97+ Rear Dome Light Switch Wiring

splitz · Dec 22, 2007

I'm trying to put in some lights in the interior mounted on the lift gate that works with the rear dome light switch.

So I figure I'll run a positive feed from the switch to a relay, and then to the lights (with proper hot and ground of course). There's only one problem...I can't figure out how the stupid switch works!

Here's what the wiring looks like:

Here's what the wires do:

Code:

Hatch open/switch on
White from switch (grey in the pic)     Test Light Off
Black from plug to switch               Test Light Off
White from plug (grey in the pic)       Test Light Off
Red from plug                           Test Light On
 
Hatch open/switch off
White from switch (grey in the pic)     Test Light On
Black from plug to switch               Test Light On
White from plug (grey in the pic)       Test Light Off
Red from plug                           Test Light On 
 
Hatch closed/switch off
White from switch (grey in the pic)     Test Light On
Black from plug to switch               Test Light Off
White from plug (grey in the pic)       Test Light On
Red from plug                           Test Light On
 
Hatch closed/switch on
White from switch (grey in the pic)     Test Light On
Black from plug to switch               Test Light On
White from plug (grey in the pic)       Test Light On
Red from plug                           Test Light On

Does anyone have any suggestions?

splitz · Dec 22, 2007

If I wire white wire to 86 and the lights to 87a, will that work?

GrimmJeeper · Dec 22, 2007

when you open the hatch the door pin switch pops out, creating a ground for that circuit, thats the way all automotive door pin switches work. feed the ground for your relay to the switch and run power from the dome light power since you dont need much to trip a relay, and you're all set.

h2opete987 · Dec 22, 2007

the red wire at your plug is 12v always. the black is your ground. when the doors are closed, the gray wire is 12v, but when they open it becomes ground. for your situation, i would set the relay up like this:

if you can't swith the 12v side, switch the ground side. it accomplishes the exact same thing.

EDIT: yes, lights to 87a, white to 86.

over2land · Dec 22, 2007

My switch burned on my 98... after verifying through a test wire that connecting the two contacts at the switch would result in my desired "light on with hatch open" effect, I then took about 4 inches of 14 ga wire and wound it around the contacts like a ricer in a two pole slalom course. Then, I soldered the crap out of it. To date, I've had the hatch open a lot, with 2 and 3 hours at a stretch not out of the ordinary and 4 or 5 hours on occasion... no smoke, no melting plastic no nothing.

I had originally tried just soldering a jumper wire in there, but even after sanding the two contacts, the dang wire wouldn't stick.

Oh, and I plan on going LED with this thing soon... and likely won't ever bother with the relay... though I have thought of it...

HTH

splitz · Dec 22, 2007

Ok, I wired the relay to 87a and it works perfectly. Thanks everyone for your input.

97+ Rear Dome Light Switch Wiring

splitz

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splitz

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GrimmJeeper

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h2opete987

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over2land

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splitz

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