Hi Folks, been a while since I came by as I was up to my ears in doing a pedal cluster rebuild - which was done successfully I might add.

Now to the topic on hand. I put a new bulb in the engine bay light fixture since mine didn't have one, and found that the wires were not connected and when i cleaned up the ends and tried to see any voltage there I had none. I had the head lights on by the way. What is the next steps I should take to solve this? Appreciate any help. Here is a picture showing the wires I measure the volts.

 

take it off, treat the surface rust, clean it up and connect the wires.
Should be straightforward-I did mine last year and can't recall anything other than crud buildup and a good oiling needed so it can slide

 

Make sure all fuses are good to go.

D

 

should it be on all the time or is there a plunger/ mercury switch in the system ?

i don't have this light so cant comment further.

 

I just checked on my '85, which is working as it should. Here are the details of how it should work:
- ignition switch does not matter. It should come on whether or not the key is in, etc.
- parking lights or headlights must be turned on for it to come on
- there is no mercury switch. It comes on when the sliding cover is opened about 1/4 open or more. Confirmed that closing the lid does not turn it off.

Since you checked for voltage at the wires (cut), I don't think cleaning out the light, etc. will help. Figure out why you're not getting voltage on that circuit when your parking lights are on. Do your license plate lights come on?

 

Looking at the nasty white wire on the right of the photo, I'd agree with dshepp806.

 

I just checked the rear light in my 88 Carrera engine bay. The light switch has to be pulled out to parking or full on. The cover on my light rotates about 3/4 turn and the light comes on. It feels like there is a small micro switch is in there as I get a slight resistance, then the bulb lights up.

 

wow thats cool i didnt even notice the little cover .. gotta score one of these at the next swap meet ..looks like a pretty simple upgrade..

 

The brown wire is ground and the white wire is power. The white wire looks like it was intentionally cut because it was grounding out where it is pinched under the fixture. Fix the pinch and you will likely fix the problem.

 

OK now my light works. Here is what happened so it answers some of the questions you good folks raised.

- Found no bulb in my car
- Put new bulb and nothing happened
- Found that the white/grey wire going to the light fixture was severed
- Cleaned up and reconnected wire, nothing happened, except the metal cylinder that rotates to turn on light was warm.
- Found no voltage now at the 2 wires
- Found that no.4 fuse was blown, and also that the PO had used a 16A fuse
- Put 5A fuse, and cleaned up the contacts and checked voltage; found had 11.65 at the 2 wires
- Checked for continuity in the light fixture to make sure no hidden short was present
- Reassembled everything and tested, and the bulb worked fine.

Looks like I could have shorted something when I reconnected the 2 wires the first time which blew out the fuse and provided no voltage at the wires.

The way the rotating lid works is, its side is insulated except for a small ~2/3 brass like circular strip on which the wire (the brown wire side) terminal contact spring **** rides. This strip terminates in a recessed "button". When the wire contact **** "sits" on this recessed "button" is when current flows and lights up the bulb. This is where you also feel a spring like stop when the bulb cover is opened to make the light come on. There is no other switch just a sliding contact when terminates in a full contact through this mechanism. Thought I would share this.

Thanks to everyone....now I have to move on to the next mini project.