My early 1995 C4 came to me without a glove box light or contact switch (among several other electrical gremlins). A Continental radio was installed by the PO and I assume things were removed then but I have no idea why that would have been done. Anyway, in trying to reassemble all this I ran into wiring questions. I purchased an LED light kit for the glove box and when I attach it to what I assume are the correct wires it comes on dimly, not brightly. I tested the same LED light in the frunk compartment and it was bright as day. The wires in question are Brown and Brown/White. I cannot figure out the glove box door switch wiring. I have a Green wire and a Brown wire in the area where the switch should be. The Brown wire is in a wiring harness with a disconnected connector which I assume went to the OEM radio. These colors do not match what I've seen regarding 993 glove box wiring but mine is an October 1994 build (thanks to Jay at Immoblock). Any advice appreciated.

 

Hi Thomas,
LEDs are diods and only illuminate in one polarity when attached to a power source. Switch the wires to the LED and see if it illuminates more brightly.
It looks like the glove box light switch provides the connection to ground and the red wire to the bulb socket is a constant on hot (+) wire.
RE = Red wire, constant on from the fusebox
BR = Brown wire connected to a body ground
BR/WT = Brown wire with a whte stripe, switched by the glove box switch ground wire to the bulb
Here are the pin-outs to the radio:
https://993servicerepair.blogspot.co...ire-color.html

The red wire in your picture looks like it is attached to the connector block for the radio. Both the radio and the glove box light have a constant-on Red hot (+) wire going to them. It looks like the radio red wire can have an extention added to it so it powers both the radio and the glove box light if you desire to do this.

Andy

 

Hi Andy,

I tried switching polarity on the LED light but it didn’t matter. What is odd is that the bulb wires are BR/BR-WH with no Red wire as shown in your diagram. And the free wires in the area of the missing switch are Green and Brown, with Red bundled in the disconnected radio block. Again, this doesn’t seem to match wiring diagrams. My car has/had the upgraded HiFi audio with the Nokia amp under the seat. Nothing seems to match so I remain stumped.

 

I'm getting ready to install a Conti radio (currently have no radio) and also have that green wire not connected to anything.

So if I read correctly on Andy's site, if you put an aftermarket radio, the green wire won't connect to anything?

 

I’ll have to look at Andy’s website when I’m free but maybe my Continental radio installation explains the free Green wire. Maybe the wiring bundle with the BR/BR-WH wiring goes to the switch (which meshes with wiring diagrams) but it’s on the right side of the glove box area, not the left where the switch is. And the wiring that could connect to the bulb (Red/Br) is tucked into the left side of the glove box area a long, long way from the light bulb.

 

Your statements and replies:

I tried switching polarity on the LED light but it didn’t matter.
A: I would use an incandecent bulb in the glove box so your testing can produce results and so the alarm system works as designed.

hat is odd is that the bulb wires are BR/BR-WH with no Red wire as shown in your diagram.
A: In the picture I see a red wire to the radio connection block that can be tapped into to run the glovebox light socket

And the free wires in the area of the missing switch are Green and Brown,
A: Green is the alarm wire for the radio mounting frame. It is not used. It should be insulated so it doesn't touch a ground and tucked out of the way

The solid brown is attached to a body ground point and should be attached to the glove box switch.
The Brown with white strip wire was attached to the glove box switch on one end and the light fixture on the other.

with Red bundled in the disconnected radio block. Again, this doesn’t seem to match wiring diagrams. My car has/had the upgraded HiFi audio with the Nokia amp under the seat. Nothing seems to match so I remain stumped.

A:Attaching the solid brown wire to one side of the glovebox switch,
Use the striped wire, to run from the switch to the glove box bulb socket,
Extending the red wire from the radio block connector to the other side of the bulb socket should make the glove box light curcuit work
This will also cause the wires in place to match the wiring diagram.

Andy

 

With further digging I think the answer has been found! The bundle containing the BR-BR/WH wire had been seriously altered. Much higher up I found electrical tape that was hiding both the Red and Brown/ Brown-Gray wires! The red wire was cut. It will take some work to free things up and try to reconnect but hopefully this solves this problem as well as interior lighting issues I’ve also been having.

Thanks to Andy and Jay for invaluable advice

 

Thomas,
Great! It looks like if you add back a section of red wire with a spade attached to the end you have all the wires you need to reattach things acording to the wiring diagram.
Let us know if this sorts out your issue.
Andy

 

Solved! I soldered a spade to the butchered red wire and hooked things back up as you suggested. I now have a functioning glove box light and switch. Now, if I could only find the short in the frunk and cabin lights circuit...

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

Hi Thomas,
Check the spades to the light fixture in the frunk to verify they are not shorting out to the trunk lid. Also it is very easy to short out the frunk light fixture to the lid when removing or installing the light fixture. Adding a little electrical tape to the spades can help avoid this issue.
Andy