Changing light fixture with 2 switches?

Hello,

We just moved to a old house and wanted to change out the light fixtures. The one on the bottom of the stairs was easy enough, white to white black to black and ground wire.



-There are two switches that control both lights. They are kinda messed up because if you turn off the lights with one switch you can turn them on with the other.



-When I got upstairs and took out the fixture there are three cords with six wires, not counting ground wires.



-There is a old black cord (with 2 wires ) which I'm sure is the power.

-Two white cords, each with a white and black. I'm pretty sure one goes to the downstairs light.



After a few variations I either got:

-both lights turn on (without the switches doing anything)

-Just the top or bottom (without the switches doing anything)

-Or nothing at all.



Here is a picture (made on paint) of what's going on. I should have taken a picture of the fixture when I took it out...now I know.



Picture: http://www.thatse.com/images/wires.jpg



THANKS!!
Changing light fixture with 2 switches?
make sure you have 3-way switches.
Changing light fixture with 2 switches?
Yea, make sure you bought 3-way switches. Other than that, you have a pretty simple situation. I'm guessing the switches worked fine before, and you just wanted something cleaner and more up-to-date. On the switches, you have two screws of one color and one of another. The oddball screw is your common, the other two terminals are for your %26quot;travelers%26quot;. Make sure the two wires that should be identified some way as a pair, are going to the two screws that match in color. Which wire to which screw? It doesn't matter. 27 yr. journeyman electrician