Mystery wire in trunk lid.

[ew1usnr]

The trunk light is working! I bought a pair of Sylvania 67 13.5 V 8 W bulbs at the auto parts store for $5.30. I added the bulb and then found that the trunk light lead wire led to a disconnected terminal.

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I could not find a corresponding wire for the lead wire to plug into. But I did notice that the lead to the dome light passed over the left rear fender and it had a plugged together terminal. I sandwiched a wire into that terminal and connected it to the trunk light lead. It works! The trunk light comes on either by turning on the overhead light from the light switch or by opening a door and having the courtesy light switch turn on the overhead light. This is nice.

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[olgraybeard]

OMG just like a real car!! ;>) These small victories are what keeps us going, don't try to explain to non car guys or gals

[ew1usnr]

Huh. I was just checking out the trunk light in the dark with the garage door closed. With the dome light switch on, the trunk lid light is initially off as the trunk lid open and then lights up as the lid passes the half-way up point while opening up. The light goes off as the lid passes the half-way down point while closing. I lifted the lid up and down a number of times and it is not just a loose connection. There must be a mercury switch built into trunk light assembly.

If I were to add an always hot wire back to the trunk, then then trunk light could be made to come on only when the trunk were opened, rather than every time the door is open as it is now. I will leave it as it is now because it gives me a way to turn the light on or off and I really don't need the trunk light on every time it is open (like during the day time). Plus, it seems that it would be an invitation to electrical shorting issues to string an always hot wire back to trunk.

[ew1usnr]

After sleeping on it, I realized that my previous thinking was wrong. The mercury switch built into trunk light assembly is there to prevent the trunk light from turning on inside the closed trunk every time the door is opened. The courtesy light switch or dome light switch will turn the trunk light on only when the trunk is fully opened. That is ingenious.