Where to hook up trunk light harness?

-
twister360

twister360

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2008
Messages
274
Reaction score
5
Location
Houma, La.
I have a 74 Duster with the fold down rear seat and I purchased a trunk light harness from a member here. It is the complete harness with the switch, light socket, and a male and female plug. My car did not have this trunk light and I want to know where to make the electrical connection and where to attach the light socket? Anyone have photos of this connection point?

Thanks Gary
 
If I have a minute tomorrow I will get a pic, mine is a 74 Dart Sport, I would imagine it's the same.

The light is next to the left hinge.
 
I have the one in factory location and took a second one I had and spliced it in and now have lots of light from both sides now. I also changed it to face the rear of the car
 
Badsport said:
In this first pic you can see the wire from the harness that comes up from the floor inside the car.

View attachment 1714562733

This is how the light and switch is mounted.

View attachment 1714562734

This is in a 74 Dart Sport, pretty much the same body. Hope it helps.
Click to expand...

The wiring in my Duster is the same as yours except:

1. The switch just sits in the "pocket" of the tab and has a nut to secure it on the bottom side of the tab. The tab is not threaded and full of paint. Does this pose a grounding problem? Should this switch screw into its location? Also the switch does not have a 90* bend, just straight.
2. When I make the connections as you have, I get power to the bulb holder with the switch open or closed, but the new bulb does not work.

Seems like something is not grounded properly. All systems on that particular circuit are working properly. My car did not come with this light from the factory, as I bought it from a member here. Maybe the switch is bad, but part stores only have the 2 pin type.

Can some one shed some light on this subject?
 
Can you post up a pic of your switch?
It shouldn't have a nut to attach it to the bottom, it screws in just like a door jamb switch, see Badsport's pic.
The switch makes the ground, so it needs to thread into the tab, otherwise you could have a problem there.
How did you test the bulb socket? With a regular continuity tester with a light? If so, you should be good on that end. This circuit is hot all the time, so when you grounded your circuit tester you bypassed the switch and provided the needed ground rendering the switch "useless" in this test. Are you sure you have the right bulb, and that it is a good bulb?
Try using your circuit tester as a ground with the switch. Connect the test light to ground, holding the switch in your hand, when the probe end is set against the side of the switch the light should come on with the switch "open" and go off when you "close" the switch.
Try this and report back.
C
 
clhyer said:
Can you post up a pic of your switch?
It shouldn't have a nut to attach it to the bottom, it screws in just like a door jamb switch, see Badsport's pic.
The switch makes the ground, so it needs to thread into the tab, otherwise you could have a problem there.
How did you test the bulb socket? With a regular continuity tester with a light? If so, you should be good on that end. This circuit is hot all the time, so when you grounded your circuit tester you bypassed the switch and provided the needed ground rendering the switch "useless" in this test. Are you sure you have the right bulb, and that it is a good bulb?
Try using your circuit tester as a ground with the switch. Connect the test light to ground, holding the switch in your hand, when the probe end is set against the side of the switch the light should come on with the switch "open" and go off when you "close" the switch.
Try this and report back.
C
Click to expand...


I will try and get a photo posted tonight. The tab is smooth and has never had a switch screwed in place. The switch I have measures 1/4" on the threaded end and is possibly the wrong switch, as it just drops in place and there was a nut provided to secure it to the tab.
Thanks Gary
 
twister360 said:
I will try and get a photo posted tonight. The tab is smooth and has never had a switch screwed in place. The switch I have measures 1/4" on the threaded end and is possibly the wrong switch, as it just drops in place and there was a nut provided to secure it to the tab.
Thanks Gary
Click to expand...

Either way it should work, the switch needs to be grounded. When that switch goes up it is grounding the light so it can come on. Anytime you put a switch in it is better to have it on the ground side than the power side.

Try and clean the area of paint where the switch goes in and secure it.

Does the switch fit in the hole?
 
Badsport said:
Either way it should work, the switch needs to be grounded. When that switch goes up it is grounding the light so it can come on. Anytime you put a switch in it is better to have it on the ground side than the power side.

Try and clean the area of paint where the switch goes in and secure it.

Does the switch fit in the hole?
Click to expand...

The switch fits loosely on the hole. I will clean off the paint and get it to bare metal and use the nut to secure it in the tab. Wont be able to try it out till tomorrow.

Thanks Gary
 
clhyer said:
Can you post up a pic of your switch?
It shouldn't have a nut to attach it to the bottom, it screws in just like a door jamb switch, see Badsport's pic.
The switch makes the ground, so it needs to thread into the tab, otherwise you could have a problem there.
How did you test the bulb socket? With a regular continuity tester with a light? If so, you should be good on that end. This circuit is hot all the time, so when you grounded your circuit tester you bypassed the switch and provided the needed ground rendering the switch "useless" in this test. Are you sure you have the right bulb, and that it is a good bulb?
Try using your circuit tester as a ground with the switch. Connect the test light to ground, holding the switch in your hand, when the probe end is set against the side of the switch the light should come on with the switch "open" and go off when you "close" the switch.
Try this and report back.
C
Click to expand...


UPDATE!!

Followed your directions and in addition, I removed the paint in the tab area so I would have a good ground. Hooked it all up and it works perfectly.

Thanks for everyones input,

Gary
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top