected to the buckle, as I assumed it would be, but to the roll of the belt. Being as though you have aftermarket belts installed, I doubt there is anywhere to plug this in for the buzzer to work.

As for the dome light, my dad's 80 Custom Deluxe does not have a headliner but does have a dome light. I can't be certain, but I don't recall any wiring running to it, so it must be hidden somewhere inside the metal panels. I can't be certain though - haven't even been inside his truck in years - but I can check for you.

Jim

[GMCMedic]

The dome light wire runs through the roof panels and down the rear drivers side post. The connection to the harness is in the rear corner.

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[Mechanized]

Most likely this is for the seatbelt buzzer. The bulb for the fasten belts light is just a socket that twists in like the rest of the bulbs in the cluster. The buzzer is controlled by the seatbelt. If the key is turned to "on", the buzzer will sound for about 5 seconds, or until the belt is pulled out. It isn't connected to the buckle, as I assumed it would be, but to the roll of the belt. Being as though you have aftermarket belts installed, I doubt there is anywhere to plug this in for the buzzer to work.

As for the dome light, my dad's 80 Custom Deluxe does not have a headliner but does have a dome light. I can't be certain, but I don't recall any wiring running to it, so it must be hidden somewhere inside the metal panels. I can't be certain though - haven't even been inside his truck in years - but I can check for you.

Jim

Jim, that makes sense - must just be a buzzer light, but wanted to save it if it was a dome or something; decided to just cut it at the dash area today as I'm cleaning up a wiring mess, so thanks for the help.

[Mechanized]

The dome light wire runs through the roof panels and down the rear drivers side post. The connection to the harness is in the rear corner.

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Thanks GMCMedic, just checked up in those corner supports and there were no wires coming down from roof, so it doesn't appear to have been wired for a dome at least; looking back there - there is not any way to easily wire a dome light without wires being real visible that I can see - keeping in mind that I have no corner trim pieces running the height of the cab there which I believe some trucks have. May just wire a larger light under the dash area for interior lighting. I did see the old 60's C10's have a real nice dedicated dome light right above rear window which would be nice, but again no way to wire it I can see.

[jrbarrie83]

Just an additional option or two for your interior lighting. I noticed that under the dash on the passenger side there was a place where a light socket could be mounted, so I found one at the junk yard and tapped into the wiring for the other under-dash light, and this made a nice addition at night. Also, I have an '86 Olds with T-tops that did not have a dome light. Someone told me the wiring to the interior opera lamps still ran behind the trim on the middle bar in the roof, and I could tap into that. So what I did was found a mirror from a late 90's, early 00's car that had integral switched reading lamps (I believe it came out of a grand prix or lumina or something of that nature). If you are able to hide some thin wiring along the top edge of the windshield/roof and then behind the trim on the A-pillar, this might be a viable option to get you an overhead light. If you want more info, let me know and I can help describe this better.

[Mechanized]

Just an additional option or two for your interior lighting. I noticed that under the dash on the passenger side there was a place where a light socket could be mounted, so I found one at the junk yard and tapped into the wiring for the other under-dash light, and this made a nice addition at night. Also, I have an '86 Olds with T-tops that did not have a dome light. Someone told me the wiring to the interior opera lamps still ran behind the trim on the middle bar in the roof, and I could tap into that. So what I did was found a mirror from a late 90's, early 00's car that had integral switched reading lamps (I believe it came out of a grand prix or lumina or something of that nature). If you are able to hide some thin wiring along the top edge of the windshield/roof and then behind the trim on the A-pillar, this might be a viable option to get you an overhead light. If you want more info, let me know and I can help describe this better.

Thanks JR, I'll check mine for a second socket - like you said I already have one under dash light - was thinking along those lines of putting a second stronger light under there, which may be all you need; can't see any clean way to wire the roof area (have a glass mounted mirror) - if I had a silverado or something with pillar trim maybe you could run up rear corner pillar, but not an option.

[Rattler12]

If it's orange it's for the dome light. I believe the seat belt buzzer/light wire is D Green with a white stripe.