Wagon Rear Compartment Light Probs!
 

My 85 Wagon Tailgate light is not turning on when I open the tailgate. Is this normal? (WTF). It does come on when I hit the switch on the main console. I can get it to turn on when the rear doors open "kind of silly". When I further tinker with it it seems to work "retarded". That is, the light turns ON "permanently" only when the tailgate is shut and it turns OFF when the tailgate is opened.

Any suggestions? Is there a contact on the rear tailgate or something that Im missing? Is the actual Dome LIght Assembly itself missing some kind of piece or mechanism aside from the "roller style switch"

THanks,

My '85 just started doing this too.

In taking apart the '84, I remember a microswitch in the works back there. I need to look at my electrical diagrams, but that may be the culprit.

Mine is wonky too on the 82 TD. It will come on when you push the button on the center stack, it will come on when you first open the hatch but go out when the hatch is fully-open. It can then be turned on by pulling on the interior latch handle.

I figure that its a switch or loose connection somewhere, but it hasn't been a priority.

Arrrrrggg
 

I tore the Tailgate apart and still could not identify the culprit.

To the left behind the spare wheel is the mechanism for the antenna.
To the right behind jack/emergency kit is vacuum lines and so on.

On the actual Tailgate I was only able to identify (license plate light assemblies, latch, locks and rear wiper motor mechanisms)

On the ceiling of the actual tailgate (liner) all that was identified was the tailgate wiring connection point (of which the dome light does not connect to)

On my Repair manual electrical diagram it talks about a Tailgate contact switch that I can not locate..

I must add that the actual diagram is like paddy cake to a person with out arms. I cant read those things for nothing in the world.

What am I missing????

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._6499824_n.jpg

good luck :)

Wow that seems like a helpful diagram.

any way of getting it bigger?

if you can shoot it my way uon26@hotmail.com

thanks

Im not sure what it looks like to you (everytime i put a pic up it turns out diff and i can never tell) . But just zoom your browser in.

The micro switch is actually inside the tailgate I believe.

What micro switch are u talking about??? I practically tore the entire rear tailgate apart..

If you look at the picture dome light and switch are part of the same unit. have never even been inside a wagon but... according to wiring diagram should be VERY close to the light. so maybe pulling the tailgate apart is not the answer...

The switch that is "close" to the light on the diagram is actually the one on the dash. The microswitch I am referring to is the one next to the rear wiper motor. I believe the switch is integrated on the lock mechanism inside the hatch door.

I should've taken pictures when I ripped that all out of Betty. I dread having to get in there again. Very cramped working area.

I believe you mis read. there is a switch right below the light assembly in the pic which i would assume is in the dash but inside the square where the light is there is another switch. is there a external next to the bulb that i dont know about?

The actual tailgate dome light itself sits very similar to the cabin dome light. (identical I think) there is no other switch behind, below or any where around it. Maybe the switch of your diagram is referring to the "ON" ( steady on) & OFF "15 sec delay" manual switch on the physical light itself.

When I dug into my Tailgate today I noticed something that kind of has me curious to what ANDREW is mentioning. When I would lightly push in on the lock/latch thing on the tailgate the light would come ON when pressed and OFF when released.. Something around here or near the rear wiper has to be "retarded" as it is working perfect except for the command is backwards. ON when closed OFF when opened... UMMMMMMMMM

ok so with backwords operation i would expect the problem to be at one of the rear doors. there are two ways for ground to be applied to the light, maybe your operation is correct for whichever way ground is being forced to travel. look at the diagram for a bit and i think you will figure out what im trying to get across.

I believe the switch is part of the latch assembly itself.