Trying to sort out an on again/off again issue with my interior lights which seemed to have a mind of their own. Replaced the pin switches although the old ones seemed fine. Lights seemed to function normally for a couple days, and then dang, they are stuck on whenever the battery is hooked up. Finally got my test light and continuity tester out and stated uncovering the wiring again. Isolated the console lights and they seem to be functional when isolated from the C pillar lights.
Next, a deep dive into the trunk and testing all the connections there. Seems there is some sort of issue with the right side as both wires are energized even with the yellow (ground) one is ungrounded. So decide to pull the right pillar light and harness out. Yank on it from inside and won’t come out - cable feels hung up. Yank on it from trunk in - feels hung up from this direction too. Reach up from inside the trunk towards the pillar and cable is definitely trapped there by something. Finally get a bore scope out and feed up there and what should I find - the last guy who reinstalled the C pillar chrome trim screwed the stamped nut right down on top of the cable, slicing the insulation and pinning/grounding both leads to the body. Not wanting to have to disassemble the whole back interior, I get a 3/8” ignition wrench, tie a string around it and my finger and cram my whole forearm up there from the trunk and manage to get it on the nut and increment by increment, back it off a turn or so until the wire comes loose and the light can be removed. Glad it was the chrome strip nut I could reach from the trunk - if it had been the other one I would have been pulling the rear seat, package tray, etc out. Who would have guessed?
Next, a deep dive into the trunk and testing all the connections there. Seems there is some sort of issue with the right side as both wires are energized even with the yellow (ground) one is ungrounded. So decide to pull the right pillar light and harness out. Yank on it from inside and won’t come out - cable feels hung up. Yank on it from trunk in - feels hung up from this direction too. Reach up from inside the trunk towards the pillar and cable is definitely trapped there by something. Finally get a bore scope out and feed up there and what should I find - the last guy who reinstalled the C pillar chrome trim screwed the stamped nut right down on top of the cable, slicing the insulation and pinning/grounding both leads to the body. Not wanting to have to disassemble the whole back interior, I get a 3/8” ignition wrench, tie a string around it and my finger and cram my whole forearm up there from the trunk and manage to get it on the nut and increment by increment, back it off a turn or so until the wire comes loose and the light can be removed. Glad it was the chrome strip nut I could reach from the trunk - if it had been the other one I would have been pulling the rear seat, package tray, etc out. Who would have guessed?
