budsterhunting

Help!
my 88 has an interesting electrical issue. the interior lights do not operate when a door is opened, however they work just fine if you flip the switch or rock the lens. the rear hatch quit working also at or near the same time.
All else appears to be working no problems. Where do I start looking.
budster 88 s4

AO

#1, There are 2 "OFF" settings. One is always off and the other is off whent he door is closed.

#2 (and this is more likely) Check the door pin switch. Probably kaput. Take care when taking out so the wire doesn't fall back into the cavity. Should be able to replace/refurbish easily.

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

hi budster,
All the lights have three connections at the housing: ground(brown), always hot (red or other solid color) and switched ground connecting all the lights together(brown and white striped). The door and hatch pin switches connect the interconnected brown and white striped wire to ground. If the light switch is set to come on with door open then the constant hot and the switched ground complete the circuit when a door or hatch is openned.
So there are 3 types of components to check: light housings, often the contact switching mechanism is bent, corroded or otherwise faulty. You could verify with a continuity tester at the housing that the brown and white stripe wire is grounded when you open a door,if it is then your door pin switch and wiring is OK. check pin switches for movement and corrosion, the hatch switch is at the bottom of the hatch motor. you could pull the switch and ground its wire directly to see if light comes on. wiring is the last and probably the least likely component and you would question it only if switches and light housings check out OK.
Good luck,
Dave

Rod Underwood

I had exactly the same problem and discovered it was a bad hatch switch. Open the hatch, take off the tool cover and unplug the switch that goes to the hatch and try it. You may have to try it a couple of times with the light switches in different positions to make sure you actually have them on. Don't forget you have a delay also, so give it a minute or so after you close the hatch for the lights to go off.

I could give you switch positions, but if someone has had them out before, they may be replaced differently (upside down), so you just need to experiment.


Rod

budsterhunting

Thanks guys, I'm on the hunt. this forum is fantastic. Will report my trials and successes. thanks again.

Alan

Dont forget the Interior light Delay Relay.

Since everything went at once the pin switches seem less likely - give them a good wiggle anyway.... If the lights come on in one mode it isn't the fuse...or the bulb or bulb connections. Not all the brown/white light contacts would break at the same time...

Narrows it somewhat... to most likely the relay..

The door pin switches feed ONLY to the relay (in 88). The hatch switch drives the lights direct. Remove the hatch switch connection and ground it - do the lights come on in the position (not the center position) that doesn't currently work? If yes you have 2 problems - the rear hatch switch is stuck off, and either both front pin switches have failed - or the delay relay has failed.

Alan

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Budster,
As usual when you can get advice from Alan, take it.
Dave