Newbie here, just acquired a really nice one owner '79 280ZX and I'm learning as much as I can. I have a nagging issue that if resolved, would make this car just a bit more enjoyable.

The ceiling dome light will illuminate with the manual switch on the assembly itself. It will illuminate as soon as soon as the hatch lever is pulled. The under dash courtesy lights will illuminate when either door is opened. I have pulled both the dome light assembly and the door switch. I have removed the inside pillar plastic cover and all three wires are plugged in and clean. The 3 pronged plug from the wire harness to the light assembly is firmly plugged in and clean. Based on what I have taken apart on this car, no one has ever messed with or repaired anything related to this issue as far as I can tell. I suspect the assembly is bad but because it works with the hatch, I question that theory. Is there a manual switch somewhere that kills the dome light that's hidden? Any ideas on how to resolve would be great. Thanks

There are switches that activate the light when you open the door. They are the circular things towards the bottom of the door jamb. These are somewhat prone to corroding, and can cause issues once the internal contacts corrode.

Thanks David. They all check out and do activate the courtesy lights so that tells me the ground there is adequate.

You can check the wiring diagram in the factory service manual. If you don't have a factory service manual, here's a link to one. http://www.xenons130.com/files/1979%20280zx%20FSM.zip