cargo light wiring ?

having trouble figuring out whats wrong with my cargo light. this is on a 1990 limited.

here is what i know:

• with the gate open there is 12v to 2 of the 3 wires at the light plug
• there is 12v at the bulb
• the white wire to the switch has 12v
• i cut the wires to the switch thinking it was bad. looping these together while grounding the mounting plate does not work?
• if i hook the black and white switch wires together and ground them the light comes on.

what am i missing ? is the base plate for mounting the ground ? does this mean the switch is bad ? if so how do i wire in a replacement ? is there an easy way to just tap the plug and wire up a new light, so it comes on when the gate opens ?

i am pretty much electrically handicapped. help me before i burn my baby to the ground. :gonnablow

Hallo. One wire has to be hot (pink) and the two other wires are making ground by the door switches and the cargo light switch/liftgate switch.
At least by my '92 XJ.
I think you have something to do in this wekend. uke:

Does the light work by pressing the black button?

AL BUNDY said:

Does the light work by pressing the black button?

Click to expand...

no, not at all. thats why i cut the switch wires (black button), thinking it was bad. thats when i got a new toggle switch to replace it with and am unsure how to wire it up since it has 3 terminals on it ? the black button only had a white and black wire.

i tried a few different ways and got nothing.

basically the only way i could get the light to come on was by grounding the white and black switch wires together. thats why im confused. i thought the base plate was ground and the white and black switch wires were just a simple cutoff for that ground when you dont want the light on with the gate open.

ah crap im rambling again. got everyone good and confused now i hope :gag:

went and pulled another light assembly from the local yard. hooked it up and . . . . . nothin ! so either the switch is bad in that one also, or ? ? ?

suggestions anyone ?

i could live with just a toggle if thats what it comes down to. suggestions on tapping into it and wiring one up ?

dont know if this helps but as you prolly know the switch is ground in and ground out. the bulb socket is fed 12v continusly sounds like the factory ground going to the switch has been lost, verify with an ohm meter or just go to a known good ground

so if i understand correctly the way the switch works, is basically by breaking the ground and interupting the current ?

i verified 12v at the bulb and its deff there. how do i check the factory ground ? check the bulb 12v by using the switch ground wire instead of the body ?

nevermind. figured it out. was the latch switch that was clearly busted. i just unplugged the two wires to that and spliced them together. works like a charm ! doesnt come on when the hatch is open, but the button on the light itself does work and best of all i can still turn it off and on with the headlight knob.