Could someone give me the interior lighting arrangement, my pillar lights stay on all the time, and I'm not sure what controls them. There is a three position (up-middle is neutral-down) switch on the driver side under the dash by the choke control, a map light on the passenger side, headlight switch, and door switches.
I would assume that either door switch would turn on the lights, and I would think that one of the positions of the 3 way switch might turn the lights on, but I don't know if the headlamp switch (with rheostat) would have any effect on the pillar lights. I think one of the switches is either bad or shorting out to make the pillar lamps stay on. I completely disconnected the 3 way switch and the lights were still on. So,how many switches control the two pillar lamps on the interior?
I'm Havinfun.

When I replaced my interior last year I noticed that if the metal caseing for the dome lights touched the body of the car the lights came on. If memory serves me correctly, (and that is rare these days) the three position switch controls the grounded side of the curcuit. If you look at a wiring diagram, I think the power supply goes directly to the two dome lights, and the switch controls if the lights have: 1. no ground-centered (lights off), 2. ground for door switch-lower position (lights on when doors open), or 3. active ground-upper position (lights on).

If this logic is correct, I would start by checking the wiring to see if something is grounding out somewhere. I would also test the three position switch to see if it has continuity in the upper and lower position, and no continuity in the middle position. That will tell you if you have a good switch.

The map light is a totally seperate unit and does not wire into the dome lights. The power may be supplied by the same source.

Good luck, and let us know what you come up with.

Oliver
1966 1800S

The three-way switch positions are lights on regardless of door switches, lights off, and lights on only when a door is open. Not sure of the order; my switch may be upside down compared to yours.

BUT, each light has its own internal switch that's independent of any of that. Pulling the rear of the light housing away from the body turns it on.

Phil, I don't understand the "But, each light has it's own internal switch that's independant of any of that. Pulling the rear of the light housing away from the body turns it on."
I have just finished the upholstery in the back and have installed the pilar lights in that wing piece over the quarter window. I have no idea if the lights worked previously or not. The chrome light housing is held to the body with 2 screws, which in turn kind of holds the upholstered wing in place. Are you saying that the screws that go into the body are causing the lights to stay on?
The 3 way switch function sound reasonable now that you have described it.
Thanks for the info, but again I'm not sure I understand the second part of the message.
I'm Havinfun

At least in my '71 the rear pillar light lenses as a whole can act like switches. One end of the lens tabs into the base, the other end can be pulled in or out slightly. I forget which position it is, but one position is slaved to the front light, the other is 'on' all the time. It's sort of subtle and not very intuitive. Sort of like the hidden heater controls?

I don't think the owner's manual even really mentions how they work, but the do show thw 'switch' side of the lens in the page showing how to replace the bulb:

http://www.volvo1800pictures.com/manual/page51.html

Here is a excerpt from the Yahoo 1800list that say the base can short causing the light to stay on. I have not had the problem or investigated if it true. Since you just reassmebled them I would look at it.

Greg B.
1970 1800E


^The reason your lights stay on is because the metal fixture that holds
the bulbs is shorting out against the car body.....I had the exact same
problem and heres the fix (should it turn out not to be the switch or
the lense thing)......remove the fixture from the car ....use electrical
tape on the rear of the fixture.....purchase some small plastic wall
anchors.....enlarge the hole in the car body where the little fixture
screws connect and put the wall anchors in there..... put everything
back together and make sure that no metal part of the fixture touches
the car frame.....What I suppose Volvo did orginaly was the light pannel
was held away from the frame by the new pannel and there was probably a
fiber washer around the fixture screw to keep the thing from shorting
out...over time the pannel weakened and the fiber washer disentegrated
and PO's just screwed the affair tighter and tighter against the car
body till it shorted out and kept the light on...not knowing what was
going on the removed the bulbs.....let me know if it works.....they make
neat colored bulbs for these lights too.....