Problem #1: I've been studying wiring diagrams and disassembling things left and right to try to figure this out, but am hoping maybe someone has had a similar issue who can direct me ... I have some, but not all, switch lights out in the climate control area (not the CC lighting itseld), as well as a couple other areas. They all starting occasionally going out together, started working again together in between, and have now not been working AT ALL for a week. The dead lights are: Shiftgate, window switches, rear dome switch, antenna switch, rear headrest drop switch, exterior light switch (I actually don't remember this lighting up before, so it may be independent), center and right vent switches. It's just the illimunination that doesn't work ... all the switches function fine. From what I can tell on the wiring diagram, they all have connection to the X6 two-post terminal ("58d" circuit). I have tried cleaning all the involved switches (didn't think that would help but worth a try, and I have pulled out the CC, stereo and shiftgate wood to study the wires. I didn't see anything out of place, loose, bent, shredded, melted, etc. I'm pretty sure I found the X6 connection and both screws and all the wires going to them look fine. I'm guessing it's probably one bad ground ... but I have no idea how to find it in that mass of ground wires. Any ideas on how to proceed? I can try replacing the shiftgate bulb, in case it was a massive coincidence ... but I'm pretty sure it's not bulbs (unless one out bulb would cause a circuit failure). This is both annoying and a bit problematic when driving at night. I know where the buttons are and where the shifter needs to go, but it's still confusing not being able to see all those things.

My second problem, which I half figured out: I have one brake light that is always on, albeit dimly, when the exterior lights are on. For a while, it was actually going out when I hit the brakes. I discovered when I run a ground wire directly from the chassi to the metal strip the brake bulb is on, the light goes out (as it should). I noticed the part of that strip that connects to the ground wiring tab is corroded and not touching the ground tab. My terminology might be off, so I attached a picture with the ground flaw in question circled. Should I try to sodder the connection? I hesitate to do that, because it wasn't soddered in the first place. My alternative would be replace the tail lamp backing, or at least that one strip. Soddering would be easier, but I don't want to create a worse problem if there's more to that connection than I know about. Sorry I don't have a closer picture. My camera is "in the shop" so I only have a cellphone camera.

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