Cadillac & LaSalle Club Discussion Forum

Cadillac & LaSalle Club Forums => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chad Oolman on October 27, 2010, 12:14:24 AM

Title: mystery switch??
Post by: Chad Oolman on October 27, 2010, 12:14:24 AM
I have a 1959 Formal Limousine that is nearing the end of it's restoration.  My brother-in-law is taking care of a few wiring issues for me including trying to figure out what one of the switches in the rear compartment controls.  On the passenger side, rear seat, there is a small double switch just above the divider window and power window controls.  One of these switches turns on the reading lamps.  The second switch does not apear to do anything.  Can anyone tell me what it is suppose to control?

Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: okccadman on October 27, 2010, 12:30:57 AM
Chad, do you have a pic of the switches?  Are they possiblly left and right reading light switches?
Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: Tim Pawl CLC#4383 on October 27, 2010, 10:59:10 AM
Is it the rear seat activated power door lock switch?  I believe the door locks were vacuum controlled. Someone may have disconnected vaccum line to rear door locks (often the source of rough engine idle if leaking) and therefore you would have no door lock action when switch is activated.   I have seen on some formal limosines a single "front door style" key lock on the rear passenger side door, it was keyed different than the front doors......hence allowing the owner to keep even a chauffer out of the rear compartment.  I believe the power door lock was also separate from the front power door lock controls.  It is worth a look. 
Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: Chad Oolman on October 27, 2010, 11:06:28 PM
I wondered about the left and right reading lamps as well.  But the other switch controls both reading lamps.  The mystery switch is conected to a wire that runs to the front of the car, underneath the dash, below the headlight switch.  The headlight switch also turns on the dome light in the rear, so we are assuming that this mystery switch is suppose to turn on the dome light, but it doesn't.  We know the wire is good, we used a meter to test it.  We also know that the switch is good because we hooked up the reading light wire to it and they worked as well.

Basically, we can not figure out for sure what this switch is suppose to do.  If it is for the dome light, why does the headlight switch work to turn it on and the mystery switch does not?

I have attached a photo of the switch I am talking about.  All the limousines I have seen from the mid fifties through the mid sixties have this switch.  Any limo owners out there that has one still working?

Thanks for your help!
Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: Davidinhartford on October 28, 2010, 05:51:08 AM
Nobody has the owners manual?
Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: TMoore - NTCLC on October 28, 2010, 10:26:10 AM
I don't own a limo of this period, but I wonder if it could be an override switch to DISABLE the rear compartment courtesy lights so that the rear occupants could maintain privacy when the courtesy lights come on?

Just a thought -

I am sure some owners will chime in with the correct answer.

T. Moore
Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: The Tassie Devil(le) on October 28, 2010, 07:13:31 PM
If nobody knows, then I would be doing some tracing of the wiring to see where it goes to.

Only got to remove the switch and trace the wires

Bruce. >:D
Title: Re: mystery switch??
Post by: Series75 on November 02, 2010, 06:53:56 AM
no mystery it's the on-off switch for the two round rear reading lights.  The two switch panel operates the overhead dome (left slider switch) and the other controls the on-off of the two reading lights.  If your car doesn't have reading lights I would suggest someone may have replaced the headliner and removed them.   The wiring is probalby still there.  - Tom