Is the overhead console out of a 1985 berlinetta the same as one out of a 1991 GTA? Minus the flashlight of course. If this is a redundant post, I apologize. I couldn't find the original.

I'm pretty sure all overhead consoles are the same, only difference is like you stated flashlight and if is for a hard top or t-top.

There is one other difference in the berli OH console.That non-berlinetta consoles dont have.Whether it be camaro or firebirds.Berlinetta OH consoles have a fourth wire in the harness all others only have 3 wires.Not exactly sure what the 4th wire is all about, but it has something to do with the dome light(i think).

Maybe that 4th wire is an extra ground? Any clue how to wire it up?

Opera lighting (slow fade when you get out of the car)?

JamesC

If it is a slow fade there must be some kind of circut somewhere in the dash?There is nothing extra on the O.H. itself, except the 4th wire.There must be somebody on here with a berli & O.H. that can verify this!

I hate how overly complicated this stuff is! If there is a slow fade, I'm going to find some way of deleteing that.

Does anyone have the part numbers for the connectors in thirdgen with a overhead console and a thirdgen without an overhead console? I want to have a wiriing harness rigged up so I don't need to splice into my stock wiring.

It also looks like I may be acquiring the console out of a different thirdgen, maybe this one won't have the extra wire (if there is one!)

Anyone know how to get rid of the yellowing on the dome light?

Thanks again!
Bill

Now that ai think about it.This fading dome light deal seems more late model type option.Not something that would have been around(least in a camaro)back then.as for geting rid of the yellow.the only way i know of is to replace the lense.Dont know the part #s.The harness is pretty basic,one neg,one pos(dome) & one other pos for the map light.

The only way to get a good domelight lens is to keep a vigilant eye out for a good used one. They're not available new anywhere that I know of, including GM. They show up on ebay quite often, and I've bought a couple of good extra ones just in case mine ever gets messed up. As far as modifying your stock harness goes, you pretty much have to cut it unless you want to try and stuff about 2 1/2 feet of extra wiring up there somewhere. I cringed when I initially cut mine, but then I figured I'm never going back to the cheesy little dome light anyways, so what's the difference? All you have to do is cut it right at the windsheild and splice on the O/H console connector plug, then use a 7mm self-tapping bolt to screw the ground wire eyelet down to the roof metal. You need to decide if you really want an overhead console in your car, because once you commit to doing it, there's no easy way to go back. They're easy enough to take back out, but once you decide to cut the holes in your headliner for one, you'll be out a good amount of cash to put a new headliner back in if you decide to go back to your original domelight.

I'd rather cut the wiring on the overhead console than the stock wiring harness in my car. All I'd need then is the connector that goes into my stock domelight, I could splice the opposite connector into the overhead console wiring. (Does anyone have the part number?)

Also.... why would I need a 7mm self-tapping bolt for the ground? Couldn't I just use the ground that the stock dome light uses?

The slow fade, if there is one, isn't a part of the OH itself. Simply eliminate the extra wire (purple with a white stripe, IIRC).

I would imagine GM has long since discontinued the OH harness.

If the yellowing is caused by smoking, a mild detergent or a mildly abrasive cleaning product will do the trick. I used a product called Soft-Scrub, often used on convert windows.

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The OH wiring, like the stock wiring, runs from the OH to nearly the windshied, across to the driver's side A pillar, then into the dash. Replacing wouldn't be terribly easy under normal circumstances.

JamesC

You'll see what I mean when you start looking at things. Your original domelight harness ends with the two prongs for the dome light bulb, so there's really no way to splice a harness into that. If you want all the functions on the overhead console to work (map light, domelight and maplight switches), it's best to cut your factory domelight wiring and splice the matching plug for the overhead console onto it. The overhead console uses a black ground wire with an eyelet on the end, whereas the factory domelight just has the white and orange wires running to the bulb. The 7mm self-tapping bolt I'm referring to is the stock one that GM used to ground the overhead console wiring. The nice thing is that even on my 89, which never got the overhead console since it was discontinued after 87, still had all the holes already there for the mount screws, ground wire, etc., so you don't even have to do any drilling to bolt it up. Just splice the plug into your harness and carefully cut the holes in your headliner, and you're good to go. Iroc-Z Dave has excellent instructions available on how to install one. That's where I got my instructions from to do mine a few years ago. You have to cut the original harness shorter since it runs to the middle of the roof, whereas the OH one ends at a plug right where the windsheild is. As far as getting the OH harness stuff, you almost always get the female side of the plug with the console when you buy it. I always snag the body side plugs whenever I spot one dangling from the roof of a thirdgen at the junkyards. If you end up needing the male/body side plug, just let me know. I've got a few of them.

For me personally, it didn't make much sense to worry about cutting the harness since I was already cutting the head liner.

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Here's the new and vastly improved link:

http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/in...d-console.html (Step by Step Overhead Console Installation Guide)

JamesC

[quote=JamesC;3189025]For me personally, it didn't make much since to worry about cutting the harness since I was already cutting the head liner.

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That's the exact same conclusion I came to when I did mine.

The Purple wire on the Berlinetta roof console is for the lighting "timer" in the Light module. ( Another Berlinetta exclusive )

When you get in the car and shut the door the courtesy lights stay on until the ignition is turned on. When the Ignition is killed the courtesy lights come on for about 30 seconds.... if the door is opened the timer will keep the interior lights on for about 30 seconds after the door is closed.

So if i don't hook up the purple wire then .... the lights just work normally?

I love all the snazzy option on my berli

Thats just extra cr&p I don't need. I hate cars with that "timer" anyway. My mom has it in her Toyota, and it pisses me off

I hear ya dude. I don't like those stupid timers either. I'm glad mine functions normally. I hate how the headlights do that crap on a lot of newer cars too! It's a good way to ruin a battery if you ask me. I'll see someone walk away from their car with the headlights still on and I have to stop myself from saying they forgot to turn off their headlights. Lol.

The Digital Berlinetta's headlights shut off as soon as the ignition is turned off. A VERY cool option.

So is the Automatic Volume reduction and the High Beam flash-to-pass. Much more useful than the options found on "Regular" Camaros. ( A manually operated hatch light --> How useful is that ?! ) I wired my manual hatch light to the courtesy lights so they are automatic now.

'Timed' electronics are great; Looking for your keys in the dark really sucks and I would rather not "NEED" to reach for the dome light every night !! I'm even considering adding a RAP module from a 95 Z to my Thirdgen so I have Retained Accessory Power to my windows and other functions once the ignition is off. The "extras" are what it's all about !!!!

You can to the retained power with a few heavy duty relays!

You guys are just jealous of our snazzy lights and dash

Much more useful than the options found on "Regular" Camaros. ( A manually operated hatch light --> How useful is that ?! ) I wired my manual hatch light to the courtesy lights so they are automatic now.

As they say, each to their own! My 89 RS was originally equipped with the automatic hatch courtesy light. I went to the junkyard and rounded up the switch to convert it to manual. I had to drive about 400 miles one time with the hatch tied down because I was hauling something big, and that damn light stayed on the whole way! I also like to leave the hatch up when I'm listening to the stereo, so there's one more reason it's nice to be able to shut off the hatch light with the simple flick of a switch.