MG Car Repair: door switch, wiring loom, door switches

Question
I have a 1980 mgb that the door switches were removed when the car was painted by last owner I reinstalled switches attached purple wires with white line with bullets to both doors if I manually toggle the map light it will light but opening the doors does not turn on light what should I check now?

Answer
Hi Mike.  The light works when you switch it on manually, so there is power to it.  The switches operate on the earth return circuit, and that is where your fault lies.  Before you do anything else, unplug one of the switches and rub the bullet connector against a piece of bare metal.  If the light operates, then the fresh paint is preventing the switches from earthing properly.

If neither door switch wire turns the light on, then I would inspect the wiring to the light.  There are 3 short wires coming from the back of the light terminating in bullet connectors.  One of them is Purple with a white stripe.  Check that it is still plugged in, and also check that it has not become un-soldered from the back of the light unit.  

This wire then disappears briefly into the wiring loom and comes out high up behind the centre of the dashboard.  It terminates in a 4-way bullet connector with 3 wires going into it.  They are all the same colour - purple/white.  Perhaps one of these wires has become detached from the bullet connector.  The other two wires go to each door switch, usually taped to the square steel tube that runs under the dashboard.